Faculty and Staff Directory

I am a first-generation, Mexican and Chinese American college graduate and an Associate Teaching Professor of Sociology at the University of Washington Tacoma. My course content includes examining the production, re-production and function of racialized social systems, the history and experience of Asian Americans, critical multiculturalism in education, and intersectionality. I teach courses that introduce the use of the sociological imagination as a critical lens with which to read the world. I encourage students to think of their college degree as a tool for creating social change.

My professional contributions includes serving as a co-chair and board member for the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges’ Cross Institutional Faculty of Color Mentoring Program. The program is dedicated to faculty mentoring and caucus work as methods for enhancing faculty retention and supplementing professional development. Also, I served the Office of Equity and Inclusion as a Director of Faculty Engagement and Racial Equity Initiatives to support trainings in anti-racist pedagogy and inclusive teaching. Currently, I am a co-PI for the University of Washington's first AANAPISI grant from the U.S. Dept. of Education. Our program is designed to support AAPI and low-income students during their first year of college on the Tacoma campus. 

My scholarly interests include: Interdisciplinary models for Anti-racist Pedagogy and Assessment; Sociological theories of race/racisms; Asian American studies; and Intersectionality/Feminist theories in the 21st century. I teach sociology courses that contribute to the Ethnic, Gender, and Labor Studies major and the Sociology minor, as well as several other majors. My courses are designed to support wholistic learning, critical thinking, and engagement with transformative knowledges. In my classes, students participate in frequent small group discussions, student led seminars, and activities that promote the application of theory to practice in real world scenarios. The following quote best summarizes my teaching philosophy:

"To teach in a manner that respects and cares for the souls of our students is essential if we are to provide the necessary conditions where learning can most deeply and intimately begin." - bell hooks