Author, Educator, Speaker
Public Humanities
Making the histories of race, infrastructure, mobility, insurance, and place visible through archival research, digital history, collaborative scholarship, and undergraduate mentorship.
My public humanities work brings historical research beyond the university through digital projects, public writing, collaborative research, and place-based partnerships. Grounded in spatial history and urban humanities, these projects help broader audiences understand how race and infrastructure shape everyday life.
My approach to public humanities was shaped long before I became a professor. Working with local historical societies, community archives, and grassroots organizations—and training in urban planning and historic preservation—taught me that stories do more than preserve the past. They reveal how power operates across space and time. Today, that commitment continues to shape my research, teaching, and public engagement.
Selected Public Humanities Projects
Her Crazy Driving is a Key Element of Cruella de Vil’s Evil. Here’s Why: The History of the Crazy Woman Driver Trope
The Washington Post Essay
Barrio Suburbanism Interactive Map (Vol 1)
Recipient of UCLA Teaching Innovation Grant
Latino Representation in Star Wars
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, AeroEspacial/AirSpace Podcast
A Bruin Walk: The Campus Under Pandemic
Digital Salon Podcast
Images of America:
Mexican Americans in Redlands
Arcadia Press, Book with Antonio Gonzalez
When Police Clamped Down on Southern California’s Japanese-American Bicycling Craze
"Our Favorite Essays of 2019 List"
Smithsonian with Zócalo Public Square
Digital Redlining Timeline
Collaborative digital history project created with undergraduate students in CCAS 191: Redlining.
Leadership
My commitment to public humanities also includes institutional leadership. I have served on the Board of California Humanities, contributed to the planning of the National Humanities Conference, and support initiatives that connect historical scholarship with broader publics.
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