Teaches: Fall - Biopsychology (238), J Term - A Big History of the Brain (290), Spring - Cognitive Psychology (237)

About

I'm originally from northern Mexico (Chhihuahua). My family moved to Los Angeles where I attended high school. I received my B.A. from  Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA. There, I competed in Track and Field while majoring in Scientific and Philosophical Studies of the Mind. I was the first in my family to go to college!

I earned my PhD in Educational Psychology from the University of Alabama, with a concentration in Educational Neuroscience, where I used EEG and fMRI to investigate the development of numerical cognition. I subsequently worked on the Baby’s First Years study at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, researching how poverty affects brain development.

This diverse background—spanning philosophical inquiry, neuroscientific research, educational psychology, and developmental studies—provides me with a unique interdisciplinary perspective on learning and development. 

When not in the classroom or lab, I enjoy watching movies, playing chess, and spending time with my english bulldog.

Research Interests

My research investigates how the brain processes numerical and mathematical information using EEG and event-related potentials (ERPs). I focus on two main projects: first, studying how people understand fractions by using advanced brain decoding techniques to determine whether the brain represents fraction magnitude (like 2/4 and 3/6) in abstract ways or tied to specific notations; and second, examining whether mathematical mismatches between equations and graphs trigger the same brain response (called the N400) that occurs when people encounter semantic violations in language, which would help us understand whether the brain uses similar mechanisms to process meaning across mathematical and linguistic domains. This research aims to uncover the neural foundations of mathematical learning and has important implications for mathematics education, particularly since fractions remain challenging for students from elementary school through college.

For more information about my research click HERE