COMMITMENT TO INTEGRATING TEACHING & RESEARCH
In my work, there has been little distinction between teaching and research. Throughout my career, I have been committed to integrating these dynamics through a synthesis of strategies.

Provide on-the-ground training in health research aimed at translating research findings into appropriate intervention: As a project coordinator and researcher at the Comitán Center for Health Research (CISC), I strengthened local research capacity in social science and health; publicized research results among professional, academic, and lay audiences; informed regional development policy; and developed local health intervention models with education components. While participatory research entails integrating oneself into partner communities, I recognize that the process ultimately belongs to them, which motivates me to teach effectively so that they appropriate skills necessary to sustain the process in my absence.

Teach in multicultural settings: My teaching trajectory began as an undergraduate, when I taught literacy and English to economically-marginalized adults through the Stanford Literacy Project. I subsequently participated in the founding and instruction at an English immersion school in Chiapas. While in Chiapas, my dedication to well-being also coalesced with teaching as I instructed the philosophy and physical skills of tae kwon do at an academy I co-owned and operated. Teaching diverse topics, among a range of ages, in varied cultural contexts has required that I develop appropriate curricula and comfortably navigate the classroom setting. In all teaching positions, I received positive feedback from students, fellow teachers, and administrators.

Mentor colleagues and students: At the University of Arizona, I have participated in a dissertation writing group and have advised fellow graduate students on grant proposals, publications, and conference presentations. Further, I have coordinated and supervised field work of junior graduate students. In Mexico, I served on undergraduate thesis committees and continue to mentor colleagues in their professional and academic endeavors. I have often helped them to adopt an English scholarly writing style via consulting and editing in the publication process.

Merge education and anthropology as a formal course of study: In the absence of a specific multicultural-multilingual education program at Stanford University, I integrated coursework for a Social Science B.A. with classes and research for Honors in Education to become versed in teaching at cultural interfaces. Especially illuminating was my involvement as the sole anthropologist on a team of educators designing curriculum for English as a Second Language learners. Graduate training in anthropology has honed my research abilities and my ability to teach these skills. At the University of Arizona, emphasis on student-led seminars have promoted my teaching capacity, as I have been called on to select and present course readings, develop PowerPoint®-based lectures, facilitate discussion, and critique fellow students’ work.

Conduct research on education: I conducted two NSF-funded research projects exploring education and culture: Taking one’s place: A classroom study of education for indigenous teachers in Chiapas, Mexico (awarded Stanford’s Textor Award for Anthropological Creativity) and Workers speak: A study of language ability, usage, and learning among workers in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas.

Work at the interface of research and education: My work in Mexico and Spanish fluency have allowed me to establish a network of contacts bridging academic institutions, professional societies, government and civil society organizations in the U.S. and Mexico. As researcher-scholar-activists, we teach and learn in seminars, workshops, collaborative research, working groups, and joint publications. My consistent attendance, session organization, and presentations evidence my facilitating role.

Teach about the research process and findings via print and audiovisual media: To educate on both broad and local levels, I have published my research methods and findings in local, national, and international journals, and have used radio, computer, and newsprint to disseminate findings. Examples include participating in radio shows to sensitize the public about violence against women, developing an Interactive Flash® CD ‘toolbox’ for service providers dedicated to addressing family violence, and meeting with local news reporters to draft press releases publicizing elder health care challenges.

Teach and learn through self-reflection prompted by research: Research promotes self-awareness and reflection. My study of medical anthropology, in comparing how diverse peoples conceptualize, experience, and confront health and illness, has been, implicitly, the most revealing course in my own perspectives, values, and approaches.