Education as a practice of freedom

My teaching philosophy is rooted in a deep commitment to fostering inclusive, transfermative learning environments. From my tenure (2013–2021) at the National Pedagogic University in Mexico City to my current role at Tufts University, I have architected spaces where queer life, in all its radiance, flows and is embraced, centering those of us with melanin-rich skin. At Tufts, I’ve worked across all levels of instruction, from redesigning undergraduate core courses to creating graduate seminars like “Contemporary Families of the 21st Century” and “Gender Development: Deconstructing, Demystifying, and Reimagining the Gender Binary.” Central to my approach is an emphasis on hands-on research and critical engagement with systemic inequalities, equipping students for advanced study and impactful, justice-oriented careers. Collaboration is at the heart of my teaching and mentorship. I chair PhD committees across five countries—Chile, México, Portugal, Uruguay, and the U.S.—partnering with doctoral candidates to co-construct knowledge addressing urgent social justice issues. Together, we tackle topics such as parental burnout, child development in carceral settings, and protective factors supporting trans and nonbinary youth. My past advisees have challenged systemic inequities, from examining the impact of white western belief systems on transracial adoptees’ wellbeing to designing frameworks for recruiting and retaining educators of color in public schools.​In a world shaped by capitalism, exploitation, and individualism, I center my pedagogy on care, cooperation, anti-bigotry, and horizontalization of responsibility. I have built “safe enough” spaces where queer lives of those with melanin-rich skin flows and are embraced. Resistance always comes from impossibility: the audacious act of creating what does not yet exist. Together, my students and I cultivate radical hope—a collective vision of future goodness that transcends what is currently imaginable.