I am a social historian focusing in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic World. Originally from Seville (Spain), I earned my Ph. D. from the University of Pennsylvania. My research focuses on Spanish Caribbean societies during the seventeenth century.  Concretely, I am interested in the role that Spanish societies played in the forging of a Caribbean world caught in between the competing imperial agendas of the expanding European powers of the day, namely England, France, and the United Provinces. My current book project, provisionally entitled At the Edge of Empire: Social and Political Defiance in Hispaniola, 1580-1697 explores how local elites in Santo Domingo transcended their marginal location and status within the Spanish colonial world and took advantage of the intense imperial competition that engulfed the Caribbean during the seventeenth century, with the arrival of Northern European settlers. Other current projects include a study of the evolving relationship between slave owners, slaves, and free people of color in Santo Domingo during the first half of the 17th century. A related project deals with the changing connections between Spanish and French colonists in Hispaniola in the last decades of the 17th century, leading to the official Spanish acknowledgement of the French colony of St. Domingue in 1697. You can find a review of my doctoral dissertation here.

I teach both introductory and upper level courses on colonial and modern Latin America, and the Caribbean. Recent courses I have developed include "Yankees in the Tropics: American Imperialism in the Caribbean," and "Earthquake and Hurricanes: History of Haiti and Dominican Republic." I enjoy interacting with students and exposing them to the intricacies of historical analysis and writing. My teaching goals include helping students become valued professionals and educated citizens. Before coming to St. Lawrence University, I also taught at the Department of Latino and Hispanic Caribbean Studies at Rutgers University.

I am an avid baseball fan and a Philadelphia Phillies enthusiast despite the dark moments the team is experiencing. When the weather allows, I love riding my motorcycle, hiking, and the outdoors. My first year in the North Country has tested my tolerance to long winters in ways I could not anticipate. Now in my second year, I have learned that a good coat makes everything possible.