Curriculum Vitae
Education:
Ph.D. Tulane University, 2024
Department of Art History & Department of Latin American Studies
Advisor: Elizabeth Boone
Dissertation: Unfolding the Sign: Iconicity and Figuration in Maya Full-Figure Inscriptions
M.A. The University of Texas at Austin, 2019
Department of Art History
Co-Advisor: Julia Guernsey
Co-Advisor: David Stuart
Thesis: “Emerging Perspectives: A New Cross-Contextual Analysis of the Niche Monument Corpus”
B.A. Brigham Young University, 2016
Department of Latin American Studies
Advisor: Allen Christenson
Capstone Paper: “From Imposition to Integration: Teotihuacan Influence on Maya Culture, as Evidenced by Stela 7 at Piedras Negras”
Publications:
Refereed Journal Articles
“Sun Gods and Forest Figures: Duality and Complementarity in Copán Stela D’s Full-Figure Inscription.” Hemisphere: Visual Cultures of the Americas, Vol. 15. 2023.
“Restyling Olmec: Pacific Coast Niche Monuments as Evidence of Local Innovation on Olmec Style in Preclassic (Formative) Mexico and Guatemala.” MEXICON. In press.
Thesis
Emerging Perspectives: A New Cross-Contextual Analysis of the Niche Monument Corpus. University of Texas at Austin (2019).
Conference Proceedings
“Los glifos de cuerpo completo de Quiriguá: Un análisis visual y epigráfico.” Manuscript submitted for publication in Memorias del 36 Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala.
Book Reviews
Joanne Baron, Patron Gods and Patron Lords: The Semiotics of Classic Maya Community Cults (2016). Reading Religion, 2018. URL: http://readingreligion.org/books/patron-gods-and-patron-lords
Mark Z. Christensen, The Teabo Manuscript: Maya Christian Copybooks, Chilam Balams, and Native Text Production in Yucatán (2016). Reading Religion, 2018. URL: http://readingreligion.org/books/teabo-manuscript
FELLOWSHIPS, GRANTS, HONORS, AWARDS
2023 Young Scholar Award
28th European Maya Conference, Bonn, Germany
2023 School of Liberal Arts Ph.D. Fellowship
Department of Art History and Latin American Studies, Tulane University, 2019-present
2023 American Dissertation Fellowship, Alternate
American Association for University Women
2023 Junior Visiting Scholar in Residence
Casa Herrera, University of Texas at Austin
2022 Ittleson 12-Month Research Fellowship
Center for the Advanced Study of Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art
2022 William Griffiths Award for Best Graduate Instructor
Stone Center for Latin American Studies, Tulane University
2022 Graduate Student Summer Research Award
School of Liberal Arts Dean’s Office, Tulane University
2021 Stone Center and Tinker Foundation Dissertation Feasibility Grant
Tinker Foundation and Stone Center for Latin American Studies, Tulane University
2021 Stone Center Summer Grant for Language Study (Ch’orti’)
Stone Center for Latin American Studies, Tulane University
2020 Emergency “Stay-at-home” Summer Funding, COVID-19
Stone Center for Latin American Studies, Tulane University
2020 Best Campus-Wide Graduate Paper on a Latin American Topic for paper “A Return to Roots: The Maya—Teotihuacan Inscription at Copan’s Temple 26”
Stone Center for Latin American Studies, Tulane University
2018 E.D. Farmer International Fellowship
Department of Latin American Studies, The University of Texas at Austin
2017 David Bruton, Jr. Endowment for Graduate Fellowship in the College of Fine Arts
College of Fine Arts, The University of Texas at Austin
2017 M.K. Hage Endowed Scholarship in Fine Arts
College of Fine Arts, The University of Texas at Austin
2016 Office of Research and Creative Activities Research Grant
Brigham Young University
INVITED TALKS
2023 “Nuevas perspectivas sobre las inscripciones mayas de cuerpo completo”
Universidad del Valle de Guatemala
2022 “Glyphs on Vessels: The Primary Standard Sequence and Wahy Figures”
Ursinus College
2022 “Desplegando el signo: La iconicidad y la figuración en las inscripciones mayas de cuerpo completo”
Universidad del Valle de Guatemala
2016 “From Imposition to Integration: Teotihuacan Influence on Maya Culture, as Evidenced by Stela 7 at Piedras Negras”
Brigham Young University
CONFERENCE ACTIVITY
Sessions and Symposia Organized
2021 “Teotihuacan: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Mesoamerica’s Great Metropolis”
Society for American Archaeology, April 2021
Conference Papers
2023 “Within Arm’s Reach: Scribal Workshops and the Geographic Extent of Eighth-Century Maya Full-Figure Inscriptions.”
28th European Maya Conference. December 2023.
2023 “Los glifos de cuerpo completo de Quiriguá: un análisis visual y epigráfico.”
36 Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala July 2023.
2023 “Figuration and Hierarchy in 8th Century Maya Full-Figure Glyphs.”
Southeastern Council on Latin American Studies. March 2023.
2022 “Figures in the Archives: Preliminary Field Research on Full-Figure Inscriptions
in Mexico City.” TUSCLAS Symposium. October 2022.
2021 “A Return to Roots: The Maya – Teotihuacan Inscription at Copan’s Temple 26.”
Society for American Archaeology. April 2021.
2019 “Preliminary Results on the Maya – Teotihuacan Inscription at Copan’s Temple 26.”
TUSCLAS Symposium. November 2019.
2019 "Emerging Perspectives: A New Cross-Contextual Analysis of the Niche Monument Corpus.”
Society for American Archaeology. April 2019.
2018 “Emerging Perspectives: Preliminary Findings of a New Cross-Contextual Analysis of the Niche Monument Corpus.”
South-Central Conference on Mesoamerica. October 2018.
2016. “From Imposition to Integration: Teotihuacan Influence on Maya Culture, as Evidenced by Stela 7 at Piedras Negras.”
ORCA Symposium at Brigham Young University. May 2016.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Art History
Art Survey I: Prehistory through the Middle Ages (Fall 2023, two sections). Instructor of Record, Tulane University
Art Survey II: Renaissance to Present (Spring 2021). Teaching Assistant, Tulane University
Rococo to Romanticism (Fall 2020). Teaching Assistant, Tulane University
Mesoamerican Art and Culture (Spring 2019). Teaching Assistant, University of Texas at Austin
Myth and Image in Greek and Roman Mediterranean Art (Fall 2018). Teaching Assistant, University of Texas at Austin
Introduction to Visual Arts (Fall 2018). Teaching Assistant, University of Texas at Austin
Latin American Studies
Introduction to Latin American Studies (Fall 2021). Instructor of Record, Tulane University
Approaches to Latin American Studies: Indigenous Identity and Resistance (Spring 2022). Instructor of Record, Tulane University
RESEARCH, MUSEUM, AND COLLECTIONS EXPERIENCE
2019 Collections Management, Arizona State University Teotihuacan Laboratory
Analyzed, categorized, and sorted artifacts from test excavations at the site of Teotihuacan, Mexico. Formulated a detailed system that will assist in the creation of a catalog to be used by the laboratory to facilitate future research.
2019 Archaeological Illustration, ASU Teotihuacan Laboratory
Illustrated stone monuments in the archaeological collection of Arizona State University at the site of Teotihuacan, Mexico.
2018 Digital Archiving & Curatorship, Museo Nacional de Antropología, Mexico City
Assisted in the collation and analysis of artifacts stored in the bodega of the Museo Nacional de Antropología in Mexico City, Mexico, under the supervision of Dra. Rebeca González-Lauck.
2016 Researcher, Museum of Peoples and Cultures, Brigham Young University
Analyzed Maya monument casts to provide a thorough but simplified interpretation for museum patrons. Completed projects include a description of Izapa Stela V and a description and epigraphic interpretation of Palenque’s Tablet of the Cross.
2016 Undergraduate Researcher, Department of Interdisciplinary Humanities, BYU
Carried out research analyzing the cultural influence that Teotihuacan had over the Maya heartland as evidenced by the Trapeze and Ray motif found throughout Maya and Teotihuacan art and calendrics, under the guidance of Dr. Allen Christenson.
DEPARTMENTAL SERVICE
2023 President, Art History Graduate Association, Tulane University (2023-present)
Represented the art history graduate students at Tulane University at department faculty meetings and at meetings of the Graduate Studies Student Association on campus. Advocated for graduate students regarding funding, invited speakers, and networking. Organized a biweekly works-in-progress meeting for graduate students to share their work and receive feedback.
2020 President, Latin American Graduate Organization, Tulane University (2020-2021)
Organized academic development activities and social events for students whose research is focused on Latin American topics. Executed biweekly work-in-progress presentations for students, writing groups, and guest lectures to promote networking and career development.
2019 Curriculum Developer, Tulane University (2019-2020)
Created and edited curricula designed by the Latin American Resource Center to help teachers of K-12 programs educate their classes on Latin American history, culture, etc. Assisted in the presentation of this curriculum during four teacher workshops on the Tunica-Biloxi tribe of Louisiana, the Maya and the Aztec.
2019 Graduate Volunteer for the Mesoamerica Meetings, University of Texas at Austin
Prepare for and execute a week-long conference as part of a committee of graduate students in charge of the Mesoamerica Meetings. Responsibilities included creating
flyers and attendance packets, registering and interacting with guests and ensuring their needs were met, and providing audio/visual support and technical assistance
with presentations.
2018 Graduate Coordinator for the Mesoamerica Center Colloquium Series, University ofTexas at Austin (2018-2019)
Selected, scheduled, and provided publicity for guest speakers for the yearly Colloquium series, which held three talks per semester and engaged the greater Austin community.
2018 Graduate Volunteer for the Mesoamerica Meetings, University of Texas at Austin
Prepare for and execute a week-long conference as part of a committee of graduate students in charge of the Mesoamerica Meetings. Responsibilities included creating
flyers and attendance packets, registering and interacting with guests and ensuring their needs were met, and providing audio/visual support and technical assistance
with presentations.
2017 Graduate Coordinator for the Mesoamerica Center Library University of Texas at Austin (2017-2019)
Create an online and mobile index of the over 1,000 books in the Mesoamerica Center library. Develop an innovative method of organization for easy location of
books. Provide general input on the Center and provide suggestions for new acquisitions.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Virtual Reading Group: “Painted Stories: Reading Maya Mythology in Codex-Style Ceramics”
Save Ancient Studies Alliance | June 2023
Led a 5-week online reading group of 20 people focused on reading Maya mythology as documented on codex-style ceramics. Led discussions of assigned readings and facilitated visual and textual analysis by participants.
Lecture Program and Workshop: “De deidades y animales: Las criaturas del arte y la escritura ma-ya”
Casa Herrera, Antigua, Guatemala | April 29, 2023
Presented a lecture program and workshop in Spanish for local participants through Casa Herrera. Participants learned via lecture about common gods and animals in Maya art and writing and then practiced writing a glyphic phrase of their own in Maya glyphs.
Lecture Program and Workshop: “Of Gods and Animals: Creatures of Maya Art and Glyphs”
Hotel Maya, Long Beach, California | April 23, 2023
Invited to present a lecture program and workshop for local participants as part of the community initiative “Mayapalooza,” the purpose of which is to educate the public on Ma-ya culture. Participants learned via lecture about common gods and animals in Maya art and writing and then practiced writing a glyphic phrase of their own in Maya glyphs.
Virtual Masterclass Workshop: “Hieroglyphic Stelae: A Study in Image and Text”
Save Ancient Studies Alliance | January 2023
Organized and co-led an online workshop in which 24 participants learned the basic princi-ples of both Egyptian and Maya hieroglyphic writing on stelae and then created their own paper stelae inscriptions in both Egyptian and Maya style.
Virtual Reading Group: “Communicating Power in the Ancient Maya World”
Save Ancient Studies Alliance | June-July 2022
Led an 8-week online reading group of 20 people focused on Maya representations of power through art, architecture, and hieroglyphic writing. Led discussions of assigned readings and facilitated visual and textual analysis by participants.
Virtual Reading Group: “A Brief Introduction to Maya Hieroglyphic Writing”
Save Ancient Studies Alliance | January 2022
Led a 3-week online reading group of 20 people focused on the decipherment of Maya hi-eroglyphic writing. Assigned readings and exercises to participants and led discussions of those readings. Taught participants to read Maya mural captions and ceramics.
Virtual Masterclass Workshop: “Understanding Maya Hieroglyphs”
Save Ancient Studies Alliance | August 2021
Organized and co-led an online workshop in which 12 participants learned the basic princi-ples of Maya hieroglyphic writing and then carved Maya glyphs corresponding to their birthday into bars of soap.
Virtual Summer Reading Group: “Maya Myths in Art and Writing”
Save Ancient Studies Alliance | July-August 2021
Led an online reading group of 20 people focused on studying academic publications on the representation of myth in ancient Maya art and writing, compared with colonial and con-temporary myth in the Popol Vuh and modern communities.
Charla informal: “El signo y la palabra: La influencia teotihuacana sobre la escritura maya”
Semana mesoamericanista | Youtube: Chicomoztoc_7_Cuevas, December 2020
Presented my recent research to an online community of the public interested in Mesoamer-ica as part of a weeklong online conference in Spanish.
Virtual Classroom Workshop: Writing and Reading Maya Glyphs
Daniel’s Canyon Elementary School | Heber, Utah, October 2020
Taught basic concepts of Maya hieroglyphic writing in a bilingual (ENG-SPA) fourth-grade classroom environment. Guided students in writing a phrase in Maya glyphs.
UT Explore: Make Your Own Maya Monument
University of Texas at Austin | Austin, Texas, March 2019
Guided secondary-level students in creating a miniature paper model of a Maya stela, using rubber stamps on cardstock to recreate common phrases found on Maya monuments.
Classroom Workshop: Mesoamerican Calendar, Art, and Architecture
Local Elementary School | Austin, Texas, October 2020
Helped 8- through 11-year-old students calculate their birthday and write it in Aztec calen-dric dates.
Museum Educator | Museum of Peoples and Cultures, 2016
Guided and educated museum patrons of all ages, from children to adults. Aided
in the direction of children’s activities to encourage interest in and respect for
archaeology and different cultures.
WEB-BASED WRITING AND TEACHING
Mesoamerican Studies Online (Blog), 2019 - present
mesoamericanstudiesonline.com
Weekly posts inform casual readers about academic research on Mesoamerica’s art, his-tory, and culture. Most information is introductory and leads learners towards academic sources of information to counteract incorrect and/or pseudo-scientific claims regarding cultures of the past.
Mesoamerican Studies On-Air (Podcast), 2019 - present
mesoamericanstudiesonline.blog/podcast
Bilingual podcast in which I provide introductory information on the cultures of ancient and modern Mesoamerica for the casual learner in both English and Spanish. I also invite other scholars to share their research and expertise on certain topics. This allows aca-demics worldwide to more easily engage with the public and gain experience sharing their work with others.
Online Course: Maya Hieroglyphic Writing - Intermediate Level, 2021 - present
Through Mesoamerican Studies Online. Instructed online learners of all ages in the inter-mediate principles of Maya hieroglyphic writing. Taught students how to read Maya mon-umental inscriptions and provided the relevant context of these monuments within the Ma-ya world. Classes provided in both English and Spanish.
Online Course: Maya Hieroglyphic Writing - Foundational Level, 2021 - present
Through Mesoamerican Studies Online. Instructed online learners of all ages in the basic principles of Maya hieroglyphic writing. Guided students through the reading of Maya ce-ramics and monumental writing and provided a history of decipherment of Maya hiero-glyphic writing. Classes provided in both English and Spanish.
Private Tutoring, Maya Hieroglyphic Writing, 2020 - present
Provided private tutoring to online learners of Maya hieroglyphic writing. Sessions tai-lored to each student’s individual needs and learning level.
LANGUAGES
Spanish (Fluent; Reading, writing, speaking)
Classic Maya Hieroglyphic Writing (Advanced; Academic Specialty)
Ch’orti’ (Intermediate; Reading, writing, speaking, listening)
Dulegaya/Kuna (Proficient; speaking, reading)
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS
College Art Association
Society for American Archaeology
Latin American Studies Association