MA, PhD (Anthropology); MA (Counseling Psychology)
With Cabrillo College since 1998

I couldn't figure out what to major in in college because I was interested in so many different subjects. And then I realized anthropology would let me do it all! Well, almost. I love anthropology (and being an anthropologist) partly because it is so broad-ranging and holistic. As an anthropology instructor, I get to lead discussions about the value and limits of cultural relativism and the ethics of fieldwork, as well as ways in which religious practices can challenge gender norms, as well as bonobo social relationships and the evolution of tool use among hominins--all in the same semester. And I get to keep learning--from my students, who are always teaching me new things!

My research thus far has focused on the anthropology of religion, gender, the Philippines, social change, psychological anthropology, multiculturalism, U.S. cultures, and ethnographic writing. I have done fieldwork with a women's ritual group in San Diego, and with feminist Catholic nuns in the Philippines (feel free to browse my open access book on them if you are interested--Unconventional Sisterhood). Above all, though, I love TEACHING anthropology, and I'm very happy to be at Cabrillo College! I'm also the happy mother of two wonderful daughters, and I enjoy sharing the world with them when not at work.