Bio

I am a scholar of language learning and Black experiences in multilingualism. My primary fields of inquiry are critical applied linguistics, critical sociolinguistics and critical discourse studies examining race, gender, sexual and social class identities in new language learning through the multilingual journeys of African American students. I also have expertise in diversity, equity and inclusion in instructional practices and curriculum design, language study abroad, applied linguistics as a practice of social justice, intercultural communication and service-learning in secondary and university-level language programs.

My book "Racialized identities in second language learning: Speaking blackness in Brazil" (Routledge 2017) examines how students shape and negotiate different identities in multilingual contexts, and it proposes how a multilingual approach (e.g. translanguaging, plurilingual practice) can be utilized for effective language pedagogy. My book was the first single-authored volume of sociolinguistic analysis and critical examination of the African American experience in language learning and won the 2019 American Association for Applied Linguistics First Book Award recognizing a scholar whose first book represents outstanding work that makes an exceptional contribution to the field. My second book, a co-edited volume titled "Racial equity on college campuses: Connecting research to practice," was released by SUNY Press at the end of 2021.

Department Member Since 2021