Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, she studied Philosophy and Literature at the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, in Medellín. She also graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Psychologist, at the Universidad de Antioquia. She received a Master's degreee in Spanish from West Virginia University, in 1992. She was awarded a Ph.D. in Spanish with a cognitive field in Brazilian Studies, in 1997, from the University of Miami. She was a Philosophy professor at the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, and a Psychology professor at the Universidad de Antioquia. She has taught at Denison University in Granville, OH since 1997. At Denison, she has taught Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American and Caribbean Studies. She is currently the Director of Latin American and Caribbean Studies at Denison University. She specializes in the cultures and literatures from Colombia, Brazil and Cuba. She does research and has published about several aspects of these cultures such as the representation and development of national projects in 19th century, race and gender relations, feminicide and migratory groups to Brazil, Cuba and Colombia
