I obtained my Ph.D. in Psychology from CUNY’s Graduate Center with a focus on cognition, and my B.A. in Psychology from The National Autonomous University of Mexico. I am a multiculturalist, idea generator, people connector, media consultant, educator, researcher, and academic. Currently the principal of my own consultancy, I partner with organizations and businesses who strive to have a positive impact on children’s lives through high-quality media and technology experiences, and specialize in content development and assessment. I have played a crucial part in promoting inclusion, Latino culture, and bilingual competencies in media products across platforms for clients such as Nickelodeon, Sesame Workshop, Pinna, Televisa Foundation, HITN, and GoNoodle, among others. Previously, I was Head of Education and Research for the Dora the Explorer brands for 15 years. My academic publications in media and children’s media journals include, Educational Preschool Programming in the US: An Ecological and Evolutionary Story, Geographic Education for Preschoolers, Dora the Explorer: America’s Bilingual Role Model, Dora the Explorer: An Insiders’ Perspective, A Preschool Introduction to Media Literacy, and An Experimental Evaluation of the Math Curriculum in Dora the Explorer. I am also a contributor to The Future of Childhood report, TEDx speaker, and reviewer for the Journal of Children and Media.
Course: Psychological Influence of Children’s Media