I was born in Mexico in the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco. However, my family lived and worked in the state of Zacatecas where I spent the early years of my life. When I was nine years old, my family emigrated to the United States, specifically Lafayette, IN. Although it was hard to adjust to our new life, one thing was for certain, I would overcome any obstacles and get an education. Therefore, after graduating from the local high school, Lafayette Jefferson Hight School, I continued my education at Purdue University.

While at Purdue University I attained a Bachelor’s degree in Professional Flight and a Masters degree in Aviation Human Factors. During this time, I was working as a flight instructor where I discovered that I enjoyed teaching and sharing my knowledge with others. So, I wanted to get better at instruction, including both the planning aspects and actual instruction. This goal led me to pursue a PhD in Learning Design and Technology (LDT) at Purdue University.

Through my years in the LDT program, I have pursued a few research interests. They are:

1.     Competency-Based Education and Mastery Learning

2.     Human Performance Improvement

​Through these interests, I am currently pursuing a research project involving micro-credentials in adult education. The goal of this research project is to eventually bring this concept to the aviation industry, especially the general aviation sector.

One of my aspirations is to work in the aviation industry to pursue better method(s) where pilots in general aviation can use to stay proficient in their knowledge and skills, with hopefully one method being micro-credentials. Further, I hope that these methods can be recognized by not only industry partners but the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).