She earned a Ph.D. from Yale University in Latin American history with an emphasis on twentieth-century Mexico. Her book, San Miguel de Allende: Mexicans, Foreigners, and the Making of a World Heritage Site, based on more than ten years of research, examines how long-time residents and newcomers shaped San Miguel’s economic possibilities and cultural dynamics from the 1930s to the 1980s, and how these efforts paved the way for the 2008 UNESCO World Heritage designation.