Her book, Loca Motion: The Travels of Chicana and Latina Popular Culture (NYU Press, 2005) received an MLA book prize honorable mention. In her role as guest curator of the award-winning traveling exhibit American Sabor: U.S. Latinos in Popular Music, a collaboration between the University of Washington and The Experience Music Project Museum, she is engaged in developing public humanities projects. She is also a past recipient of the Rockefeller Foundation Humanities Research Award as well as a Woodrow Wilson Foundation Research Award for her research and writing on gender, popular music and culture. Her new book, Beat Migration: Chicano/a Roots/Routes of American Pop Music is currently in-progress. Distinguished Alumnus Award recipients: