He obtained his PhD in Media Studies at the Department of Radio-TV-Film at the University of Texas-Austin. His manuscript, titled Puerto Rican Soldiers and Second-Class Citizenship: Representations in Media (2014, Palgrave Macmillan) examines the cultural history of the imaginary of the Puerto Rican soldier, from representations in traditional media to self-representations in digital/social media. His research interests are located within the areas of Latino/a and Spanish Caribbean Media Studies. Born in Mayaguez and raised in Aguada, Puerto Rico, Aviles-Santiago holds a Bachelor Degree in Communications and a Master in Research in Communications from the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras.