She specializes in the history of Mexico, Latin America, and U.S.-Latin American relations. She completed her Ph.D. in Latin American History from the University of Arizona in 2004. She is the author of !Mexico, la patria! Propaganda and Production during World War II (University of Nebraska Press, 2009) and Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture: The Search for National Identity, 1820s-1900 (Facts on File, 2010). She has also written several chapters and articles on various aspects of Mexican foreign policy, gender, and popular culture during World War II. Her current research continues to examine popular culture, gender, and nationalism in 20th century Mexico as well as issues of U.S.-Latin American relations in the 1940s.