As an architect, planner, and researcher she is interested in the public participation processes and activities related to housing and community development. Her research has a strong community-based component that provides knowledge to advocate for and empower disefranchised groups. As an undergraduate at the Universidad de Monterrey, Mexico, she coordinated the development of the first Master Plan for the City of Montemorelos. She worked on the technical aspects of the Plan and set up a forum and interviews with local residents, these activities were crucial to building support for the Plan’s approval and implementation. While completing her Masters in Urban and Regional Planning at UC Irvine, she conducted research for the Los Angeles Legal Aid Foundation assessing potential housing sites for extremely low-income households in Long Beach, California.