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• Department of Medicinal Chemistry

Gainesville, FL

Department of Medicinal Chemistry / Department of Medicinal Chemistry is located in Gainesville, FL, in a suburban setting.

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• University of Florida
• College of Pharmacy
• Graduate Programs in Pharmacy

University of Florida

Pharmacy—Medicinal Chemistry

PHA 6354 Natural Medicinal Products 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Chemistry of compounds derived from plants and animals.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6354

PHA 6356 Structure Determination of Complex Natural Products 3 Credits

Rigorous structure determination of natural products, using modern spectroscopic methods. Become able to elucidate the structure of any organic small molecule.

Prerequisite: CHM 5235  or consent of instructor.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6356

PHA 6357 Herbal & Dietary Supplements 3 Credits

Herbal Dietary supplements are extensively used by consumers. This course provides an overview of commonly used supplements to assist healthcare practitioners in providing patients with adequate counseling to avoid drug interactions and false claims.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6357

PHA 6416 Pharmaceutical Analysis I 3 Credits

Theory and applications of relevant analytical techniques for analysis of drugs in biological samples. Offered spring term in odd-numbered years.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6416

PHA 6417 Pharmaceutical Analysis II 3 Credits

Absorption, fluorescence, phosphorescence, and spectroanalysis of drugs and related compounds.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6417

PHA 6425 Drug Biotrans and Molecular Mechanisms of Toxicity 3 Credits

Enzymology and mechanisms of drug biotransformation pathways. Examples of drugs and other xenobiotics that exhibit toxicity related to biotransformation.

Prerequisite: introductory organic chemistry, biochemistry.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6425

PHA 6432 Fundamentals of Pharmaceutical Chemistry 1 Credit

This is a foundation course whose aims are providing an introduction to the principles of Pharmaceutical chemistry, including an understanding of drug structure-activity relationships, prediction of the physico-chemical properties of a drug, basic knowledge of the major pathways of drug metabolism, and factors that can contribute to drug-drug interactions.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6432

PHA 6435 Biosynthetic Logic of Medicinal Natural Products 3 Credits

Covers topics of biosynthesis of the major families of medical natural products, structural and biochemical understanding of their biosynthetic logic, gene cluster identification, genome mining, and production of bioactive "unnatural products" for drug discovery and development.

Prerequisite: Students are expected to have the background of Biochemistry, Enzymology, and Bioorganic Chemistry.  Or permission of instructors.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6435

PHA 6444 Pharmaceutical Chemistry I 3 Credits

Students are shown how to predict the solubilities, structure-activity relationships, basic synthesis routes for selected structures, metabolism and pharmacological activity/potency of various drug classes. In particular, anticoagulants, ACE inhibitors, glucocorticoid steroids, nitrate esters, adrenergics, cholinergics, diuretics, anesthetics, antihyperlipidemics, muscle relaxants, anxiolytics, antidepressants, sedative hypnotics and vitamins are covered.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6444

PHA 6447 Drug Design 3 Credits

Relevant disciplines and their effect on new drug development, from discovery of a new active lead compound to final refinement as a commercial product.

Prerequisite: organic chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacology, or consent of instructor.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6447

PHA 6452 Metabolic Biochemistry 3 Credits

This course will introduce students to the principles of anabolic and catabolic pathways and cellular energy efficiency. The course also provides an understanding of the biological, physical, and chemical processes for each reaction pathway.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6452

PHA 6467C Drug Design II 3 Credits

Outline of how relevant disciplines impact on the development of a new drug product from the discovery of a new active lead compound to its final refinement as a commercial product. Contributions of Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Metabolic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, and Pharmacological Chemistry are discussed.

Prerequisite: PHA 6447 Drug Design I.

PHA 6468 Biotransformation Considerations in Drug Design 2 Credits

Explores the importance of considering biotransformation in the process of drug design and discovery. Topics include the major pathways of biotransformation of various functional groups present in drugs and the enzymes involved, including their regulation and factors affecting metabolism and enzyme activity. Other topics are the role of metabolism in drug toxicity and examples from the literature of metabolic activation of drugs and naturally occurring toxic chemicals.

Prerequisite: PHA 6447 and PHA 6467C and an additional undergraduate chemistry or biochemistry class with permission of instructor..

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6468

PHA 6471 Synthetic Medicinal Chemistry 3 Credits

Review of acid and base properties of pharmacologically active molecules. Review of mechanisms of synthetic reactions, and their applications.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6471

PHA 6472 Organic Synthesis of Drug Molecules 3 Credits

Covers advanced topics in drug molecule synthesis, including: organic reaction mechanisms, retrosynthetic analysis, asymmetric synthesis, heterocyclic chemistry, natural product synthesis, drug design and synthesis, structure-activity relationships.  Secondary topics that will be included in this course include: anticancer/antibacterial agents, screening approaches.

Prerequisite: CHM 5224 or permission of instructor.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6472

PHA 6532 Occupational Toxicology 3 Credits

Focuses on the growing field of occupational toxicology, the specific toxicants encountered in various work environments, and how both acute and chronic exposure can impact health. Symptom presentation, differential diagnosis, and treatment are covered as well as preventive measures that can be implemented to reduce or prevent such exposures.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6532

PHA 6533 Epidemiology & Biostatistics in Clinical Toxicology 3 Credits

Covers principles and applications of epidemiology and biostatistics as they apply to clinical toxicology. Students will learn to critically evaluate and understand data analyses and results presented in the medical literature. Upon completion of this course, students will have the basic knowledge of epidemiological analysis and biostatistical techniques to aid in the interpretation and treatment of the poisoned or overdosed patient.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6533

PHA 6534 Toxicology of Chemical Weapons 3 Credits

Providing healthcare providers, first responders, and others that may be exposed to chemical weapons with an understanding of their toxicology and treatment approaches.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6534

PHA 6535 Principles of Nucleotide Activity 2 Credits

This course will be introducing the students to the chemical structure of DNA and RNA; the synthetic processes for DNA and RNA synthesis; biochemical reactions and pathways for nucleotide synthesis; DNA replication, transcription and translation; covalent and reversible interactions of nucleic acids with small molecules and proteins and an overview of techniques for the analysis of nucleic acids.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6535

PHA 6543 Pharmaceutical Chemistry II 3 Credits

Showing students how to predict the solubilities, structure-activity relationships, basic synthesis routes for selected structures, metabolism and pharmacological activity/potency of various drug classes. In particular antidiabetics, anticonvulsants, H1 and H2 antagonists, analgetics, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, hormones, antibiotics, antiviral agents, and antineoplastic agents are covered.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6543

PHA 6556 Introduction to Clinical Toxicology 3 Credits

Introducing the basic methods and procedures commonly employed in Clinical Toxicology as well as the concept of Clinical Toxicology as an interdisciplinary science within the field of healthcare.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6556

PHA 6557 Clinical Toxicology 1 3 Credits

Providing students with an understanding of the toxic effects and clinical applications of various therapeutic drug classes including cardiovascular, CNS, analgetic, anesthetic, antineoplastic, and antibiotic drugs.

Prerequisite: VME 6602

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6557

PHA 6840 Medicinal Chemistry of Drugs of Abuse 3 Credits

Pharmacological effects of commonly encountered licit and illicit pharmaceutical compounds.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6840

PHA 6850 Principles of Forensic Science 3 Credits

Introducing the basic disciplines of forensic science. The course is composed of twelve modules.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6850

PHA 6851 Forensic Analysis of DNA 3 Credits

Techniques for isolation of DNA from cells. Spectroscopic techniques. Hydrodynamic and electrophoretic separation methods. Sequence determination. Statistical analysis and forensic significance.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6851

PHA 6852 Mammalian Molecular Biology 3 Credits

Focus on the principles of modern molecular biology and biochemistry and expand on the concepts you may have already encountered in other classes in this program. The content will also include the applications of experimental techniques and procedures routinely used in this field.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6852

PHA 6853 Biological Evidence and Serology 3 Credits

Overview of crime scene investigation as it pertains to biological evidence. Crime scene safety. Collecting and preserving evidence. Identifying, analyzing, and interpreting biological stains.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6853

PHA 6854 Forensic Immunology 3 Credits

Antibody formation, antigen structure. Complement mediated reactions. Hypersensitivity. Immunoelectrophoretic techniques in forensic science.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6854

PHA 6855 Forensic Genetics 3 Credits

Principles of inheritance. Genetic polymorphisms and forensic implications, population genetics and paternity testing.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6855

PHA 6856 Bloodstain Pattern Analysis 3 Credits

Blood spatter creation and interpretation. Recording, collection, and processing of bloodstains and blood spatter evidence.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6856

PHA 6857 Forensic Analysis of DNA 2 3 Credits

This course covers how to interpret DNA data to include mixture deconvolution and the statistics that apply to DNA matches/inclusions. Modules guide the student through the basis of Y-STR and Kinship testing statistical applications. Students will learn the report writing, review and testimony skills required of a DNA analyst.

Prerequisite: PHA6851 - Forensic Analysis of DNA

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6857

PHA 6861 Intro to Forensic Medicine 2 4 Credits

Forensic medicine is the application of medical knowledge to the investigation of crime. This course gives knowledge and understanding of the application of scientific knowledge to medico-legal problems and legal proceedings, specifically as related to investigating medical crimes as well as the causes of sudden and unexpected deaths.

Prerequisite: VME 6582 .

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6861

PHA 6905C Research Procedures in Pharmaceutical Sciences 1-4 Credits

Research Procedures in Medicinal Chemistry

PHA 6910 Supervised Research 1-5 Credits, Max 5 Credits

Grading Scheme: S/U

Supervised Research

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6910

PHA 6934 Seminar in Medicinal Chemistry 1 Credit, Max 3 Credits

Weekly presentation and discussion of research reports based on college programs or literature.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6934

PHA 6935 Selected Topics in Pharmacy 1-4 Credits, Max 12 Credits

Open to all departments in the College of Pharmacy.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6935

PHA 6936 Advanced Topics in Pharmaceutical Sciences 1-2 Credits, Max 4 Credits

Written and oral presentation of research designs, protocols, papers, and critical appraisals with discussion and critical review of such topics.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6936

PHA 6938 Research Seminar 1 Credit, Max 3 Credits

Seminar required of graduate students in the College of Pharmacy.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6938

PHA 6940 Supervised Teaching 1-5 Credits, Max 5 Credits

Supervised Teaching

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6940

PHA 6971 Research for Master's Thesis 1-15 Credits

Research for Master's Thesis

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 6971

PHA 7979 Advanced Research 1-12 Credits

Research for doctoral students before admission to candidacy. Designed for students with a master's degree in the field of study or for students who have been accepted for a doctoral program. Not appropriate for students who have been admitted to candidacy.

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 7979

PHA 7980 Research for Doctoral Dissertation 1-15 Credits

Research for Doctoral Dissertation

Catalog Program Pages Referencing PHA 7980

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Welcome Fall 2023 A&S New Faculty

Art & Art History

Ivan Santiago, M.F.A., is a Miami native and a dedicated photographer who has shared his passion for digital photography through teaching around South Florida. He graduated from Florida International University with a dual focus on Photography and Art History. Additionally, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology.  

During his time in Miami, Ivan delved into researching the history of photography, drawing inspiration from the landscape representations found in the New Topographic movement. He skillfully contextualized this inspiration as a means to capture the tension arising from the disappearing landscapes within the urban sprawl of South Florida.   

His artistic focus primarily revolves around austere landscapes, with a keen interest in subjects such as uninhabited storefronts, urban decay, warehouse facades, and other visual indicators of the intersection between the changing climate and economics. 

Dr. Giovanni Hanna is an enthusiastic lecturer with a passion for evolution, genetics, biotechnology,  and history of science. He has taught for more than three years on four campuses in San Diego, including at UC San Diego, San Diego State University, and at Grossmont and Palomar Colleges. After receiving his PhD in the study of evolutionary genetics and genomics with Dr. David Begun at UC Davis, he then taught classes in evolutionary biology at his alma matter before moving to Miami.  During his MS and PhD studies, Dr. Hanna focused on the evolution of reproductive tissues among others and became a specialist in the study of female reproductive organs in fruit flies. Separately from his work with insects, Dr. Hanna truly enjoys the sharing of old and new knowledge, having  taught more than 20 classes and TA'ed over 30 classes over the past decade.  

Dr. Luque is a biophysicist who studies the molecular structure and dynamics of viruses using biophysical modeling, artificial intelligence, and bioinformatics. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Barcelona and was a Postdoctoral Fellow at New York University. Dr. Luque joined the U in 2023 as an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology after eight years as a principal investigator at the Viral Information Institute at San Diego State University. Dr. Luque has established the generalized theory of viral capsids, guiding the discovery of unknown viruses and the development of new vectors for gene therapy. 

Dr. Agrios is a native of Athens, Greece. Following completion of his undergraduate work there, he moved to the United States where he obtained his Ph.D in synthetic organic chemistry under the mentorship of Prof. Morris Srebnik. He was a postdoctoral associate in the laboratories of Prof.   Jeff Aube and Prof. K.C. Nicolaou. His professional career included appointments as a drug discovery scientist in two pharmaceutical companies, Abbvie and Incyte, where he worked on various projects in oncology, metabolic diseases as well as CNS disorders. He joined the University of Miami as a Lecturer of Organic Chemistry on August 15, 2023. Prior to that, he held an academic position at Villanova University as a continuing Assistant Professor. There, in addition to his teaching responsibilities, he established a medicinal chemistry laboratory where undergraduate and M.Sc students were trained in the design and synthesis of small molecules to be used for the potential treatment of rare diseases. The complement system and the alternative pathway of complement were the focus of his research group. His laboratory identified novel and potent Factor D inhibitors for the potential treatment of complementopathies such as PNH and aHUS. 

Paul Johnston received his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Auckland in New Zealand and his Ph.D. in Classical Philology and Comparative Literature from Harvard University before joining the University of Miami in 2023. His research interests range widely in the literature, culture and history of the ancient Mediterranean (and beyond). He has published articles on Athenian tragedy, ancient Greek onomastics and the reception of the classics in the work of the Korean American writer Theresa Hak Kyung Cha. His current book project explores the Greek and Latin literatures of the Roman empire as the product of a bilingual cultural system closely intertwined with the Roman state. 

Computer Science

A. J. BERMUDEZ is an award-winning writer, director, and educator. Her first book, Stories No One Hopes Are About Them (University of Iowa Press, 2022), won the Iowa Short Fiction Award and was a Lambda Award Finalist. Her work has recently appeared in The Kenyon Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, LitHub, Columbia Journal, and elsewhere. She is a recipient of the Diverse Voices Award, the PAGE Award, the Pushcart Prize, the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize, the Steinbeck Fellowship, and the Outstanding Teaching Fellow Award at Boston University. She is thrilled to be joining the community at the University of Miami. 

Geography & Sustainable Development/Architecture

Sarbeswar Praharaj (Ph.D.) is joining the University of Miami as an Assistant Professor (tenure-track) with shared responsibilities between the Department of Geography & Sustainable Development and the School of Architecture . He previously served as the Associate Director and Assistant Research Professor at the Knowledge Exchange for Resilience at Arizona State University. Sarbeswar holds a Ph.D. in Urban Planning and was also a postdoctoral researcher at the City Futures Research Center at UNSW Sydney , Australia. Sarbeswar’s research and teaching interests combine critical applications of geospatial data science and smart city technologies for shaping more inclusive, sustainable, and climate-resilient communities. 

Etana H. Dinka (PhD) joined the University of Miami as an assistant professor of history in July 2023. He received his PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in 2018, an MA from Addis Ababa University (2007) and a BED from Alemaya University (2002). Before joining the University of Miami, he was an assistant professor at James Madison University (Virginia, USA), where he taught undergraduate and graduate history courses, a visiting assistant professor at Oberlin College (Ohio, USA), a lecturer at Adama University of Science and Technology (Ethiopia) and Hawassa University (Ethiopia) and held Graduate Teaching Assistant positions at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London (UK). His research interests focus on the dynamics of state-making projects in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa, histories of competing nationalisms in modern Ethiopia and the Horn region, environmental history, and Oromo-Ethiopia-historiographies. His latest works have been published in the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, the Journal of African History, Northeast African Studies, African Studies Review, and the Journal of Oromo Studies.  

Mathematics

Rene Mboro earned his Ph.D. in Mathematics at Ecole Polytechnique, a member of Paris-Saclay University in France.  

He then held postdoctoral positions at the University of Vienna (Austria), at the University of Bonn (Germany) and at the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Sofia, Bulgaria) before arriving at the University of Miami a first time in 2022 for a postdoctoral position and this year to join the department of Mathematics as an assistant professor. 

Rene Mboro's research interest lie in algebraic geometry, more specifically in the study of birational invariants relevant for rationality problems and of the topology of algebraic (smooth projective) varieties. The themes of his current research include the properties of the intermediate Jacobian of a cubic fivefold and the topological restrictions on Lagrangian submanifolds of projective hyper-Kaehler manifolds. 

Kaiqi Yang is a Research Assistant Professor in the Mathematics department of the University of Miami. His research interests focus on birational geometry, in particular, equivariant birational geometry. Kaiqi received his Ph.D. from New York University in 2023.  

Michele Bowman Modern Languages & Literatures

Hernán Rosario is a linguist with expertise in Spanish and English, specifically in phonetics, code-switching, and languages in contact. His research centers on bilinguals and second language learners’ production, attitudes towards language mixing, as well as other aspects of bilingualism. As an accomplished educator, he teaches Spanish, English, and Spanish as a heritage language. Hernán is deeply enthusiastic about the role of music in the process of enhancing the teaching of Spanish and culture.  

Arturo Leyva Pizano obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Miami. His areas of philosophical interest are the overlap between neuroscience and philosophy, philosophy and its connections to the behavioral sciences, philosophy and the health sciences, philosophy of mind/4E cognition, phenomenology, non-human animal studies, philosophy of movement and sport, and philosophy of film.

Kun Wang is currently an Assistant Professor in Physics at the University of Miami (UM). Prior to UM, he was an Assistant Professor in Physics and Chemistry at Mississippi State University from 2020-2023. He received his Ph.D. in Physics at the University of Georgia in 2016. After that, he worked as a Research Fellow at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. His research interest focuses on exploring intriguing physical and chemical processes at the atomic and molecular scale. He is the recipient of the U.S. DOE Early Career Award, JMCC Emerging Investigator, and MRS Graduate Student Award.  

Political Science

I am the Elizabeth B. White Endowed Chair and Professor of Political Science. Before joining UM, I was the Mae and John Hueston Distinguished Professor in Native American and Indigenous Studies and Associate Professor at Dartmouth College. My prior appointments include serving as the Department Chair of Native American Studies at the University of Oklahoma and teaching comparative and Indigenous politics at the University of Melbourne, Australia. I received my PhD in Political Science from UC Berkeley and have been a post-doctoral fellow at Princeton's Department of Politics, Yale's Program in Race, Ethnicity and Migration, and the University of Washington's Native Elder Research Center. I am currently a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Institute for Social Equity at The University of Melbourne.  

Theatre Arts

Christine Mazeppa a teaching artist based in Miami, Florida. Before joining the University of Miami Theater Arts faculty, she taught dance and language arts to high school students for Miami-Dade County Public Schools. She completed her undergraduate work in dance at Point Park University and went on to earn an MS in Educational Leadership from Florida International University and most recently her MFA in Choreography from Jacksonville University in 2022. Christine is very excited to be at the University of Miami and is looking forward to sharing her passion for dance with her new students.

Shuyu (Tom) Zhang is an emerging stage manager from China. He received his MFA in Stage Management from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and his BA in Journalism from Zhejiang University. He’s worked in both China and the U.S., doing stage management, tour management, and arts management. He is a big fan of musicals and his dream is to work on a professional Les Miserables production. 

Writing Studies

Tenecia Bradley-Cousins, Ed.D., possesses robust experience in the field of higher education at the faculty, staff, and administration levels. She has taught various postsecondary writing and supplemental courses. In addition, she has an extensive higher education background and expertise in student affairs and academic support. As a higher education professional, she has consistently contributed to the overall student success in public and private institutions. Her distinguished academic portfolio includes a Doctor of Education from the University of Florida, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Miami, and a Bachelor of Arts from Bethune-Cookman University. 

Anabelle Mahoney earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College in Boston where she also taught as an Affiliated Faculty member in the Department of Writing, Literature, and Publishing. Previously, she earned a BA in Writing and Rhetoric from the University of Rhode Island. She is especially interested in feminist rhetorical criticism. Her creative work has appeared in The Twin Bill, Pink Panther Magazine, Chautauqua Journal, and elsewhere. She is very excited to be teaching in the Department of Writing Studies at UM.

Shane McFarlane earned his MFA in Fiction at Florida International University where he became the first writer to win both FIU’s 2019 Fiction Prize judged by Lisa Glatt and the 2019 Nonfiction Prize judged by Brenda Miller. His disciplines include fiction, creative nonfiction, memoir, essays, poetry, and journalism. He has been a journalist and the editor in chief of a literature and arts journal. His publications appear in several periodicals and literary journals including Hunger Mountain.  

Kelly Millard was born and raised in Miami, Florida. Before coming to UM, she earned her Ph.D. in Applied Language and Speech Science from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2022. She has an M.A. in Linguistics from Florida International University (2015) and a B.A. in English Literature and Spanish from Florida State University (2011). While studying at FSU, she also earned a Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages (TESOL) certificate. Kelly has presented at conferences and published research in the areas of linguistics and speech science. 

Stella Santamaría was born in Los Angeles. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Saint Mary's College of California recipient of the School of Liberal Arts Dean's Award. Her manuscript California Silence has been nominated as a finalist for the Andres Montoya Poetry Prize by Letras Latinas Institute for Latino Studies, University of Notre Dame, in 2022. Her poetry has been recently published in Odes to Our Undoing Writers Reflecting on Crisis, Rising Phoenix Review, Islandia Journal, The Brooklyn Review, Acentos Review, The Rumpus, Nine Mile, Juked, and O' Miami, among others. Stella has received scholarships and fellowships from The Community of Writers, Under the Volcano, and Hedgebrook. Santamaría was an XM Sci-Fi Faculty Fellow for the Summer 2023 at Florida International University's Science & Fiction Lab. She was formerly teaching writing at Miami Dade College and creative writing at Saint Mary's College. Stella is excited to be part of the Writing Studies Department at the University of Miami.

At Florida International University, Monica Torres earned a Bachelor’s in English and Psychology. She then taught Writing and Rhetoric at colleges while writing about the arts and culture in Miami. Her articles are published in Miami New Times, Art Slant, and miamiartzine.com. Two of her poems are published in Sinking City. Her writing focuses on the city of Miami, its vibrant Culture and challenges like sea-level rise. She has a Master’s of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, Poetry from Converse College. She taught at Barry University as an Adjunct Professor in their First-Year Writing and Rhetoric Program.

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