Rebecca (B.S. and M.A. degrees in anthropology, University of Arizona) is a PhD student in the Arid Lands Resource Sciences program at the University of Arizona. Her research is at the nexus of archaeology; public health; and traditional food, land, and water systems. She is especially interested in the impact of various forms of colonization on mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical health related to diabetes among marginalized communities, especially in the United States-Mexico Borderlands. Her roots in the Mexican American/Chicanx community in Tucson, Arizona have inspired her to continue to deconstruct the nuances of ascribed and forced identities and relations to better serve marginalized borderland communities in a culturally responsive way. Additionally, she is interested in learning more about how Indigenous and Native communities in this region relate, in past and present, to communities in what is now Sonora, Mexico where her ancestral history sits.
Additionally, she has almost a decade of experience at the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research teaching dendrochronology methods and working with archaeology and ecology labs; has coordinated culturally relevant and responsive K-12 programs for public schools; and has years of experience in CRM. She looks forward to learning more from and sharing her knowledge with those in the greater Crow Canyon community. She also enjoys cooking and as much time outside as possible running, bike-packing, and spending time with family.