about me

Download my CV here.

I received my Ph.D. in Linguistics from the Department of Linguistics at the University of Arizona in May 2018. My main research interest is developmental psycholinguistics with ancillary interests in bilingual first language acquisition, morphosyntactic development, child language disorders, majority-minority language contact, and how we conceptualize poverty effects on language development, executive function, and pre-literacy and literacy skill development. 

During my time at UA, I was the recipient of the first annual University of Arizona Graduate College's Dr. Maria Teresa Velez Diversity Leadership Scholarship - "this award is given annually to a graduate student who, through his or her teaching, research, or outreach and service, has demonstrated a commitment to furthering diversity in education, higher education, and the community at large."  I am honored to be the recipient of a scholarship bearing Dr. Maria Teresa Velez's name. Dr. Velez worked tirelessly to extend access to higher education for minorities, and served as a mentor to many Latinas in the Tucson community. In a sincere effort to pay it forward, I used that time to be a better advocate for communities of color on campus and in the greater Tucson community. 

I also received the Peter Likins Inclusive Excellence Award – Student Honorable Mention in 2017. The Peter Likins Inclusive Excellence Awards were created to recognize students and employees who enhance the UA by creating an inclusive environment through fostering equality, encouraging diverse perspectives, and working on recruitment and retention of a diverse campus community. You can read about it here.

It is important to me that I am actively engaged with my community, particularly in a capacity that helps historically marginalized groups. Before I started my Ph.D. program, I worked with the Upward Bound (UB) program in Phoenix, AZ. UB is a federally funded program that serves low-income, first-generation students and endeavors to bolster equality of access to higher education. As a first-generation student myself, this opportunity is one I hold very dear to my heart. I was an AmeriCorps State Member serving at The Primavera Foundation - a local non-profit in Tucson, AZ that "provides pathways out of poverty through safe, affordable housing, workforce development and neighborhood revitalization." 

Here is more information about my former teaching.

I will support, protect, and fight for DACAmented, undocumented immigrants, and refugees. 

“Dra Figueroa is many things; Latinx, neurodiverse, a linguist, a weaver, a woman, a podcast host, a dog mom, a darn good person. One thing she is not, is an asshole. Linguistics, and society in general, has benefitted greatly from her voice being heard.” – Dustin Steichmann, host of Sandman Stories podcast