1. Can you describe your role in the SDSS collaboration and what you enjoy most about it?
I attend the LVM nebular diagnostic meetings to learn about problems with the early science datasets and enjoy when we are able to solve them.
2. Can you tell us about your educational background and how you got interested in the field of astronomy/astrophysics?
B.S. at UDLA in Mexico. M.S. and PhD at The University of Oklahoma (US). Two postdocs after that, one at STScI (US) and one at IAP (France). I got interested because my father, maternal grandmother, some teachers, and some outreach people planted the seed of passion for space in me.
3. What projects are you currently working on and what are you most excited about?
I am studying isolated H II regions observed by LVM, which are ionized by single stars (presumably) and are located in the SMC. I am excited about the synergies between HST ULLYSES + VLT XShootU, which obtained UV and optical spectra of the ionizing stars and enable to know the stellar and wind parameters of the star, as well as their ionizing fluxes, and LVM, which tells us about the surrounding nebular gas.
4. Can you describe how you balance work and personal life, and what advice would you give to someone just starting in the field?
It is important that weekends and vacations are spent working minimally and doing other activities, like spending time with friends and family.
5. Can you share with us a unique hobby or interest that you have outside of work?
I ask old people (in their 70’s or 80’s) about their lives to understand better mine and what the future may bring.