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Her dissertation, "Mapping Tejana Epistemologies: Contemporary (Re)Constructions of Tejana Identity in Literature, Film and Popular Culture," was supported by a Ford Foundation Dissertation Diversity Fellowship and employs a borderlands theoretical framework to explore the identity production and creative expression of Mexican-American women in South Texas.

During her tenure as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Dr. Rodriguez worked on submitting various articles for journal publication as well as revising her dissertation into a book manuscript.







 Her research areas include Chicana/o and Latina/o literature, feminist and postcolonial theory, borderlands studies, film, popular culture and South Texas cultural production.

For the past several years, Dr. Rodríguez has been involved in the Red Cielo Project, an art education project committed to the development and empowerment of diverse communities through creative experiences. As part of the group, Lori has helped to develop spaces for public dialogues, mural painting, peer advising, and collaboration around the creative expression and interpretation of community voices. You can find them at www.redcielo.com.