Julissa is a doctoral student from Puerto Rico with a focus on historical archaeology. She holds a B.A. in anthropology from the University of Puerto Rico and an M.A. in nautical and underwater archaeology from the University of Cadiz, Spain.

Her research interests include the processes of gendering and production of colonial subjects through notions of femininity and masculinity in early Spanish settlements in the Caribbean, as well as the recontextualization of colonial Spanish gender norms in the 16th century. She also has experience with Spanish primary sources that date from the 16th -19th century.