Dr. León holds a Ph.D. in Spanish Literature, Language & Culture and a Master of Arts in Language Teaching-Spanish from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He also possesses training in Leadership (University of Denver), Translation (University of Toronto), Higher Education Teaching (Harvard University) and DEI-Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (Cornell University). He is a published scholar and a passionate educator whose teaching portfolio includes: Beginning, intermediate and advanced Spanish language courses. He has also taught courses on Latin American, Spanish and Chicanx literature, cultural studies, women’s/gender studies, writing/composition, Spanish for professional purposes, Spanish for Heritage Speakers and Latin American & Spanish contemporary film. He has also developed and delivered multiple online courses. His publications analyze literary and cinematographic texts that portray the experiences of Latin American and sub-Saharan African immigrants in Spain and the ways in which the intersection of race and gender shapes those experiences. He has presented his research in multiple regional, national and international academic conferences. He believes strongly in the value of education in the humanities and in helping others pursue the study and enjoyment of languages and cultures. He is currently an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of Spanish Languages and Cultures at Columbia College.