I received my bachelor's degree in Psychology (1987) and Law (1993) from the Central University of Venezuela. My postgraduate studies took place in Europe and the USA. I received a master’s degree (M.Sc.) – Eximia Cum Laude Approbatur – in Sociology of Law at the International Institute for the Sociology of Law in Oñate-Spain (1995), and my master’s degree in Law (LL.M.) – with Honors – at the State University of New York at Buffalo (2005).

Internationally, I was distinguished as a Fulbright Scholar (2004), visiting professor at the Universidad de Costa Rica (2011), and visiting professor at the Centre of Criminology Socio-Legal Studies at the University of Toronto (2014). In 2020, Bluenotes Community and Explorance, Inc. awarded funding for my research project: “Understanding the Academic Experience of International Students in Canada as a Cultural Transition Process” at Yorkville University (Toronto-Canada).