Before Lisa Tafoya joined UNCO as a lecturer in 2024, she was an Assistant Professor at the Community College of Denver. But before she was a professor, she was an FBI agent for twenty years.
After taking Tafoya’s Intro to Criminal Justice course last semester, I sat down with her to ask about her journey, her career, and being a woman in a male-dominated field.
HC: Can you state your name and pronouns, please?
Lisa Tafoya: My name is Lisa Tafoya, and I don’t use any pronouns.
HC: If you were to go back in time, would you be an agent again?
LT: I would not be a cop again. I didn’t know what I was getting into. I was never inspired to be a cop; my intent was just to travel and see the world. I forgot about having a gun and a badge. I would be a professor.
HC: You used to have this really high-stress lifestyle, and now it’s more relaxed. Is it hard for you, or easier?
LT: It’s definitely made life easier, and I feel like I’m myself. Twenty years as a fed, I wasn’t myself; I was a cop. Now I’m myself.
HC: How do you structure your teaching philosophy to engage a wide diversity of students?
LT: I start with the premise that diversity is not what we look like, but also how we learn, and with that, I know students work differently. I tell them that… if they are experiencing difficulty, I hope they feel comfortable talking to me. When they do come to talk to me, I’m very receptive.
HC: What is it like being a female in a male-dominated field?
LT: As a cop, it was noticeable, and it was intimidating, mostly because I didn’t know policing. But also, I had to prove myself when the male cops didn’t have to. As a teacher, maybe it’s my age, but I don’t feel like I have anything to prove. I’m there for my students. That’s what it’s about for me. I’m not looking for a career, not looking to move up, just help my students.
HC: What drew you to the FBI? Do you feel like you lived up to your expectations?
LT: What drew me to the FBI was the level of importance of their cases. I felt like my work mattered more, to more people, because I was investigating terrorism. Of course, I exceeded my expectations.
HC: What drew you to being a professor?
LT: It was my dream job. After I retired, I went back to school to teach.
HC: What’s your favorite part about being a professor?
LT: Lecturing and seeing someone go: “oh, I didn’t know that.”
HC: How does the reality of being an agent compare to the media portrayal?
LT: For me, it was the reality of carrying a gun. Somebody will try to hurt me, it was a defensive posture, that was incredible.
HC: Out of all of your hats, which one are you the most proud of?
LT: Being a mother. It’s still the most important job I have ever done. And then being a daughter.