After appearing in movies, plays, and commercials, Alma Martinez, 52, has a new role: Fulbright Scholar to Peru.

“Going back to get my Ph.D. [in drama] was to enrich my life,” says the Mexican-born assistant professor at the University of California-Santa Cruz. “As much as I love acting, you do a lot that’s very light, fluffy, and commercial. It’s fun, but not to base a career around if you want an art that will change things.”