Returning to Mexico, Rodríguez began teaching at UNAM in 1954. Between 1954 and 1957 she traveled in Italy studying at the University of Perugia, the University of Bologna, and at the San Luca School in Venice. She joined UNAM's Institute of Aesthetic Research () in 1957 to further her own academic research, which focused on Contemporary and Modern art. In 1960, she returned to Europe on a study tour throughout France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. In 1974, she became a member of the Mexican Academy of Arts and was elevated to a Level III researcher in the National System of Researchers in 1985. Retiring from UNAM in 1987, Rodríguez became a researcher emeritus for the university in 1988.
