Dr. Gurrola is a professor and Chair at the Department of Social Work at California State University at Monterey Bay (Ph.D. in Social Work, Arizona State University, 2009). She also has served as an Assistant to the Dean to the College of Health Science and Human Services. She has been awarded more than $15,000,000.00 in state and federal funding for student scholarship providing more than $1,000,000 scholarships for the 2024-2025 academic year. Previous to this she was at New Mexico State University where she has served as the BSW and MSW coordinator during her tenure. She was involved with the local Promotoras in the area to expand information about immigration policy changes and mental health services.  Dr. Gurrola also served on the faculty of New Mexico State University, California State University Long Beach and Arizona State University.  Her research interests span migration policy, the separation of families by international borders, and the influence of globalization on family health.  She has published her research in both social work and interdisciplinary venues in the areas of violence against women, interpersonal violence, immigration, employer sanction laws, migration, and mental health of Latino children. Her service to the profession includes being board member of several community agencies, CSWE Site Visitor and CSWE Commissioner. Through Community Health Engagement (CHE) she collaborates with the City of Salinas and Monterey County to provide services to people in need of housing in Monterey County. Dr. Gurrola has been a NADD member since 2019 and she was part of the 1st cohort of the Future Leaders in Social Work Education. She will be able to offer as a Regional Representative (West) a perspective of what is happening with social work education.