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Mónica Gutiérrez 
​​Place. SPACE. Inequality.​

Mónica Gutiérrez is an assistant professor at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW), where she’s passionate about connecting classroom learning with real-world change. She’s also a faculty affiliate with DU’s Latinx Center, the Center for Community Engagement to Advance Scholarship and Learning, and the Center for Immigration Policy & Research.

Dra. Gutiérrez was honored with selection to the prestigious William T. Grant Foundation Early Career Reviewer Program (2025–2027), a recognition of her growing national impact in the field of social work. Her leadership and scholarship have also been celebrated through multiple awards, including the Emerging Scholar Award from the Association for Community Organization and Social Action (ACOSA) and the Doctoral Fellows Award from the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR).

Before stepping into academia, she spent over a decade working in child welfare, Veterans' health, the criminal justice system, and health promotion. These experiences laid the groundwork for her community-based approach to research and teaching. As a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Research Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, she deepened her commitment to policy advocacy rooted in community voices and justice-driven solutions.

Research

Dr. Gutiérrez’s research integrates social geography and social work to examine how place, space, inequality, and lived experience shape interactions with social systems and services. Her work focuses on how policies and institutions influence who is able to remain in place and who is pushed out, with particular attention to Latinx communities. She uses community engaged and critical methods, including testimonios, community mapping, critical ethnography, archival research, and policy analysis, to partner with communities and elevate lived expertise.
Current Research Projects
2024–2027. Casa PALS: Promotores Amplificando La Sabiduría. Process and outcome evaluation subcontract funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health, through a partnership with Casa Esperanza (Boston, MA). PI (Evaluation Subaward): M. Gutiérrez. Amount: $300,000. Dr. Gutiérrez leads a federally funded process and outcome evaluation of Casa Esperanza’s PALS initiative (Program PI: Diliana DeJesus). The evaluation examines program implementation and participant outcomes for a culturally and linguistically responsive promotores model embedded within a trauma informed continuum of care, with a focus on barriers and facilitators to access and engagement among Latinx community members navigating mental health and substance use related needs. Findings will inform continuous quality improvement and support required reporting to the Office of Minority Health.
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2024–2026. Safety Beyond Surveillance: Evaluating the Role of School Resource Officers (SROs) in Fostering Safe Learning Environments. University of Denver PROF Grant. PI: M. Gutiérrez. Amount: $48,000. This study examines how School Resource Officers influence Black and Latinx high school students’ experiences of safety and place based belonging in Denver Public Schools. The project extends Dr. Gutiérrez’s framework on displacement without physical relocation by assessing how institutional practices, including school discipline and surveillance, can produce psychological and social displacement within school settings.

Selected PEER- REVIeWED Publications

​​*Community Partner; #Invited Manuscript

#Gutiérrez, M., Marroquin, M., Lechuga-Peña, S., Becerra D., Mitchell F. M., *Rivera L. A., & *Cuevas, N. (2024). Virtual photovoice and social work: Unveiling CRT and LatCrit insights into Latinx communities in the Southwest during COVID-19. Journal of Community Practice, 32(4), 417–441. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705422.2024.2431876
  • Lead author: assisted in the virtual adaption of curriculum, facilitated Spanish-language sessions, and guided the paper through peer review. 
  • Thurber, A., Krings, A., Sawyer, J., Hamilton, G.A., & Gutiérrez, M. (2024). Contested places: A typology for responding to place-based harms. Journal of Social Work, 24(5), 685-704. https://doi.org/10.1177/14680173241240986
    Conceptual author: originated the core theoretical ideas, typology, and overall narrative flow.
  • Gutiérrez, M. (2023). “Creo que mi meta es ayudar a mi comunidad y ver un cambio”: Latinas/os remaking home through community-engaged mapping. Journal of Community Practice. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705422.2023.2285329
    Sole author: conceived the study and theoretical framing of “remaking home,” designed and facilitated community-engaged mapping sessions with Latina/o residents, and led all data collection and mixed-methods spatial analysis.
  • Gutiérrez, M., & Lechuga-Peña, S. (2022). Latina/o/x Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) in social work: A tool to dismantle racism and White supremacy and build racial equity. Advances in Social Work. https://doi.org/10.18060/24996
    Lead author: conceived the article, conducted the LatCrit literature synthesis, drafted and revised the manuscript, and guided it through peer review, now among my most-cited publications, widely referenced for advancing anti-racist practice in social work.
  • Gutiérrez, M., Brooks-Hawkins, J., Hassan, K., & Wolfersteig, W. (2022). Relationship of health rating and stigma among people living with HIV/AIDS: A community study. Humanities and Social Science Communications Journal, 9 (98). https:/doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01086-8
  • Mitchell, F., Lechuga-Peña, S., Poola, C., & Gutiérrez, M. (2021). Incorporating photovoice into a community-based intervention: Practice implications from Your Family, Your Neighborhood. Advances in Social Work. 21(4). https://doi.org/10.18060/24385
  • Cassinat, R. A., Bruening, M., Crespo, N. C., Gutiérrez, M., Chavez, A., *Ray, F., & Vega-Lopez, S. (2020). Effects of a community-based pilot intervention on home food availability among U.S. households. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(22), 8327. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17228327
  • Aguilar-Amaya, M., & Gutiérrez, M. (2019). Implementing compassion fatigue prevention for lay employees conducting naloxone training: An example from rural Arizona. Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions. 19(3), 314–321. https://doi.org/10.1080/1533256X.2019.1640018
  • Zhu, W., Gutiérrez, M., Toledo, M. J., Mullane, S., Stella, A. P., Diemar, R., Buman, K. F., & Buman, M. P. (2018). Long-term effects of sit-stand workstations on workplace sitting: A natural experiment. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 21(8), 811–816. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2017.12.005
  •  Buman, M. P., Epstein, D. R., Gutiérrez, M., et al. (2015). BeWell24: Development and process evaluation of a smartphone “app” to improve sleep, sedentary, and active behaviors in U.S. veterans with increased metabolic risk. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 6(3), 438–448. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13142-015-0359-3
  • Buman, M. P., *Epstein, D. R., *Herb, C., Hollingshead, K., Gutiérrez, M., et al. (2015). Design and iterative testing of a sleep/physical activity smartphone “app” for U.S. veterans: Abstract 1235. SLEEP, (38), A439.
  • Buman, M., Huberty, J., Melton, B. F., King, A., Hekler, E., *Epstein, D., *Herb, C., Hollingshead, K., Hekler, A., Baldwin, C., Ohri-Vachaspati, P., Vega-Lopez, S., Babcock-Parziale, B., Gutiérrez, M., et al. (2015). Building and evaluating personal technology physical interventions in diverse populations. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, (49), S1339.

Refereed Book Chapters
​​Gutiérrez, M., & Becerra, D. “Muéstrame tus papeles”: A LatCrit discourse for understanding the well-being of Latinas and their resistance to anti-immigration politics. (2025). In Nakaoka, S., Ortiz, L., & Vasquez, N. (Eds.), Critical Race Theory in Social Work (in press).
​Research Reports
*Community Partner, ^Doctoral Student
  • Gutiérrez, M., *DeJesus, L., *Guzman, M., *D’Ippolito, M., Lundgren, L. (2025). Community Health Assessment. Prepared for: Casa Esperanza Inc., Boston, MA.
  • *Aguilar-Amaya, M., & Gutiérrez, M. (2021). Curriculum Development for Foster Youth in Arizona. Prepared for: Arizona Facts of Life, Inc.
  • Wolfersteig, W., Aguilar-Amaya, M., Gutiérrez, M. (2020) Prevention for States Prescription Drug Overdose Program: Collaboration, Community Readiness, and Social Networks Evaluation. Prepared for: The Arizona Department of Health Services and the CDC Prevention for States Prescription Drug Overdose Program.
  • Wolfersteig, W., Gutiérrez, M., ^Hassan, K., ^Brooks-Hawkins, J. (2019). People Living with HIV/AIDS Survey Report. Prepared for: City of Phoenix Fast Track Cities Initiative. Prepared for: City of Phoenix Zero Stigma, Ad Hoc Fast Track Committee.
  • Wolfersteig, W., Aguilar-Amaya, M., Gutiérrez, M. (2019) Prevention for States Prescription Drug Overdose Program: Collaboration, Community Readiness, and Social Networks Evaluation. Prepared for: The Arizona Department of Health Services and the CDC Prevention for States Prescription Drug Overdose Program.
  • ​Wolfersteig, W., Aguilar-Amaya, M., Gutiérrez, M., (2018). Prescription for States Evaluation Report: Measuring the Process and Outcomes of the AZ Rx Drug Misuse and Abuse Initiative Toolkit. Prepared for: The Arizona Department of Health Services, Bureau of Chronic Disease and Health Promotions, Arizona Department of Health Services, and Opioid Assistance and Referral Line.
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​​Keynote and Invited Speaking Engagements
2024 (Dec). Gutiérrez, M. Panelist. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Health Policy Research Scholars (HPRS), Year 4 Course. Strategies for Completing Your Dissertation.
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2024 (Oct). Gutiérrez, M. Invited presenter. Latinas/os in Higher Education: Interactive Workshop. Latino Social Work Organization Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL. 

2024 (Apr). Gutiérrez, M. Keynote speaker. Ni de aquí, ni de allá: Exploring border spaces by centering Critical Race Theory and LatCrit in social work praxis. HRSA Workforce Development Grant event, California State University Monterey Bay School of Social Work, Seaside, CA. 

2023 (May). Gutiérrez, M. Opening keynote speaker. Ni de aquí, ni de allá: Exploring border spaces by centering Critical Race Theory and LatCrit in social work praxis. Latinx Social Work Organization Annual Conference, Portland, OR.

2023 (May). Gutiérrez, M. Keynote speaker. MSW Virtual Graduation Ceremony. Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver, Denver, CO.

2022 (July). Gutiérrez, M. Panelist. Webinar: Forging Research Partnerships with Community-Based Organizations​, Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science (IAPHS).

Public Impact Works
  • GSSW Communication Team. (2023, September 25). Youth liberation camp. [Media: Community-Based Event]. University of Denver, Graduate School of Social Work. https://tinyurl.com/ycxyczxu
  • GSSW Communication Team. (2022, September 19). Transforming social work. [Media: Faculty Profile]. University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work. https://tinyurl.com/5n7fdz5m
  • Gutiérrez, M. (2023). “Creo que mi meta es ayudar a mi comunidad y ver un cambio”: Latinas/os remaking home through community-engaged mapping. [Media: Publication Highlight]. University of Denver Center for Community Engagement to Advance Scholarship and Learning. https://tinyurl.com/3nv5bz9y
  • Gutiérrez, M., et al. (2023). Resolution: In Defense of Critical Race Theory in Social Work, Critical Race Scholars in Social Work Network. Co-collaborators: Faculty from ten social work schools in the U.S. [Media: Organization Statement]. https://tinyurl.com/z2wp2cwd
  • Murguia, Muñoz, B. (2022). Rent hikes, downtown boom spur gentrification of older Tucson neighborhoods. [Media: Expert Interview]. Cronkite News. https://tinyurl.com/3t9c33b3
  • Gutiérrez, M. (2022). Experience: Scholar Perspectives #HPRSCOREOFMYSTORY. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. [Media: Interview]. https://tinyurl.com/bde8ttf2.
  • Gutiérrez, M. (2022). An Interview with Critical Race Scholars in Social Work (CRSSW) Founding Members. [Media: Blog]. Critical Race Scholars in Social Work Network. https://www.crssw.org/news
  • Martinez, R.A., & Staley, B. (2021). Introducing the next generation of racism scholars, part 3: Tongtan (Bert) Chantarat and Mónica Gutiérrez. Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science. [Media: Blog]. http://ow.ly/6VYP50G55Za.
  • Gutiérrez, M., Martinez, R.A., Staley, B. (2021). Introducing the next generation of racism scholars, part 2: Rebekah Israel Cross. Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science. [Media: Blog]. http://ow.ly/lRkP50G55NJ.
  • Gutiérrez, M., Martinez, R.A., Staley, B. (March 6, 2021). Introducing the student presenters at the 2021 RacismLab symposium: Brittney Butler & Alana Keller. Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science. [Media: Blog]. http://ow.ly/KXNo50G55Pv.
  • Gutiérrez, M., Gomez-Vidal, C., Roybal, K., Whittaker, J. (2020). Challenging place and power: A discussion of participatory research methods to transform local political economies of health. Sick Individuals Sick Populations. [Media: Podcast]. http://ow.ly/rmEf50G56de.
  • Injustice by design w/ Mónica Gutiérrez (2020). Equity Matters. [Media: Podcast]. http://ow.ly/ECqd50G569c.
  • Gutiérrez, M. (2020). In spite of the darkness, COVID-19 has propelled social work into the 21st century. The New Social Worker. [Media: Op-Ed]. http://ow.ly/XJd150G55VO.
  • Gutiérrez, M., et al. (2019). Race at the forefront: Sharpening a focus on race in applied research. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. [Media: Blog]. http://ow.ly/5NK450G56jI.
  • Meet the scholars: Mónica Gutiérrez. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2019). [Media: Interview]. http://ow.ly/F5dw50G56f5. ​
Selected Conference Presentations (last 5 years)
*Community Partner, ^Doctoral Student
  • Gutiérrez, M. (Moderator), *DeJesus, L., *Guzman, M., *D’Ippolito, M., ^Modeste-James, A., Lundgren, L. (October 2025). Embracing Disability Justice, and Joy in Latinx Behavioral Health: Centering Trauma as a Disability in Social Work. Presentation on research findings. Council on Social Work Education Annual Meeting, Denver, CO.
  • Gutiérrez, M. *DeJesus, L., *Guzman, M., *D’Ippolito, M., ^Modeste-James, Lundgren, L. (April 2025). Building Bridges: Collaborative Approaches to Advancing Equity and Culturally Tailored Care for the Latine Community. Presentation on research findings. The Boston Area Research Initiative Annual Insight-to-Impact Summit, Boston, MA.
  • Gutiérrez, M. (April, 2025) Creo que mi meta es ayudar a mi comunidad y ver un cambio: Latinas/os remaking home through community-engaged mapping. Presentation on research findings. The American Association of Geographers, Detroit, MI.
  • Espitia, N., Gutiérrez, M. (Moderator), , Rodriguez-Newhall, A. D., & Escobar, K. M. (March, 2025). El Respeto Al Derecho Ajeno [A Conseguir Un Doctorado] Es La Paz. Respect for The Rights of Others [To Get a Phd] is Peace. American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education Annual Meeting, Denver, CO.
  • Gutiérrez, M. (moderator), Harty, J., Sonsteng-Person, M., Hyde, C.A., Bailey, D., Davis, G. (October 2024). Defending and Supporting DEIB Educators and Scholars Against Censorship and State Bans at Council on Social Work Education Annual Meeting, Kansas City, MO.
  • Espitia, N. (Moderator), Gutiérrez, M., Rodriguez-Newhall, A. D., & Escobar, K. M. (October 2024). El Respeto Al Derecho Ajeno [A Conseguir Un Doctorado] Es La Paz. Respect for The Rights of Others [To Get a Phd] is Peace. Interactive Workshop at the Latinx Social Work Organization Annual Conference, Chicago, IL.
  • Gutiérrez, M. Higher Education (October 2024). Interactive Workshop at the Latinx Social Work Organization Annual Conference, Chicago, IL.
  • Gutiérrez, M., Perez, E., Nakaoka, S., Nelson, N., A. & Ortiz, L. (November 2022). Act Locally, Think Globally: The Link Between Critical Race Theory and Human Rights—Interactive Workshop at Council on Social Work Education Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA.
  • Gutiérrez, M., & Hernandez, N. (November 2021). Utilizing Critical Race Theory to move towards an online anti-racist pedagogy. Oral Presentation at Council on Social Work Education Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL.
  • Gutiérrez, M., Cifuentes, A., Gomez-Vidal, C. (November 2021). Structural competency as a framework for advancing anti-racist social work (E-Poster) at Council on Social Work Education Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL.
  • Gutiérrez, M., & Lechuga-Peña, S. (October 2021). Latina/o/x Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) in social work: A tool to dismantle racism and White supremacy and build racial equity. Round Table Discussion at Critical Race Scholars in Social Work.
  • Thurber, A., Sawyer, J., Gutiérrez, M., & Krings, A. (January 2021). Place-based reparations: policies and practices to advance racial justice in Brown, Black, and Indigenous communities. Roundtable discussion at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Meeting, Washington, DC.
  • Lechuga-Peña, S., Gutiérrez, M., Samimi, C., Daftary, A., & Calhoun, M. (January 2021). Critical Race Theory: A framework to address and engage in anti-racist social work practice and research. Roundtable discussion at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Meeting, Washington, DC.
  • Gutiérrez, M., & Becerra, D. (April 2021). La fortaleza de seguir luchando: Latinas nacidas en el extranjero y la resistencia en tiempos de represión/The strength to keep fighting: Foreign-born Latinas and resilience in times of repression. Poster presentation at Arizona State University Institute for Social Science Research, Tempe, AZ.
  • Gutiérrez, M., & Becerra, D. (February 2021). La fortaleza de seguir luchando: Latinas nacidas en el extranjero y la resistencia en tiempos de represión/The strength to keep fighting: Foreign-born Latinas and resilience in times of repression. Poster presentation at the University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research, Racism Lab Symposium, Ann Arbor, MI.
  • Gutiérrez, M., Poola, C., Lechuga-Peña, S., & Mitchell, F. (November 2020). Mentorship for women of color doctoral students and faculty using Critical Theory. Panel discussion at Council on Social Work Education Annual Meeting. Denver, CO.
  • Whittaker, J, Gutiérrez, M., Vidal-Gomez, C., Williams, P., & Roybal, C. (October 2020). Challenging place and power: A discussion of participatory research methods to transform local political economies of health. Podcast discussion at Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
  • Robinson, P. L., Gutiérrez, M., Tang Yang, C., Thurber, A., & Ohmer, M. (January 2020). Understanding, measuring, and contesting gentrification through a Critical Race lens. Roundtable discussion at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Meeting, Washington, DC.
  • Bakko, M., Cifuentes, A., Gomez-Vidal, C., Gutiérrez, M., & Irsheid, S. (January 2020). Social work and health equity: A critical framework for building a culture of health. Roundtable discussion at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Meeting, Washington, DC.
  • Bender, K. A., Hurlburt, M., Wilson, J., Burnette, D., Nissen, L., & Gutiérrez, M. (January 2020). Special Session: Reimagining social work research and doctoral training using futures frameworks and human-centered design. Round table discussion at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Meeting, Washington, DC.
Research: social work research, school resource officer research, school safety studies, marginalized student experiences, racial equity in education, policy research for social workers, community displacement
research, gentrification and well-being, research on Latine communities, social justice data analysis, advocacy research in social work, social work evidence-based practice, educational equity research, community-engaged research methods.Research Content: “school safety research”  “SRO impact on marginalized students”  “Latine community displacement research”  “Social work research on urban development”  “Community-driven policy research”

TEACHING Philosophy

​The teacher is of course an artist, but being an artist does not mean that he or she can make the profile, can shape the students. What the educator does in teaching is to make it possible for the students to become themselves.”  ― Paulo Freire
My teaching philosophy emphasizes cultural awareness and equity in social work through inclusive classroom environments that engage diverse perspectives and current issues.

Drawing from critical theorists Anzaldúa (1987), Bernal (2002), Crenshaw (1995), Freire (1970), hooks (1994), Tuck (2009), I prepare students for advocacy by connecting theory to practice in addressing systemic inequities. 

Incorporating Kolb's Experiential Learning Model (Kolb, 1984) I integrate hands-on learning into social work education. This approach is intended to enable students to understand policy impacts on marginalized communities while developing advocacy skills. I cultivate brave spaces for critical dialogue, incorporate diverse readings, link content to current social issues, and model social work principles through active engagement.
Graduate Level Courses Currently Teaching:
  • SOWK 4120: Social Policy Analysis, Advocacy, and Practice
  • SOWK 4232 Critical Race Theory Praxis and Social Work
  • SOWK 4435 Grassroots Organizing for Social Justice
  • SOWK 4660: Social Policy Advocacy
The Experiential Learning Cycle​ ​(Kolb, 1984).

Funding


Federal Funding
2024–2027. Casa PALS: Promotores Amplificando La Sabiduría. Process and outcome evaluation subcontract funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Minority Health (OMH), in partnership with Casa Esperanza (Boston, MA). PI (Evaluation Subaward/Subcontract): M. Gutiérrez. Institution: University of Denver. Total (Subaward): $300,000.

Other External Funding
2025–2027. William T. Grant Foundation, Early Career Reviewer Program. Role: Early Career Reviewer.

​2021. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), Health Policy Research Program: Dissertation Completion Funding. Role: Fellow/Awardee. Amount: $10,000.

2018. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), Health Policy Research Fellowship. Role: Fellow. Amount: $120,000.

Internal Funding
​2024–present. University of Denver Research and Sponsored Projects, PROF Grant. Safety Beyond Surveillance: Evaluating the Role of School Resource Officers (SROs) in Fostering Safe Learning Environments. PI: M. Gutiérrez. Amount: $48,000.

2025–present. University of Denver Latinx Center. Professional Development Institute for Change Makers. Recipient: M. Gutiérrez. Amount: $5,000.
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2024–2025. University of Denver Center for Community Engagement to Advance Scholarship and Learning (CCESL), Community Engaged Fellow Award. PI: M. Gutiérrez. Amount: $4,600.
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2022–2025. University of Denver Center for Immigration Policy and Research (CIPR). Mapeando Mi Comunidad/Mapping My Community. PI: M. Gutiérrez. Amount: $2,500.

2023. University of Denver Interdisciplinary Research Institute for the Study of (In)Equality (IRISE). Postdoctoral Research Fellow Trainee Grant. PI: L. Martinez. Role: Co-PI. Amount: $108,000.

2023. University of Denver Latinx Center, Writing and Publication Funding. Recipient: M. Gutiérrez. Amount: $5,000.

2022. Activist Academic Community of Practice, Center for Community Engagement to Advance Scholarship and Learning (CCESL). Recipient: M. Gutiérrez. Amount: $1,000.

​2022. Advancing Community Engaged (ACE) Student Mentee Stipend, Center for Community Engagement to Advance Scholarship and Learning (CCESL). Faculty Mentor: M. Gutiérrez. Trainee: Jenna Wyatt. Amount: $400.

2022. University of Denver Interdisciplinary Research Institute for the Study of (In)Equality (IRISE). PI: M. Gutiérrez. Amount: $3,000. 

2022. University of Denver Latinx Center. PI: M. Gutiérrez. Amount: $5,000.

2022. Early and Mid Career Professional Development Funds for Latinx and Indigenous Scholars, University of Denver Latinx Center (DULCCES). Recipient: M. Gutiérrez. Amount: $1,200.

Awards and Honors
2024. Association for Community Organization and Social Action (ACOSA), Emerging Scholar Award.

2022. Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR), Doctoral Fellows Award. Amount: $3,500.

2021. Institute for Social Science Research, Arizona State University (Phoenix, AZ), Hall of Winners, Runner Up Award for Completed Research. Amount: $400.

Travel Awards
2020. School of Social Work, Arizona State University (Phoenix, AZ). Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) 24th Annual Conference: Reducing Racial and Economic Inequality. Amount: $600.

2019. Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science (IAPHS), Annual Conference: Local, National, Global Impacts on Population Health (Seattle, WA). Amount: $1,800. 

2019. University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work (Denver, CO), Workshop: Inaugural Reimagining Social Work Research Symposium: Innovation and Impact in the Next Generation of Scholars. Amount: $2,000.

2019. Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, MO), Conference: Race at the Forefront: Sharpening a Focus on Race in Applied Research. Amount: $2,000.

Mentored Funding Applications
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), Health Policy Research Scholar (HPRS) Fellowship. Role: Mentor. Trainees: Hayden Dawes (2021), Natasha M. Lee-Johnson (2020), Ezequiel Dominguez (2023). Outcome: Funded.

MEDIA

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Expert Interview
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RWJF HPRS Scholar Perspectives #HPRSCOREOFMYSTORY
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Podcast Interview
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Op-Ed
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Podcast Interview
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Special Topic Interview

Outreach + Service

Service to the University
  • Marshall, University of Denver Gold Graduation Ceremony, University of Denver, 2025
  • Invited, University of Western Australia Health Equity Strategic Partners Initiative, The Office for Public Good Strategy and Research, University of Denver, 2024.
  • Invited Co-collaborator, Field internship partnership for GSSW students in collaboration with DU Sturm College of Law’s Student Law Office, 2025- present.
  • Member (Appointed), IRISE Postdoctoral Research Fellow Search Committee, 2024
  • Mentor, College Assistance Migrant Program, School of Transborder Studies, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 2018- 2020
  • Review Committee, Diversity and Inclusion Graduate Research Conference, T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 2018
  • Reviewer, Teaching Excellence Award, Graduate and Professional Student Association, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 2018

Service to the Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW)
  • Member (Appointed), GSSW Faculty Governance Review Committee, 2025- present
  • Member, (Invited), GSSW Collective Governance Training Group, 2025- present
  • Co-Chair (2025-2027), Member (2023-2024), (Appointed) GSSW Awards Committee 2023-present
  • Member (Appointed), GSSW Faculty Career Collaborator 2023-present
  • Co-Coordinator, SOWK 4435 Collective Mourning Event, February 4, 2023

 Service to Profession
  • SSWR 2026 Community-Research Partnership Award Review Committee Invited (2025)
  • Association of Community Organization & Social Action, ​Southwest Regional Representative (Elected) 2022- present. 
  • Council on Social Work Education, Macro Curricular Guide Policy Focus Team (Appointed), 2024- present. 
  • Council on Social Work Education, Latina/o Track Co-Chair (2024-2025), Chair (2026- present) (Appointed).
  • Critical Race Scholars in Social Work, Member Steering Committee (Appointed), 2021- present, Blog Content Chair (Appointed), 2021-present, Subcommittee Chair Writing and Research (Appointed), 2020- present, Website Content Co-Creator (Appointed), 2021- present​
  • Member (Invited) Critical Race Theory Education Working Group. African American Policy Forum, New York, NY, 2021- 2023
  • Ad hoc Student Committee Member (Elected), Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science, Baltimore, MD, 2020- 2023
  • Co-Founder and Vice President, Inclusive and Multicultural Association of Social Work Scholars, School of Social Work, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, 2018- 2021    
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Service to the Broader Community
  • Invited Volunteer, The Student Voices Podcast Network, Denver Public Schools, 2025- present
  • Co-Coordinator, Valverde Fall Fiesta, September 2023
  • Co-Coordinator, Liberation Youth Camp July 24–27, 2023
  • Co-Coordinator, Valverde Storytelling Tour, May 2023
  • Member, Valverde Movement Project, 2022- 2024. 
  • Invited Member, Critical Race Theory Education Working Group, African American Policy Forum, New York, NY, 2021- 2023
  • Invited Member, Gentrification and Displacement Working Group, City of Phoenix Planning and Development Department, Phoenix, AZ, 2021- 2022
  • Member, South Mountain Working to Build Opportunities, Resources, Knowledge, and Skills (SMWORKS) Coalition, Phoenix, AZ, 2020- 2022
  • Member, Refugee Women’s Health Community Advisory Coalition, Maricopa Integrated Health System, Phoenix, AZ, 2008- 2012
    Member, Research Subcommittee, 2008- 2012          
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Ad Hoc Reviewer
  • Advances in Social Work Journal
  • AFFILIA Journal
  • Encyclopedia of Social Work
  • International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
  • Journal of Community Practice 
  • Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)

Professional Memberships
  • Society for Social Work and Research, 2017- present          
  • Council on Social Work Education, 2017- present   
  • Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science, 2018- present
  • National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity, 2018- present           
  • American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education, 2021- present
  • Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social, 2022- present
  • Juntos Network, 2024- present
  • African American Policy Forum, 2021- 2022
  • Academy Health, 2018-2022
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