Gabriela I. Morales joined the Department of Communication Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences in the fall of 2020 as an assistant professor. In addition to her regular duties of teaching and research, Morales has been involved in projects that seek to incorporate diversity, equity and inclusion into the classroom.
“My work includes building a collective synergy with other faculty, especially other fellow faculty of color, to help build a stronger and more inclusive foundation for faculty, staff and students,” Morales said.
Morales grew up in Ciudad Juárez and Segundo Barrio in El Paso. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at El Paso, a master’s in communication studies, also from UTEP, and a Ph.D. in culture and health communication from the University of New Mexico.
Before coming to NMSU, Morales implemented and served as the director of a community health worker training program at Manchester University, a small liberal arts college in Indiana.
The culture of the borderland drew Morales back home, where she could do similar work at NMSU.
“I found that my background and cultural experiences resonate with NMSU students and coming back to serve a community similar to mine growing up was always something I aspired to do,” Morales said. “Building community with my students, knowing that they feel safe and comfortable in the environment we create together in the classroom, that is what I most enjoy about my work at NMSU.”