Marisa Gonzalez is a social work faculty member in NMSU Global’s Master of Social Work program whose teaching and scholarship center on social justice, cultural humility, international social work education and the integration of real-world practice. Her work prepares students for ethical, culturally responsive and community-informed professional practice while connecting classroom learning to global social work perspectives.
Gonzalez is currently completing a 10-month Fulbright Research Award in Vietnam, where she is hosted by Da Lat University’s Department of Social Work. Her Fulbright work focuses on strengthening reciprocal international collaboration in social work education and better understanding how host institutions experience, evaluate and envision international partnerships.
During her time in Vietnam, Gonzalez has worked closely with Da Lat University faculty and students. Her activities have included collaborative development of a national research study examining Vietnamese social work programs’ perspectives on international partnerships, faculty collaboration around field practicum education, and guest lectures and classroom exchanges. Her research is designed to elevate perspectives that are often underrepresented in international education literature-particularly those of institutions hosting international partnerships.
Gonzalez’s international scholarship will continue in January 2027, when she travels to Lusaka, Zambia, to present at the Social Work Beyond Borders global conference. Her accepted presentation will explore digital transformation and innovation for social change, with particular attention to the ethical and inclusive use of technology and generative artificial intelligence in social work education and international collaboration.
The Zambia conference will provide an opportunity to share lessons emerging from Gonzalez’s work in Vietnam with an international audience while bringing new perspectives and connections back to NMSU. She also sees the experience as an opportunity to strengthen future global learning opportunities for students and integrate emerging international perspectives into the MSW classroom.
Across her work in Vietnam, her upcoming presentation in Zambia and her teaching at NMSU, Gonzalez aims to connect global engagement with local practice-creating opportunities for students and social work educators to think critically about how international collaboration can be more reciprocal, ethical and responsive to the communities and institutions involved.