I am a researcher, educator, evaluator, and consultant committed to using research as a tool for meaningful and lasting change. My work sits at the intersection of research, community, equity, and practice, with a particular commitment to ensuring that the people most affected by research and programs have a meaningful voice in shaping them.

Throughout my career, I have worked across universities, healthcare systems, nonprofits, and community-based organizations. I bring rigorous research and evaluation methods together with culturally responsive, community-engaged approaches to help organizations better understand the communities they serve, strengthen programs, develop research and funding strategies, and translate evidence into action.

I believe expertise does not exist only within universities or institutions. Communities hold knowledge, experience, and insight that are essential to understanding complex challenges and developing solutions that are relevant, responsible, and sustainable. That belief shapes how I approach research, evaluation, training, and every partnership I enter.

My last name, Barreras, means “barriers” in Spanish. For me, it represents both the challenges people and communities encounter and the possibilities that emerge when we have the knowledge, resources, relationships, and opportunities to move beyond them.

Breaking Barriers. Building Possibilities.