Gloriela Iguina-Colón is a Research Assistant at MDRC. In this role, she has supported several projects within community development, public housing, government assistance — such as Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program (SNAP), workforce development, and Career and Technical Education (CTE) in community colleges. She is energized by the conviction that evaluation and public policy can and should address systemic inequities. Motivated by this principle, she is MDRC’S Diversity Council Co-Chair – working to increase communication across the organization and develop initiatives to foster a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization where all employees feel valued. With more than five years of facilitation experience, she has developed and co-created more than a dozen dialogues and collaborative spaces for students, community members, and researchers to develop organizational strategy and sustainable, structural change. Prior to working at MDRC, Iguina-Colón has engaged in a range of public policy and research experiences at the federal, state, and local levels: as a Congressional intern, an immigration legal clerk, and a social policy researcher. She is passionate about applying her skills and interest for connecting people, thinking critically and holistically about problems, and developing equity- and human-centered solutions. She completed her Bachelor’s degree at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor.
