معرفی
Dr. Mari Guillermo serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Administration, Rehabilitation, and Postsecondary Education at San Diego State University, where she has directed grant projects at the Interwork Institute—an auxiliary of the ARPE department—for over 30 years. Her current leadership roles include Project Director for the Rehabilitation Services Administration-funded Long-Term Training Rehabilitation Program and RISE-UP initiative, focusing on employment services for underserved disability populations.
Her research program centers on career and work-based learning interventions for transition-age students, cultural humility frameworks in rehabilitation counseling, systemic capacity building, and leadership development. This work addresses critical gaps in postsecondary education access and vocational outcomes for students with disabilities, particularly Supplemental Security Income recipients. Her approach integrates multicultural perspectives with evidence-based service delivery models.
Analysis of her recent publications reveals consistent focus on translating research into practice through state demonstration projects. Key contributions include developing work-based learning models for SSI youth, identifying enrollment barriers in higher education, and establishing cultural humility as a foundational practice in rehabilitation services.
Dr. Guillermo's federally-funded projects provide substantial resources for training and service innovation. The RISE-UP initiative specifically targets systemic improvements in rehabilitation services for marginalized disability communities. Her graduate teaching in Multicultural Dimensions in Counseling and Program Development directly prepares students for evidence-based practice in diverse rehabilitation settings.
Through the Interwork Institute, she coordinates interdisciplinary project teams implementing California-wide demonstration initiatives. These collaborations with state agencies and community organizations translate research findings into improved service delivery models, particularly through the CaPROMISE and RISE-UP projects that bridge policy, practice, and academic research.
