Marisol Marroquín

Priority Areas: Health Equity, Race, Racism, and Inequality
Disciplines and Keywords: Health Equity, Mental Health, Social Justice
Mentor: Takashi Amano & Vanessa Bal
Mentor's Disciplines: Gerontology, Long-term Services and Supports, Human Diversity and Development (Dr. Amano) | Autism in Adulthood, Autism Diagnosis and Screening, Autism Support Across the Lifespan (Dr. Bal)
School: School of Arts and Sciences–Newark (SASN)
Department: Social Work

Marisol Marroquín is a social worker with extensive clinical practice and research experience, which overall aims to improve health and mental health equity for historically marginalized communities, in particular for communities that are Latinx and autistic. Dr. Marroquín uses community-based participatory research methods to collaborate with and highlight the voices of the Latinx and autistic communities. Her work aims to address health disparities impacting racially diverse and disabled communities by examining health equity through intersectional and systematic frameworks. Her work acknowledges the unique experiences Latinx autistic people face due to various social and cultural factors like racism and ableism that can hinder optimal health opportunities throughout a person’s lifespan.

Dr. Marroquín recently received her Ph.D. from Arizona State University’s School of Social Work. She has experience as a clinical social worker in both Arizona and California and obtained her master’s in social work (MSW) degree with a specialization in Integrated Health from California State University, Long Beach. Her undergraduate degree is from Whittier College, majoring in Spanish and Social Work. Dr. Marroquín’s dissertation, “Exploring the Mental Health and Quality of Life of Latinx Young Adults with Autism,” helped create a foundational understanding of the experiences of Latinx young adults within the autism spectrum. For her dissertation work, Marroquin was part of the inaugural cohort of doctoral awardees for the Grand Challenges of Social Work, selected to combat health inequities. At ASU, Dr. Marroquín was named the Outstanding Graduate Student at Hispanic Convocation due to her research, mentorship, and other contributions that have positively impacted Latinx communities. At ASU, Dr. Marroquín also received the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) award for her work and leadership roles within ASU through the Latin@s Unidos and Accessibility Coalition and in the local communities like being a board member for a local non-profit, Success through Education, Exploration, & Development (SEEDS) for Autism.

As a Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow at Rutgers University, Dr. Marroquín has continued working to create social justice efforts through diversity, equity, and inclusion. In her first year, she worked with faculty and students to create the Disability Justice Coalition that helps build community and empower the RU-N disabled community. Dr. Marroquín has continued to develop community partnerships with local non-profits and is working to better understand the health experiences of Latinx and Black immigrant community members in New Jersey through a mixed methods research project. She is also working to expand psychoeducation to Spanish-speaking communities by working with RU teams to develop Spanish multimedia material regarding mental health. Dr. Marroquín teaches the Human Diversity course in the social work department and is creating a course that centers on the Health Equity of Disabled communities. Dr. Marroquín aspires to continue increasing equity and inclusion through teaching, research, and service within Rutgers University and the local community.