Biography

Dr. Baron is a scholar practitioner and social worker with 18 years of experience in private and public higher education administration. She currently serves as the Associate Dean for Equity and Student Engagement at the Metropolitan State University of Denver (the largest Hispanic and Minority Serving Institution in Colorado). She has a deep passion for equity and inclusion practices and developing and implementing student-centered, culturally conscious programs and services that address the equity-achievement gap in higher education. She previously served as the Director for the Center for Multicultural Engagement and Inclusion and led in the establishment and expansion of the center programs focusing on racial equity, social justice, and student leadership development. In addition to providing curricular and co-curricular learning community experiences to students as the Director and Associate Director of the First Year Success Program, she also led in the strategic and intentional development of robust equity-focused faculty development programs.

Baron completed a Doctorate of Leadership for Education Equity, with a concentration on Latina/o Schools and Communities at the University of Colorado Denver with a research focus on campus climate and sense of belonging with an equity and social justice lens. She also holds a Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Denver and a Bachelor of Science in Human Services from Metropolitan State University of Denver. She has also developed and taught college preparation curriculum for underserved students through the Center for Urban Education and is a field instructor for the Graduate School of Social Work at MSU Denver. She has strong partnerships across campus and in the community to provide support and access to higher education to traditionally underrepresented and marginalized student populations including first-generation, low-income, students of color, and undocumented students.