Gabby Gutierrez-Serrano is the Executive Director of the Yardi Scholars for Environmental Justice Program where she teaches the specialized Yardi EJ courses, provides advising and academic guidance, and oversees all program activities.
A proud first-generation college graduate and UC Santa Barbara alumna, she holds a B.A. in Chicano/a Studies with a minor in Educational Studies. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Education from The Gevirtz Graduate School of Education at UC Santa Barbara. Her research focuses on factors motivating Latiné first-generation college students to persist in degree completion, especially in STEM fields.
Before joining the Yardi EJ Program, she served as the Program Director of the PRomoting OPportunity and Equity in Learning (PROPEL) Program in the Division of Social Sciences and Program Coordinator for the Promise Scholars Program, both at UC Santa Barbara. In these roles, she provided high-touch advising and wrap-around support services to students predominantly from low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented backgrounds. Her work centered on promoting academic persistence and ensuring timely degree completion with minimal to no debt.