Professional Staff
Aine McCarthy (she/her)
Interim Director
Áine McCarthy is thrilled to be joining the WRC as the Interim Director. She worked at Upaya Institute and Zen Center in Santa Fe where she studied Buddhist chaplaincy with a focus on working with womexn in prison. Áine is a yoga teacher and holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University; she also studied at the Center for Contemplation and Action in Albuquerque. She started Chrysalis, a nonprofit dedicated to offering creative and contemplative programming for women and femmes cultivating post-traumatic growth after abuse.
Michelle Dugan (she/her)
Campus Advocate
Michelle is a Campus Advocate at the Women’s Resource Center. She provides confidential advocacy for students who experience sexual assault or harassment, and she is also a co-chair for the Prevention Education working group on campus. Before working at UNM, Michelle lived in New York City and worked with LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness. She has a master’s degree in social work with a focus on queering the narrative of traditional sex education. In her spare time, Michelle enjoys playing roller derby and supporting her two tiny dogs, Broccoli and Pepper, in their endeavors to defeat their nemesis, the vacuum cleaner.
Gisell Cereceres Barrera (she/ella/ela)
Administrative Assistant 3
Gisell is the Administrative Assistant for the Women's Resource Center, her job duties include performing a range of diverse administrative activities for the center, c oordinates and facilitates meetings/program functions, supervises student staff, assists the director, assists visitors by providing resources/guidance and offers a comfortable/welcoming space for all that come in. Gisell received a B.A in Linguistics and Portuguese with a minor in Spanish and is currently working on obtaining an M.A in Hispanic Linguistics to later pursue an M.S in Speech Language Pathology to work with and assist Hispanic/Latinx/Spanish speaking communities. Gisell is a Mexican-American, trilingual speaker who is aiming to be a positive representation of the Hispanic community and is thrilled to be part of the WRC community where all individuals of all genders are welcomed and empowered. In this leadership role, Gisell is hoping to empower/assist others, especially Mexican-American women who have less opportunities. Gisell's interests include reading books, writing poetry, working out, going on new adventures and is very obsessed with sunflowers!
Miquela Ortiz-Upston (she/ella/they/ellos)
Social Worker/Program Specialist
Miquela, MA, MSW, LMSW, works at the University of New Mexico Women’s Resource Center as a social worker and program specialist/project director for the campus grant through the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). She holds an MSW from New Mexico State University. While completing her MSW at New Mexico State University, she completed practicum experiences that supported research at the University of New Mexico Prevention Research Center and the Center on Immigration and Child Welfare. She received a previous master’s degree in Family Studies with a concentration in Family Life Education from UNM. While working on her MA in Family Studies, she completed a practicum placement in Child Life with the University of New Mexico Hospital. Miquela started working with UNM as a New Student Orientation Leader over 10 years ago and as a student was involved on campus as an ASUNM senator, UNM Trailblazer, and President of Out Womyn in addition to working with the UNM LGBTQ Resource Center and in the residence halls at Casas del Rio. Miquela also received her bachelor’s degree from UNM in Sociology and Women Studies and has worked in various offices across campus, such as the Dean of Student’s Office and as a senior academic advisor with Arts & Sciences and the School of Architecture & Planning. Miquela loves being a mom, spending time with her family, and dancing to old NM rancheras and 90s jams in the kitchen.
Katie Abrego-Lozano (she/her/ella)
Professional Intern
Katie is a Professional Intern at the Women's Resource Center. She has recently graduated from The University of New Mexico with a BS in Psychology with a minor in Statistics. She is passionate about helping others succeed and giving back to the community. In the future, she plans to pursue a career within UNM's Student Services department.
Graduate Assistants
Ivette Acevedo Weatherholtz (she/ella)
Counseling Coordinator
Ivette is a bilingual and bicultural counselor providing trauma-responsive services. She has actively intertwined her passions for mental health services and education over the past decade and has taught and provided counseling services nationally and abroad to children, adolescents, and young adults. Ivette completed a B.Soc.Sc. in Psychology in Mexico, a Master of Arts in Counseling in St. Louis, Missouri and is currently a doctoral student in the Counseling Education program at UNM. Ivette is passionate about integrating creativity, play, somatic-based approaches and natural healing practices to provide holistic therapeutic experiences that rupture cycles of intergenerational, community, and social-political trauma.
Michelle Perez (they/them)
Prevention Education Program Assistant
Michelle Natalie Perez (they/them/theirs) is a passionate advocate for intersectional feminism. As a non-binary femme queer person, Michelle takes pride in challenging preconceived notions and highlighting the diverse range of gender identities encompassed by femmes. They are currently pursuing a graduate degree in Community & Regional Planning, finding solace and inspiration in their studies. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Urban & Regional Planning from Cal Poly Pomona. They cherish visits back home to the San Fernando Valley to spend time with their family. Michelle's commitment to fostering safe and inclusive spaces extends beyond their studies. They serve as the Graduate Assistant for the Campus Grant, a program funded by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) from 2019 to 2021. This grant, spearheaded by the Women's Resource Center in collaboration with UNM and community partners, focuses on reducing sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking on campus. Since joining in October 2021, Michelle has developed educational programming and workshops centered around gender-based violence prevention with an intentional intersectionality framework. Their motto is clear: if it's not intersectional, it's not feminism! Michelle also values the supportive Albuquerque community and is known for their active listening skills—a commitment to meaningful dialogues and valuing diverse voices.
[vacant position]
IMPACT Program Coordinator
[email]
[...] is our coordinator of the IMPACT Leadership and Mentorship program. This program pairs first year students with upper-level students, and together we work to develop the necessary skills to succeed academically, professionally, and personally.
Student Staff
Gaby Salmeron-Ceballos (she/ella)
Women in STEM Program Assistant
Gaby is an undergraduate student studying Biochemistry. She is a Women in STEM Program Assistant at the Women’s Resource Center. Her work focuses on addressing themes of representation in the field by co-creating a space of empowerment and centering an interdisciplinary approach to support students in their academic efforts. Gaby aspires to become a doctor and work in rural communities that are mainly Spanish speaking. She is passionate about science and research but also shares an interest in art.
Adriana Gutierrez (she/her)
Women in Health Program Assistant
Aja Nez (she/her)
Office Assistant
Aja holds an Office Assistant position at the UNM Women’s Resource Center. She is a third-year student studying Biology. Her ineterests are in Anatomy and Anthropology. In the future, Aja hopes to work in the Medical Corps, where she can gain more experience and help communities abroad. She also plans to work with Native communities and find ways to teach and guide upcoming generations. She loves reading books, hiking, archery, and intriguing TV shows and documentaries.
Sweekriti Thapa (she/her)
Office Assistant
[bio coming soon]
