Maru Gonzalez

Maru Gonzalez, Ed.D., is an Associate Professor, University Faculty Scholar, and Youth Development Specialist in the Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences at North Carolina State University. Her areas of inquiry and outreach include youth development with a focus on storytelling, civic and community engagement, and LGBTQ+ belonging. An award-winning educator and community engaged scholar, she has appeared as a regular commentator on CNN and CNN Espaņol.

Maru also serves as co-director of #PassTheMicYouth, a multimedia program aimed at amplifying youth voices and providing practitioners with research-based resources for teaching social impact storytelling. She has over 20 years of experience working with youth in various capacities across the U.S., Spain, and Latin America, including as an educator, scholar, intergroup dialogue facilitator, mentor, school counselor, and mom to her three children.