Maria T Herrera is an Adjunct Social Work and Criminology professor and has been at Dominican University since the summer of 2021 upon receiving her doctorate in social work (DSW) from Aurora University in May 2021. Her research focused on Immigration, and Belongingness grounded on Self-Psychology (Heinz, Kohut) and The Hero’s Journey (Joseph Campbell).

As a retired Social Worker II for the State of Illinois, her work experience includes IDOC and DCFS, where she pursued social justice by humanizing, seeing, and valuing the individuals she interacted with daily. As a Hotline volunteer, she, again, sought to listen and honor the callers in need of a nonjudgmental ear.

As an immigrant bilingual social worker, she believes education is the most valuable self-gift, a tool for social inclusion, eliciting change and leading to a healthy ego within an evolving and often unreceptive society. She is a self-published author of two poetry books (English/Spanish) and advocates for the wealth of the mother tongue.

As an educator, she seeks to inspire, heal, and guide the new generation to respect and enrich their shared environment.

Work Experience
  • Social Worker (previous)
  • State of Illinois
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