Meet the Team: Serena Ruiz
/Our Meet the Team blog series highlights our team, one member at a time. We give you a glimpse into their motivations and approach to working with our partners to achieve better results for communities. Through this feature, we hope that you’ll find a deeper connection to the people and relationships that are central to our work.
Today we’re getting to know Serena Ruiz, our compassionate and organized operations coordinator at Engage R+D.
1. What is your role at Engage R+D?
As Operations Coordinator, I provide general support for the Engage R+D team. I primarily provide administrative support but also help out with research tasks such as translation, scheduling interviews, and data entry.
2. What experience do you bring to this work?
I am forever grateful for the college classes I took in animal behavior and experimental psychology, which piqued my interest in research. Little did I know then that those classes would lead to more than 20 years of my working as a research assistant on a variety of public health projects for the San Diego State University Research Foundation and the University of California, San Diego. My professional journey has allowed me to discover, polish, and embrace those personal traits and experiences. My colleagues tell me that my keen attention to detail, natural tendency to help others, and being bilingual and organized allow me to be successful in my role.
3. Tell me about an experience or a story that motivates you to do this work.
During my college years, I was fortunate to work as a research assistant on a treatment and research program that taught women who had experienced intimate partner violence ways to help themselves and their children cope with its effects. The program’s various implementations in San Diego and Mexico City would not have been possible without the collaboration of researchers, institutions, and organizations. I found great satisfaction and motivation in knowing that my tasks, which ranged from translating the program’s curriculum into Spanish to preparing a bibliotherapy and art activities for the children’s group, were part of a collective effort to empower families as they healed from trauma. It deepened my respect for the contributions of all players involved in community work. Funders, researchers, and promotoras, for example, all can do valuable work that makes a difference.
4. What do you love about your job?
Without a doubt, my colleagues are the highlight of my job. Since I joined Engage R+D, I’ve seen the company grow and have enjoyed seeing how each new team member has fit right into the mix. I enjoy being part of a diverse team that works well together and allows all members to contribute their skills, experience, and personal touch to projects in a complementary way. It’s rewarding to support a group of talented and dedicated individuals in their commitment to advance social change.
5. You’re in the San Diego/Tijuana Area - tell me 3 places I should go if I visit.
I love living in the San Diego-Tijuana border region. Not only do we have great weather year-round, but there is so much to explore in terms of geography, culture, arts, and gastronomy. As a craft beer aficionado, it’s a delight to live in the heart of the craft beer scene.
Extraordinary Desserts. Each visit at this dessert lovers’ paradise is a treat for my eyes and taste buds. The pastries are served beautifully adorned with flower petals and glazes and have a heavenly balance of textures and flavors. Some of my favorites are the blood orange ricotta and torta misu cakes and the dark chocolate strudel. There are vegan and gluten-free options, so there’s definitely something for everyone. I recommend visiting the location in Banker’s Hill, as it is within walking distance of Balboa Park and the vibrant Hillcrest neighborhood.
Friendship Park. As the absolute corner of the US on the West Coast, this park is well known as a gathering spot for families with mixed legal status. The fencing that once allowed people to hug through it now only permits the touching of fingertips. The park can be accessed on the US side only on weekends via the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, where you can enjoy some hiking and bird watching. For a more colorful experience, you also can access the park on the Mexico side through Playas de Tijuana, where the border fence is used as a large canvas for artistic and political expression and where binational activities commonly take place such as musical and cultural events and even small wedding ceremonies. The boardwalk is a few steps away and offers a variety of coffee shops, restaurants, and bars from which you can relax and spot dolphins swimming by in the late afternoon, or, according to one of the parking lot attendants, UFOs flying by at night.
Avenida Revolución. Located in Tijuana’s downtown, this avenue has been a popular destination for American tourists since the Prohibition days. It experienced a gradual transformation as the numerous shops, clubs, and restaurants shifted their focus from tourists to locals when business dropped significantly after 9/11 and the recession in 2007. Within a one-mile radius, you will find several options to grab a cup of coffee or a bite, including Hotel Caesars, where the Caesar salad was created. You also can catch an independent film at Cine Tonalá, check out the various small shops, or enjoy a drink at the popular cantina Dandy del Sur or one of the local craft beer taprooms.
