Derrick Ruiz

Derrick Ruiz is a PhD student at the Columbia University School of Social Work. He holds a Master of Social Welfare (MSW) and Master of Public Policy (MPP) from UCLA and a Bachelor of Social Work from San Diego State University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. He is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) in New York and holds a certified addiction counseling credential in California. His professional and research experience spans behavioral health, youth justice and reentry, housing policy, child welfare, and community-based research. He has worked with the City of Los Angeles Mayor's Office, the City of Santa Monica, California's Office of Youth and Community Restoration, CDCR-affiliated reentry services, San Diego City Council District 8, San Diego County Child Welfare Services, the San Diego Housing Commission, and Johns Hopkins University. Derrick's research centers on the social and structural determinants of health among transborder communities along the U.S.–Mexico border, particularly focusing on how border governance, prolonged wait times, and transborder mobility shape sleep, stress, behavioral health, and overall well-being among transborder commuters. His broader scholarly interests include health equity, Latino and immigrant communities, behavioral health, civic engagement, and the translation of community-engaged research into policy and practice.