While a graduate student at the University of New Mexico and the University of Kentucky, Rivera worked as a teaching assistant. Before receiving her doctorate, she worked briefly in the economics department at Xavier University. After completing her Ph.D., she landed her current job as an Assistant Director in the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington, D.C. Rivera provides expert economic advice to Congress and the U.S. trade representatives through economic trade modeling and analysis by request on current and possible future trade policy.
Aside from her outstanding professional career, Rivera is also a dedicated volunteer for organizations like the Peer Mentoring Cell of High Performance Leadership and the International Career Advancement Program. She is also a visiting board member at Iglesia Episcopal San Jose where she developed and taught a four week course on public speaking and leadership skills for teenage girls, and is the Vice President for the Toastmasters International Club.
In 2000, Rivera was recognized by the Latin American Organization for her outstanding outreach efforts to the HWS Latino Community. In the same year, the William Smith Alumnae Association gave her the "Alumnae Award for Service." Rivera was a keynote speaker for the 1999 HWS Parents Weekend. She is a mentor for Raising Hispanic Academic Achievement, and volunteers for Boromeo Housing which gives survivors of domestic violence access to mentors. In 2001, she was awarded the prestigious fellowship for the 2001 Class of the National Hispanic Leadership Institute, where she attended the Center for Creative Leadership and Harvard University's JFK School of Government Executive Leadership Program. Today, she is the president of the William Smith Alumnae Council.
Rivera resides in Washington, D.C.
Contribution: Assistant Director for the U.S. International Trade Commission
Hometown: Rochester, N.Y./Guaynabo, P.R.
College Activities: Vice-President of the International Student Organization, William Smith Dean's committee, President of the Latin American Organization, Resident Advisor of Potter Hall, Security Deskwatch, Dorm Monitor
Major: Economics and Spanish
Other Education: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, N.M. (Institutional and Natural Resource Economics, M.A.); University of Kentucky at Lexington (International Economics and Public Economics, Ph.D.)