Gabriela Méndez holds a Master's degree in Information Technology Administration and has been actively involved in education since 2008. She is currently the Associate Director of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) at the University of Minnesota. Previously, she served as Assistant Director in the COIL Office at Florida International University, a role she took on in 2022. Prior to that, she gained extensive experience in online education, instructional design, and educational technology implementation at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico.

Since 2017, Gabriela has focused on supporting faculty and leaders in COIL Virtual Exchange initiatives. She specializes in designing and facilitating professional development programs, assisting faculty in finding international partners, and providing strategic guidance on implementing COIL projects. Gabriela has also presented and led workshops at numerous international conferences.