Gabrielle Elizabeth Bernal is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Education and Leadership at California State University, Monterey Bay. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Studies in 2025, focusing on Teaching and Teacher Education and Mathematics Education. Gabrielle also completed a Certificate in World Performance Studies, concentrating on Indigenous Beading Circles and Mathematics Exploration, at the University of Michigan. During her time there, she was honored to be a Rackham Merit Fellow and a Foreign Language Area Studies Fellow, and she was inducted into the Bouchet Honors Society. 

Gabrielle is a proud graduate of the CSU system. She received her B.S. in Psychology from California State University, San Luis Obispo, and her M.Ed. in Education from Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont. She holds teaching credentials in special education for mild/moderate disabilities and extensive support needs. 

As both a practitioner and researcher, Gabrielle teaches courses in which she brings in culturally sustaining pedagogy and critical theories in education. She draws on these theories and frameworks to support teacher identity and the development of teaching practices. Her courses encourage participants to explore questions such as: How do students' knowledge and prior experiences connect to the current teaching demands? And how can we move towards teaching for social justice? Specifically, how can teacher candidates navigate their critical thinking and discussions to analyze and reflect on specific teaching strategies related to disability justice and humanizing math instruction? 

Her research centers on the experiences of students and teachers at local school sites in the U.S. and Mexico, with a specific focus on supporting Teachers Educators of Color. This aspect of her research aims to explore practices that sustain the recruitment and retention of teacher candidates while addressing questions of practice, experience, and need. For instance, she is dedicated to exploring questions such as: How might teacher recruitment, retention, and sustainability better support teachers' current needs? What is the role of belonging and positioning in the work of maintaining teachers committed to their students, communities, and the profession? And what is the role of administrators and leaders in ensuring the environment is a place where teachers can do their work and maintain their roles?