NASW Board of Directors
Director, Region XIII

Lorena Durán, LCSW, EdD

Lorena Duran is an educational leader, licensed clinical social worker, and student wellness advocate with more than 20 years of experience advancing mental health, educational equity, and student success in K–12 and higher education. As Director of Student Wellness at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, she created and launched the school’s first comprehensive wellness initiative, integrating wellness education and student support services throughout the engineering community. Previously, she served as Director of Student Services for the East Whittier City School District, leading student support programs, social-emotional learning initiatives, and community partnerships. Dr. Durán has directed multi-agency collaborations, managed federally and state-funded programs, and secured significant grant and philanthropic funding. She serves on the advisory board of SPIRITT Family Services and holds BA and MSW degrees from the University of Southern California and an Ed.D. from Azusa Pacific University, where her research focused on disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline.