Brissa Quiroz Bio
Brissa Quiroz
Director of Accessibility Education
Microsoft
At Microsoft, protecting fundamental rights means promoting responsible business practices, expanding accessibility and connectivity, advancing fair and inclusive societies, and empowering communities. As the Director of Accessibility Education, Brissa is committed to equipping the workforce of tomorrow with the skills to design and build with accessibility from day one. Her efforts focus on enhancing the global pipeline of disability talent and promoting widespread accessibility adoption. Brissa’s mission is to champion inclusion and empowerment by facilitating the successful transition of students into the workplace with accessibility as a key skill. She achieves this by collaborating with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), universities, governments, and employers.
Brissa previously served as the Research & Innovation Director and University Relations Lead at Microsoft. In these roles, she worked closely with universities and associations to support initiatives that drive research, foster innovation, and develop solutions addressing systemic inequities for societal benefit. As part of Microsoft's commitment to promoting racial equity, she led efforts to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs).
Dr. Brissa Quiroz holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), an MS in Industrial Technology from California State University, Fresno, and a PhD in Environmental Science and Engineering from UTEP. She currently serves on the steering committee for EngineerGirl of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Brissa has also held leadership roles such as President of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) San Joaquin Valley Section, Board of Directors member for the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Corporate Industry Partnership Division, and member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE).