Prior to assuming the position of President of West Valley College in August 2009, Dr. Gaskin was the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Services at Lake Tahoe Community College for nine years. Previous to that, she was the Dean of Instruction at Lake Tahoe Community College for eight years. Dr. Gaskin began her career 29 years ago as an adjunct faculty member at Barstow College. Academically trained as a fluvial geomorphologist, she discovered her true calling as a community college earth science teacher. As a tenured faculty member at Barstow College, Dr. Gaskin taught in the fields of geography, geology, and mathematics for twelve years and served as Division Chair at the college before migrating north in 1992 to Lake Tahoe Community College.

Dr. Gaskin's professional involvement includes state and regional activities. She recently completed a second term as the statewide president of the California Community Colleges Chief Instructional Officers (CIO) organization and in this capacity served as a member of the system's Consultation Council. Dr. Gaskin was also a member of the System Advisory Committee on Curriculum (SACC) which provides input and guidance to the Chancellor's Office on curricular issues. Additionally, she has served on six comprehensive accreditation visiting teams for the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) and numerous progress follow-up visits.

Dr. Gaskin holds a B.A. and M.A. in Geography from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Nevada, Reno. Her dissertation research focused on mission accretion within the California Community College system.