As an undergraduate at Hunter College, Dr. Mercado was/is a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society and was awarded a Hunter College Undergraduate Research Assistantship Upon graduation she was awarded a Graduate Research Assistantship in Political Science from Hunter College. She chose to attend The Johns Hopkins University where she received her Master's Degree. She was awarded a Martin Luther King Fellowship at NYU, but decided to complete her graduate studies as a Wolfson Scholar at New School University. She was also a recipient of a National Hispanic Scholarship. In 1988, she was awarded her Ph.D. from the Graduate Faculty of New School University.

In 1974, Dr. Mercado taught at City College City University and was Director of the City College-University of Puerto Rico Bilingual/Bicultural Institute, while teaching at the School of Education Department of Bilingual Studies, from 1973 to 1976.

While an executive in private business, including real estate and international business, Dr. Mercado taught part time at The John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Department of Political Science, New York University, School of Professional Studies, and at Mercy College, Department of Business and Economics.

Dr. Mercado has written articles for international publications. She is a member of the Literati Club of MCB University Press and has been cited in Who's Who in the East. She has been a consultant for the New York City Board of Education and was Secretary of Local School Board in District 3 in New York City. And she served on the Presidential Commission on Cuban and Haitian Refugees. In addition, she has been invited to speak at the National Library of Cuba for the Cuban Library Association and at the Cuban International Info-Tech Conference in Havana; the Conventions of the International Studies Association, Harvard University Kennedy School of Government and the School of Education; Fordham University School of Education; University of Puerto Rico; Columbia University; San Jose State University; San Diego State University; New York State Black and Puerto Rican Caucus Legislative Conference; Hispanic Women's Conference; National Conference of Puerto Rican Women.

Currently she is Dean, Faculty of Arts and Science and Dean, Faculty of Library Science at International University for Graduate Studies.