Alan Cortes Quintanilla
Alan is a native of the San Fernando Valley who currently practices as an associate marriage and family therapist seeing clients within the Los Angeles area. He currently holds a B.A. in psychology from National University and an M.A. in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University. Alan currently specializes in treating clients with issues of addiction and dual-diagnoses. Alan provides a therapeutic and clinically conducive approach to his clients through the utilization of various modalities such as CBT, DBT, narrative therapy, and EMDR.
Alma Diaz de Leon
Alma Diaz de Leon was born and raised in the Coachella Valley in a family of Mexican immigrants. In 2022, she graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with degrees in Public Health and Public Policy. After graduating, Alma worked in Tijuana, Mexico as a clinic coordinator with Refugee Health Alliance, where she helped coordinate free healthcare services for asylum seekers and refugees. Shortly after, she began a fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through ORAUORISE. In this role, she currently collaborates with international health partners to support continuity of care for mobile migrant populations with tuberculosis.
Beckett Maravelias
Beckett Maravelias is an educator, strategist, consultant, and leader in Health Equity, EDI and Environmental Health Justice. As a health equity practitioner, Beckett brings to their work more than a decade of experience developing, implementing, and leading health equity, EJ and EDI programs and organizational initiatives across academic medicine, community health and the nonprofit sector. In their current role, Beckett serves as the Health Equity Consulting Specialist for the UCLA Health System, as well as the Organizational Lead for UCLA Health’s Climate Resiliency Planning & Environmental Justice Initiatives, spearheading enterprise-wide strategies at the intersection of health equity, climate change, and environmental justice. Beckett earned their BA with high honors from Wesleyan University, where they studied sociology, social theory, history, and creative writing.
Berhane Hagos
Dr. Berhane Hagos, MD, is an emergency medicine physician who practices emergency medicine in southern California, UC Irvine Medical Center. He earned his Bachelor of Science from UC San Diego and Doctor of Medicine (MD) from UC San Diego, School of Medicine. He completed his emergency medicine residency training at Oregon Health & Science University. He has spent many years in research and has several publications in cancer research as well as co-publications in public health research work such as prevention of pediatric firearm injuries. He is currently in an emergency medicine research fellowship at UC Irvine studying Buprenorphine therapy for treatment of opioid misused disorder.
Brittany Gore
Brittany Gore is a dedicated public health professional from Altadena, California. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Davis, majoring in English with a minor in public health. Before starting her career in public health, Brittany worked as a cosmetologist for nearly a decade, during which she had the opportunity to work fashion shows, hair shows, and weddings. Brittany’s passion for educating people on self- care coupled with the enjoyment of her public health classes further motivated her to start her journey in public health.
Cheryl Nocon
Dr. Cheryl Nocon completed her undergraduate studies at Harvard College and earned her medical degree from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. She completed her residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Chicago and then pursued fellowship training in head and neck surgical oncology and microvascular reconstruction at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her clinical interests encompass the entire scope of Otolaryngology, but specifically include head and neck cancer and thyroid and salivary gland disorders. Her research interests focus on disparities in head and neck cancer management.
Cooper Richmond
Cooper Richmond is currently a project manager on the Government Affairs team at City of Hope, a nonprofit cancer hospital headquartered in California. His work centers on improving access to high-quality cancer care for underserved communities through legislative and regulatory advocacy at both the state and federal levels. Cooper graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a BA in International Political Economy and has played a key role in advancing major policy initiatives, including the passage of the California Cancer Equity Act (SB 987), which expanded Medi-Cal access to National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers.
Cristian Vargas
Cristian Vargas is a Central Coast native and first-generation college graduate who has built his career around advancing health equity in underserved communities. He earned his B.A. in Public Health with a minor in Psychology from UC Merced, where he began exploring the intersections of research, community health, and social determinants through the UC Merced SURF Research Fellowship and the UCLA Public Health Scholars Training Program. He now serves at Central Valley Health Network (CVHN), where he supports community health centers across the region in improving quality of care and expanding access for vulnerable populations.
Evelyn Salvador
Evelyn Salvador is a first-generation Latina, born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Public Health from the University of California, Merced. After completing her undergraduate studies, Evelyn joined the Peace Corps and served in Guatemala as Maternal and Child Health Volunteer. During her time there, she worked closely with families, local health centers, and health commission leaders to improve health outcomes for the women. Motivated by what she witnessed and learned, she became deeply committed to improving maternal and child health.Currently she is working as a Comprehensive Perinatal Health Worker, where she supports individuals throughout pregnancy and postpartum. She offers health education, coordinates health management, and connects patients with essential prenatal services.
Hadassa Alexander
Hadassa was born in Dominica, raised in the US Virgin Islands and currently lives in Los Angeles. In 2006, she graduated from Andrews University with a BS in Clinical Laboratory Sciences. Hadassa has spent nearly two decades in the field of laboratory sciences as a Generalist and has worked in a range of different facilities including trauma centers, medium to rural-sized medical centers, doctor offices and clinics. She is currently serving as a Laboratory Quality Manager at a local hospital laboratory as well as an Adjunct Professor in the Clinical Sciences Department at a neighboring university. Her passion for service led her to a local NPO, Project Angel Food, where meals are curated, prepared and delivered to critically-ill clients throughout Los Angeles County. Hadassa currently serves as a member Project Angel Food's Volunteer Advisory Council.
Kiria Fuentes Godinez
Kiria Fuentes Godinez is a first-generation college graduate, born and raised in Los Angeles by immigrant parents, who is deeply committed to advancing health equity in the communities that shaped her. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Health Science from California State University, Dominguez Hills, graduating with honors, and now serves as a Health Education Assistant with the LA County Department of Public Health. Kiria has led outreach in underserved communities, mentored future health workers, and created culturally responsive programs that empower families with knowledge and resources. She holds certifications as a Child Passenger Safety Technician and Lactation Education Specialist, reflecting her commitment to maternal and child health.
Lesly Lopez Guzman
Lesly Lopez Guzman is a proud Mexican immigrant who was raised in Salinas, California. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior from the University of California, Davis. During her undergraduate studies, she was an active member of Clinica Tepati, a student-run clinic that provides care to uninsured patients in the greater Sacramento area. It was through this formative experience that she developed a deep commitment to healthcare equity and a passion for serving medically underserved populations. Motivated by the disparities she witnessed, Lesly has dedicated her career to increasing healthcare access for individuals who are often excluded from the traditional healthcare infrastructure.
Mackenzie Canniff
MacKenzie holds a law degree from Boston College and has worked as a legal aid attorney in Los Angeles for over a decade, ensuring equal access to the law for her low-income clients, with an emphasis on disability rights and medical-legal partnership. A Bay Area native and Bruin alumna, MacKenzie lives in Los Angeles' South Bay with her human and animal family.
Magdalen Ramirez
Magdalen Ramirez (she/they) is a community health educator focused on creating reproductive and sexual health curricula for diverse communities at Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties (PPOSBC). Since joining the PPOSBC team in 2022, she has worked to adapt educational materials to people with disabilities, Spanish-speaking communities, incarcerated communities, and survivors of sexual assault. This experience has shown her firsthand how centering health equity and accessibility creates meaningful health changes in diverse communities. Magdalen graduated with public health honors from the University of California, Irvine with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health Policy and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychological Sciences.
Marlene Vega
Marlene Vega is a second-generation queer Mexican American born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. She earned her B.S. in Community and Regional Development from the University of California, Davis, in 2019 and later completed a Sustainability certificate with distinction from UCLA Extension to deepen her understanding of the intersections between sustainability, food justice, and health. In 2021, Marlene completed the Food Leaders Lab, an initiative offered by the Los Angeles Food Policy Council, where she gained insight into LA’s food justice landscape which further fueled her passion for building resilient and sustainable communities in Los Angeles.
Nina Lewis
Nina Lewis is a biracial, Bay area native, who comes from a large mixed family background. She currently serves as a CDPH Pathways Fellow working in the Health Equity Program for the San Luis Obispo Public Health Department. She graduated from UC Riverside in 2020, with a B.A. in Political Science. Following graduation, Nina served as an AmeriCorps fellow working with the International Rescue Committee in their Development department. It is with this refugee resettlement and engagement experience that Nina found her passion for community involvement and public outreach.
Partha Gupta
Partha Gupta was born and raised in Northern Virginia to Indian parents and grew up navigating a blend of Indian and American cultures. He is beginning the MPH program in Community Health Sciences at his dream school, UCLA. Partha served in the U.S. Coast Guard, first stationed at a small boat unit in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, before moving to Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C. There, he worked in officer personnel management and data systems, supporting promotion and assignment processes. During that time, he worked closely with public health officers whose commitment to the well-being of service members sparked his interest in public health.
Priya Navaney
Priya Navaney is a first-generation South Asian American whose parents immigrated from New Delhi, India. She currently works with San Bernardino County’s HIV Prevention Team, following a 13-month fellowship with the California Department of Public Health through the Cal-PPH program. Priya earned her B.S. in Public Health from San Diego State University, driven by her own lupus diagnosis and her family’s struggles accessing quality care. She has worked extensively in STI prevention through the Wellness on Wheels mobile unit, developing inclusive health materials and linking underserved communities to essential services.
Ryan Hu
Ryan Lejun Hu holds a B.S. in Anthropology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where his academic work emphasized the cultural and structural dimensions of health inequities. Through courses in biomedical ethics, disability justice, and global health systems, he developed a strong interest in how public health can address systemic barriers and social stigma. His education was shaped by a commitment to community-centered approaches that prioritize inclusion and equity. Before pursuing graduate study, Ryan gained professional experience in diverse fields—including nutrition, fitness, media, and international food trade working in both the United States and China.
Theodore Duron
Theo Duron earned his B.S. in Kinesiology from California State University of Northridge with an emphasis in Exercise Science. During his time in undergrad, he worked as a Peer Learning Facilitator for several kinesiology courses and as an aide at Vargo Physical Therapy. In 2018, Theo completed a summer internship at UCLA Health with the Office of Patient Experience and during the pandemic, he worked as a temperature screener at UCLA Santa Monica Hospital. After undergrad, Theo made the decision to stop pursing physical therapy and ultimately pivoted into healthcare administration where he currently works as a program manager for the department of Service Excellence at UCLA Health.