Sofia Aguilar

Sofia Aguilar, a native of Los Angeles, California, graduated from the University of California, Merced in 2024 with a bachelor's degree in Public Health. She was a Student Researcher at Dr. Yen’s Housing, Opportunity and Place (HOPe) Lab in the Department of Public Health. In this role, Sofia assisted with research on education and state policy. The position involved analyzing and screening state-level school discipline policies, followed by coding the policies. Sofia’s academic endeavor consists of pursuing a PhD after her bachelor's degree. Passionate about public health promotion and one day serving underserved communities at a local and global level, Sofia Aguilar’s goal is to one day work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Brenda Castañeda-Castañeda

Brenda Castañeda-Castañeda was a Staff Research Associate in Dr. Yen’s HOPe Lab within the Department of Public Health. She graduated with a BA in Public Health from the University of California, Merced, in 2020, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Public Health at UC Berkeley. In her role, Brenda assisted with qualitative research focusing on the experiences of women of color in K-12 school discipline. She has collaborated on research related to education and obesity, state disciplinary policies, and the effects of Universal Basic Income (UBI) programs on housing and education. During the coronavirus pandemic, Brenda analyzed both qualitative and quantitative data about community perceptions and understanding of the novel coronavirus. Through this work, she contributed to the COVIDLATNO.org campaign.

Raised in California's Central Valley, Brenda enjoys contributing to research and supporting her community. She is passionate about serving her community and reducing health disparities that negatively impact Hispanic/Latino individuals in the Central Valley. In her spare time, Brenda enjoys helping family, friends, and community members with Spanish interpretation and translation. Brenda has been a member of the translation team for various research projects aimed at making materials more accessible to Spanish-speaking communities. This work includes translating survey instruments, brochures, flyers, and websites.

Rafael Lomeli

Rafael Lomeli is a 2025 graduate of UC Merced, earning a bachelor's degree in Public Health with a minor in Psychology. Originally from Tracy, California, he enjoys listening to music, playing guitar and piano, and exercising or watching movies in his free time. Rafael plans to pursue a Master of Public Health degree and aspires to become an epidemiologist.

Rebecca Martinez

Rebecca Martinez was a Staff Researcher at UC Merced's HOPe Lab. She earned her BA in Public Health from UC Merced in 2021 and her MPH in Health Policy and Services from the University of Southern California in 2024. Born and raised in California's Central Valley, Rebecca has a strong passion for serving her community.

Rebecca has extensive experience in the nonprofit sector, advocating for healthcare access for undocumented and underserved communities. Her background includes advocacy, organizing, community engagement, program planning, and implementation. As part of Power California, she participated in the inaugural Power Advocate cohort, contributing to the 2024 policy agenda that addresses critical housing barriers for young Californians.

Rebecca interned at the Iris Cantor Women's Health Education and Research Center, where she trained and worked alongside promotoras to highlight the environmental effects on women's reproductive health. Her experience and upbringing fuel her passion for working toward a California where everyone is housed, healthy, and thriving.

Kimberly Montanez

Kimberly Montanez graduated from UC Merced in May 2024 with a bachelor's degree in public health. She was a Student Researcher at Dr. Yen’s Housing, Opportunity and Place (HOPe) Lab in the Department of Public Health. She is now participating in a year-long internship with the National Health Corps as an outreach and enrollment coordinator with Livingston Community Health. Kimberly is a Central Valley local and hopes to continue helping her local community. Her interest in public health and her desire to help the community stay safe grew during the pandemic. She hopes to further her education after her internship to be able to work for the California Department of Public Health.

Ana Quintana-Ceja

Ana Quintana-Ceja is an undergraduate Sociology and Economics student. She is a native of Merced, where she has been involved in various community organizations since high school. Ana has an interest in studying the effects of land use, housing, and transportation. Her experience includes working as an organizer for a labor union, a mentor to first-generation undergraduate students, and an outreach associate for an environmental non-profit organization. After completing her undergraduate studies, Ana plans to pursue a graduate degree in either Public Policy or Planning. For fun, Ana enjoys hiking.