Luis Valente is a Master of Urban and Regional Planning student with a concentration in transportation policy and planning. Motivated by his own experience riding public transportation systems while growing up in Southeast Los Angeles — where these systems served as a lifeline and gateway to opportunities and resources — he is determined to

Derrick Ruiz is a dual Master of Social Welfare/Master of Public Policy student at UCLA from San Ysidro, California, whose work sits at the intersection of behavioral health, homelessness, social policy and cross-border community issues. His academic and professional experiences center on supporting vulnerable populations and advancing equitable, community-driven policy solutions. As a Lewis

Megan Rich is a Master of Public Policy student focusing on criminal justice reform and mental health advocacy. With a career in public service, Megan aims to amplify community voices and help shape governance reforms rooted in equity and care. Megan is working alongside Jennifer Gorman, Stella Greenwood, Derrick Ruiz and Theresa Willmott-McMahon on

Stella Greenwood is a Master of Public Policy student focused on affordable housing and community development. Motivated by early experiences working with people facing housing instability, she is committed to advancing policies that expand stability and opportunity for low-income communities. Through her internship in HACLA’s Policy and Innovation Department, she supports efforts to strengthen

Jennifer Gorman is a Master of Public Policy student with a focus in energy and water policy. Her research interests include climate change mitigation, sustainable energy solutions and equitable public policy. As a graduate student researcher at the Luskin Center for Innovation, Jennifer works with the Water Supply-Wildfire Research and Policy Coordination Network to

Larson Avery is a Master of Urban and Regional Planning student with a concentration in transportation policy and planning. Born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Larson graduated from Harvard College with a degree in government and economics. He has interned with the Culver City Department of Transportation and Spy Pond Partners, a transportation consultancy.

Kyla Marie Corpuz is a Master of Urban and Regional Planning student at UCLA, with a concentration in design and development. She is committed to leveraging her design skills and planning knowledge to bolster the political agency of underrepresented communities when planning for their future. Her primary interests lie at the intersection of affordable

Stacy Mata is a Master of Urban and Regional Planning student with a concentration in transportation policy and planning at UCLA. During her graduate studies, she has worked as a student researcher with both the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies and the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge, focusing her research on transportation equity, mobility

Zixuan Peng is a Master of Urban and Regional Planning student concentrating in climate, environment and society. Originally from Hangzhou, China, her academic and professional work focuses on the intersection of sustainability, community development and cultural preservation. Zixuan has gained a wide range of planning experiences from previous internships with the Newport Beach Community

Ivan Sanchez is a Master of Urban and Regional Planning student concentrating in transportation policy and planning. His work focuses on improving transit access and understanding how freeway and bus networks shape mobility and equity across Los Angeles. He currently supports research at Caltrans District 7 on reimagining freeways for bus rapid transit and