Cuca Acosta

UC Santa Barbara

Executive Director, Admissions

Cuca brings more than 25 years of experience in higher education focusing on enrollment management, student access initiatives and inclusive access. She leads enrollment strategy for a tier-one research university, overseeing a team of more than 50 professional staff and nearly 100 student employees, which evaluate and review more than 125,000 undergraduate applications annually.

A recognized expert in University of California admissions, Cuca has developed systemwide tools, policies and training programs and is a sought-after speaker at national and international conferences on equity, access and strategic enrollment management. Her work has helped shape outreach and recruitment efforts across California and contributed to UC Santa Barbara’s designation as both a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI).

Beyond campus, Cuca has held leadership roles with the Western Association for College Admission Counseling (WACAC), the UC Chicano/Latino Advisory Committee (UC CLAC) and numerous initiatives supporting Latinx, undocumented first-generation and historically underserved students. She has consistently presented on higher education issues at national and international conferences. She is deeply committed to expanding educational opportunity and creating pathways to higher education for students from all backgrounds.

Luis G. Carvajal-Carmona

UC Davis

Associate Vice Chancellor, Office of Advancing Mentoring and the Professoriate

Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine

A leading expert in cancer genetics, epidemiology, health disparities and global health, Dr. Carvajal-Carmona has identified multiple cancer susceptibility genes and published more than 120 peer-reviewed papers in journals such as Nature Genetics, Gastroenterology, AJHG, Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology and PNAS. His work has advanced the understanding of Latino genetic ancestry, colorectal cancer risk and hereditary gastric cancer. He has received major awards and fellowships from the European Association for Cancer Research, the University of Oxford, the University of California and the V Foundation, and he was inducted into the Atlas of Inspiring Latinx/Hispanic Scientists. He advises the University of California, the California Cancer Registry, NIH, AAC and several national research initiatives.

A first-generation college graduate, Dr. Carvajal-Carmona is deeply committed to mentoring. His trainees, many of whom are also first-generation students, have earned more than 60 fellowships and awards, reflecting his impact as both a scientist and mentor.

Dr. Carvajal-Carmona’s areas of expertise include inclusive excellence (as an administrator) and cancer research and global health (as a faculty member). He earned his Ph.D. at University College London and completed postdoctoral training at the London Research Institute and the University of Oxford.

Claudia Martinez, M.P.P.

UC Office of the President

Associate Vice Provost, Educator Programs

Executive Director, CSMP

Claudia Martinez provides leadership and strategic direction for the University of California’s educator preparation and professional development programs, including the UC’s teacher and administrator credentialing programs, CalTeach (Science and Mathematics Initiative) and the California Subject Matter Project (CSMP).

She is also the UC liaison to the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), which advocates nationally for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). Prior to her current role, Claudia held leadership positions at both UC Santa Barbara and UC Merced — where she was among the founding administrators of the university’s newest campus — managing regional K 12 student academic preparation initiatives to expand academic success and college access.

With more than 30 years of experience in education policy, partnership development and legislative advocacy, Claudia has dedicated her career to strengthening connections among K–12 schools, universities and diverse communities across California.

Lupe Gallegos-Diaz

UC Chicanx Latinx Alumni Association (CLAA)

Co-Chair and Founder

Mrs. Gallegos-Diaz serves as the current Co-chair and Founder of the UC Chicanx Latinx Alumni Association. 

She has also served as the past chair of the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies, and national advisor of the Mexican government in higher education for CCIME.  She is currently the national administrative coordinator for Mujeres Activas en Letras Y Cambio Social (MALCS) a national Chicana, Latinx and Indigenous academic and professional organization. 

In May 2026, she was awarded the Latino Spirit Award in Higher Education from the California Latino Legislative Caucus.  She also received the Kevin McCauley Memorial Outstanding Staff Award from the Council of UC Staff Assemblies in 2022 from the University of California.   

In the Bay Area, Mrs. Gallegos-Diaz serves as chair of the Chicana Latina Foundation, co-chair of Latinos Unidos de Berkeley and is a board member of both El Concilio of San Mateo County and Immigrant Rising, a national organization advocating for immigrant and undocumented people.

Her areas of expertise include fundraising, alumni donor relations, student leadership development and the environment. Mrs. Gallegos-Diaz has a Bachelor’s of Science in Sociology from Santa Clara University, a Master of Social Work from the University of California, Berkeley, a Certificate in Fundraising from the University of San Francisco and a Certificate in Philosophy from the Ethnic Studies Department at the University of California, Berkeley.

Epifanio Peinado

UC Chicanx Latinx Alumni Association (CLAA)

Co-Chair and Founder

Cynthia Davalos

UC Office of the President

Associate Vice President, Graduate, Undergraduate and Equity Affairs (GUEA)

As a seasoned higher education professional, much of Cynthia’s 28-year career has been with the University of California system. 

Cynthia has an extensive background in launching and supporting campus and systemwide initiatives in undergraduate and graduate student success, student outreach and access, and equity and inclusion strategies and policies. She has worked closely with university leaders to navigate crises, economic downturns and leadership transitions and has led several division-wide strategic planning efforts and accountability processes.

Cynthia also served as adjunct faculty in the Department of Postsecondary Educational Leadership at San Diego State University, where she stewarded the careers of many emerging student affairs and higher education professionals.
 

Mica Estrado

UC San Francisco, School of Nursing

Associate Dean, Opportunity and Engagement, and Senior Strategist of Operations, Leadership Institute, and Professor, Social and Behavioral Sciences and the Institute for Health and Aging

Dr. Estrada’s research program and facilitation work advance knowledge on social influence, including the study of identity, values, kindness, well-being and integrative education in the context of mentorship and leadership. She has served as principal investigator for several longitudinal studies — funded by NIH, NSF and HHMI — that implement and assess interventions aimed to increase student persistence in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) careers.

Dr. Estrada’s work has focused on people who are historically excluded in higher education, are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and are providing diverse and creative solutions to the pressing challenges of our day. She received the Leadership Institute Graduate Award from the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) in 2013, the Adolphus Toliver Award for Outstanding Research in 2016 and was selected as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Facilitator-Scholar in 2022. She has previously served as a member of two National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) studies and completed a five-year service as a NASEM Roundtable on Systemic Change in Undergraduate STEM Education member.

Dr. Estrada earned her B.A. in Psychology from UC Berkeley and her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Harvard University.
 

Gina Ann Garcia

UC Berkeley

Professor, School of Education, and Inaugural Faculty Director, Latinx Thriving Initiatives, and Director, Higher Education Action Research for Transformation (HEART) Lab

Drawing on theories of change, Dr. Gina Ann Garcia’s  research explores how Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) embrace an organizational identity for serving minoritized populations. She coined the term “servingness” which is a framework for organizing and envisioning new futures for HSIs. As an author she wrote “Becoming Hispanic-Serving Institutions: Opportunities for Colleges & Universities,” “Transforming Hispanic-Serving Institutions for Equity and Justice,” and “The HSI Movement: Strategies Driving Change at Hispanic-Serving Institutions.” She also created and co-authored the workbook “Transforming HSIs for Equity and Justice: A Practitioner’s Workbook” and is the host of the popular podcast “¿Qué pasa, HSIs?”

Her areas of expertise include HSIs, organizational change and identity and Latine/x college students. Dr. Garcia graduated from California State University, Northridge with a bachelor’s degree in marketing; the University of Maryland, College Park with a master’s degree in college student personnel; and UCLA with a Ph.D. in higher education and organizational change.
 

Elisa Diana Huerta

UC Berkeley

Associate Vice Chancellor, Centers for Educational Justice & Community Engagement, and Founding Director, Multicultural Community Center (MCC)

Dr. Huerta (they/them/elle) is a Brawley-born and Tejas-raised organizer, educator, artesanx and scholar. Their scholarship focuses on expressive culture, women of color feminist praxis, hemispheric Indigeneity, radical pedagogy and community-based research.

In their role as AVC, Elisa works to create dynamic and engaged holistic resources for students, faculty, staff and community members on a daily basis. They have served on several local and national advisory boards, including as national chair of Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social (MALCS).

After earning B.A.s in Mexican American Studies, Cultural Anthropology and Plan II from the University of Texas, Austin, Elisa attended UC Santa Cruz to pursue a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology with emphasis in Latin American and Latino Studies and Feminist Studies. 
 

Rudy M. Ortiz

UC Merced

Director, USDA HSI Education and NIH Urise Training Programs, and Full Professor, Physiology and Endocrinology

In December 2004, Dr. Ortiz became one of the founding faculty of UC Merced; he was promoted to full professor in 2014 and is a past chair of the UC Merced Department of Molecular and Cell Biology.

Dr. Ortiz’s research program centers around a central theme of regulation of metabolism during extreme natural or pathological conditions. Most recently, his work has focused on endocannabinoid signaling and exogenous cannabinoid interventions in the regulation of lipid metabolism.

He received his doctorate in Biology from UC Santa Cruz in June 2001, and immediately following, he was awarded a UC Office of the President's postdoctoral fellowship followed by a Ford Foundation (2002) and NIH F32 (2004) l fellowship. He performed his postdoctoral research at the Hypertension and Renal Center of Excellence at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, LA under the mentorship of Dr. Gabby Navar.

Patricia Osorio-O'Dea

UC Office of the President

Deputy to the Vice Provost, Faculty Affairs and Academic Programs

In her capacity as deputy to the vice provost, Patricia manages overall departmental operations, advises and supports the vice provost on other system wide academic programs (UC Washington Center, UC Center Sacramento, UC Student and Policy Center, President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, UC Press, California Digital Library) and provides direct management support for academic program initiatives.

Previously, Patricia has also served in other Academic Affairs roles that included legislative analysis and coordination, academic planning, departmental operations and program management. She has been at the Office of the President since October 2001.
Patricia is a UC-CORO (2012) and UC Women’s Initiative Program (2022) graduate. Until recently, she also served as a long-time Steering Committee member of the UCOP Latinx Staff Association.

Prior to the Office of the President, Patricia worked as a presidential management fellow at the Congressional Research Service. She has also worked for The Greenlining Institute, Latino Issues Forum. She holds a Master of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT Austin and a Bachelor of Social Science from UC Berkeley.
 

Juan Poblete

UC Santa Cruz

Professor, Latin/o American Literature and Cultural Studies

Juan is the author of “El Cine latinoamericano en ocho conceptos claves” (2026), “Cultura Nacional en tiempos de globalización neoliberal: Medios, mediación y memoria en Chile” (2026), “Hacia una historia de la lectura y la pedagogía literaria en América Latina” (2019), “La Escritura de Pedro Lemebel como proyecto cultural y político” (2019), and “Literatura chilena del siglo XIX: entre públicos lectores y figuras autoriales” (2003); editor of “New Approaches to Latin American Studies: Culture and Power,” volume 2 (2025) and volume 1 (2018) and “Critical Latin American and Latino Studies” (2003); and co-editor of multiple volumes on Latin American culture.

Judith Estrada

UC Santa Cruz

Director of Educational Programs at the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Dr. Estrada is a dedicated professional with extensive expertise in developing, managing, and assessing campus-wide training initiatives for both employees and students. Dr. Estrada oversees UC Santa Cruz’s Empowered Together certificate program. Known for her collaborative approach, Dr. Estrada designs training solutions in partnership with various campus divisions. Always ready to take on new challenges, Dr. Estrada embodies a tireless commitment to enriching the overall student experience. 

Judith holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Her commitment to educational equity is rooted in her personal experiences, teaching practices, and theoretical insights. Dr. Estrada received her B.A. in Latin American and Latino Studies with a minor in Education from UC Santa Cruz. Estrada is the author of Consuming ‘Dora the Explorer’ with a Critical Bicultural Lens (in Darder’s Culture & Power in the Classroom, 2012); Impacts of a Diné Decolonizing Pedagogy on Student Affairs Practitioners (in Davidson, C., & Waterman, S. (eds.); Indigenous Education Practices in Higher Education); A series of reflections of Diné elder Larry Emerson and his Indigenizing Impact on our Participation in the Profession (in NASPA Journal). Additionally, Dr. Estrada serves on the Board of Directors for Monarch Services, a non-profit organization with a long standing history in Santa Cruz County of providing advocacy and resources to community members affected by violence.

Timo Rico

UC Davis

Executive Director for Student Affairs Assessment

Dr. Timo Rico is responsible for improving the student experience and enhancing student learning.

Born and raised in East Los Angeles as a first-generation college graduate, Dr. Rico is passionate about creating access to higher education and all students’ degree attainment opportunities Dr. Rico values education and its power for social mobility among individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds and underserved communities.

Dr. Rico has been at UC Davis for over 25 years, where Dr. Rico also served as the Undergraduate Admissions Director for Recruitment, Marketing, and Admissions. Leadership roles include directorship of the UC Davis Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP) / P16 partnerships in the statewide SAPEP portfolio, federally-funded TRiO projects at Woodland Community College, and an education lecturer for the Office of Graduate Studies at CSU Sacramento’s College of Education.

Dr. Rico holds a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from UC Davis, a Master of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from California State University, Sacramento.
 

Stephanie Reyes-Tuccio

UC Irvine

Vice Provost, Educational and Community Partnerships

In the role of vice provost, Dr. Reyes-Tuccio leads campuswide efforts aimed at fostering community engagement across the university that reach prospective and current students, faculty, staff and the broader Orange County community. Through strategic initiatives, she fosters inclusive educational pathways, supports faculty in community-engaged research and expands partnerships that promote student success and postgraduate opportunity. 
 
The vice provost also serves as a member of the systemwide Chicano/Latino Advisory Council to the UC President. She has received two Woman of the Year awards, from U.S. Congressional Representative Lou Correa (CA-46) and the National Hispanic Business Women Association, recognizing her leadership, service and commitment to both the university and the communities it serves. 

Dr. Reyes-Tuccio’s areas of expertise include educational equity, community college and K–12 pathways to higher education, intersegmental and cross-sector partnerships and college-to-career pathways.
 

Louie F. Rodriguez

UC Riverside

Vice Provost and Dean, Division of Undergraduate Education Professor of Education

As vice provost and dean, Dr. Rodriguez has worked to reimagine student orientation, secured academic status for the Division of Undergraduate Education, collaborated with campus partners to administer a well-being initiative for all incoming students and launched student success retention action committees. He helped launch the R’MSI program, which focuses on faculty development for student success. He also served as interim dean of UC Riverside’s School of Education from 2019–2022, during which time he hired 30 percent of the school’s faculty, raised $3 million during the pandemic for emergency and endowed scholarships and built several teacher pipeline programs. 

Dr. Rodriguez currently serves on the board of the Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities (UERU), as a University Innovation Alliance (UIA) Liaison and on the UC Chicanx Latinx Advisory Council (CLAC).

He is the author of over 60 publications and four books, including “Intentional Excellence: The Pedagogy, Power, and Politics of Excellence in Latina/o Schools & Communities” and “The Time is Now: Understanding and Responding to the Black and Latina/o Dropout Crisis in the U.S.” His honors include the AERA Hispanic Research Issues SIG Award for Research in Elementary, Secondary, and Postsecondary Education; recognition by the Harvard Latino Alumni Alliance; and Outstanding Latino Faculty by the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE). 

Dr. Rodriguez’s research examines issues in Latina/o/x education, participatory action research (PAR) and educational equity. He earned an A.A. from San Bernardino Valley College, a B.A. from CSU San Bernardino and two master’s degrees and a doctorate from Harvard.

Elizabeth F. Romero

UC Riverside

Associate Vice Chancellor, Partnerships, Governmental & Community Relations, and President Riverside County Board of Education

In 2006, Elizabeth was first elected to the Coachella Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees at the age of 23. Currently, in her role as County Board of Education president, she represents Coachella Valley, Desert Center, Desert Sands, Palm Springs and Palo Verde Unified School Districts.
 
UC Riverside is widely recognized as one of the most diverse, inclusive institutions within the prestigious 10-campus UC system, and as its chief government and community relations officer, Elizabeth advocates and advances support for public higher education. 
 
Elizabeth is an alumna of the Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) Leadership Institute and Women’s Policy Institute sponsored by the Women’s Foundation of California. She serves on the board of directors of the Regional Access Project Foundation, Inc., the Inland Empire Community Foundation and the Youth Leadership Institute.

Elizabeth Romero is a lifelong resident of the Coachella Valley, a daughter of immigrants from Mexico and El Salvador and a first-generation college graduate.
She attended College of the Desert and transferred to UC Riverside, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She holds a Masters of Politics, Economics and Business from Claremont Graduate University. She also earned a certificate from the Institute for Educational Management (IEM) program at Harvard University.
 

Carina Salazar

UCLA

Executive Director, Career and Immersive Experiences

In her executive director role, Ms. Salazar provides direct leadership for the Career Center and oversight for First to Go and the Transfer Student Center.

Carina is a proud UCLA alumnus who was a transfer and first-generation student herself, and brings over 23+ years of caring, thoughtful and supportive student service and leadership experiences to this critical role.

Her passion to help UCLA students reach their personal and professional aspirations runs deep, from her time supporting students as an AAP academic advisor for 17 years to serving as an effective leader over the last six years in various roles with the UCLA Career Center, Transfer Student Center and Bruin Resource Center.

Carina's abilities to develop strong relationships and collaborations with staff, faculty, administrators and students across the campus has enabled her and her teams to deliver innovative programs and initiatives over the years, as well as to engage in efforts to enhance student access and participation with campus services and information.
 
 

Maritza Salazar Campo, Ph. D. 

UC Irvine

Associate Professor, Organization and Management, Paul Merage School of Business, and Faculty Director, MBA Programs (EMBA, Flex MBA and Full-Time MBA), and Faculty Lead

A Latina/Chicana scholar, Dr. Salazar Campo supports the academic and professional advancement of Latinos in business. Her contributions have been recognized with numerous teaching and mentorship honors, as well as civic awards, including being named by the OC Business Journal as one of the OC 50 shaping the future of healthcare in Orange County.

Dr. Salazar Campo’s research examines the factors that drive the effectiveness of high-performance teams and organizations across industries ranging from professional services to healthcare. She has made foundational contributions to the science of team science, including a widely cited framework on the integrative capacity of interdisciplinary teams. Her work has been supported by major multiyear National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health grants, and she advised the National Academies of Sciences report on team science. She co-leads the Team Science programs at the UC Irvine and UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institutes.

Her areas of expertise include team science and interdisciplinary collaboration; integrative capacity; leadership development; organizational effectiveness; diversity, equity and inclusion in teams; psychological safety; Latinx leadership advancement; graduate business education; healthcare workforce collaboration and executive education. Dr. Salazar Campo earned her Ph.D. in Management from New York University's Stern School of Business and is a graduate of Stanford University. 
 

Frank A. Silva

UC San Diego

Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff, Organizational Transformation

Frank Silva brings over 25 years of leadership in administering health and social service programs across academic, clinical and community-based settings. A dedicated member of the UC San Diego community since 1997, he has held a variety of leadership, administrative, and teaching roles within Health Sciences before transitioning to the Office of the Vice Chancellor in 2013.

His career is defined by a commitment to equity and access in both healthcare and education; his key areas of expertise include institutional and health equity, HSI and organizational strategy, curriculum design/experiential learning modules, pediatric residency/community pediatrics training, community partnerships and public health interventions and outreach.

As the former administrative director of the nationally recognized Dyson Initiative, he played a key role in advancing community pediatrics training, where his work focused on health equity and patient-centered care curriculum development for medical students and pediatric residents. He further institutionalized this impact through the School of Medicine's Center of Excellence, where he co-developed, through strategic collaborations with academic leaders, medical students and community partners, curriculum focused on social determinates of health.

From 2016 to 2023, he co-led UC San Diego’s Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) strategy, earning recognition in 2022 for his exemplary service and leadership. Currently, he focuses on driving collective action across UC San Diego to address institutional equity gaps.
 

Roberto Ariel Vargas, MPH

UCSF 

Associate Director, UCSF Center for Community Engagement, and Senior Staff, UCSF Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and Co-Chair, Native American Health Alliance at UCSF

Vargas has helped shape health policy and practice at the municipal and national levels on chronic disease prevention and cancer care, primarily by leveraging the expertise of UCSF scientists and community health advocates. He has helped advance national models of chronic disease equity in San Francisco by helping convene collaboration between community leaders and internationally recognized leaders in health policy. 

Vargas served on the National Cancer Institute’s National Council of Research Advocates, on the board of the American Heart Association Bay Area and as chair of the board of the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) and co-chair of the SF Sugary Drinks Distributor Tax Advisory Committee. He currently serves on the boards of directors for Instituto Familiar De La Raza and the Metta Fund — a philanthropic foundation supporting elders of color. 

Prior to joining UCSF, Vargas led community-based nonprofit organizations and school-based health and social service programs. Vargas is an expert with more than 20 years experience in community-university partnerships for health. Vargas trained in community organizing in SF’s Mission District and Bayview Hunter’s Point communities as part of movements for reducing community and police violence, and he has led community-based efforts to reduce violence and promote safety.

Roberto Ariel is a danzante Azteca with Danza Xitlalli de San Francisco along with his family, preserving Chichimeca-Otomi traditions.
 

Arnold Sanchez Ordaz

UC Office of the President

Assistant Director, Educator Programs

Dr. Ordaz leads statewide initiatives focused on educator preparation, educational equity and workforce development. He oversees programs supporting teacher preparation, the California Subject Matter Projects, CalTeach and initiatives serving diverse student populations across California.

Ordaz collaborates with university leaders, policymakers and educational partners to advance innovative programs that strengthen the educator pipeline and improve student outcomes. Through his leadership at UCOP, Ordaz continues to champion initiatives that strengthen California’s educator pipeline, foster cross-sector partnerships and expand opportunities for students and educators across the state.
 

Alejandro Sandoval

UC Office of the President

Senior Policy Analyst, Educator Programs

Alejandro brings a multifaceted background in higher education policy, workforce development and institutional change. Notably, his foundational work within the California Community Colleges system includes leading the statewide $248 million Strong Workforce Program, as well as the K–12 Strong Workforce Program. He has also advanced statewide educational initiatives at the nonprofit advocacy organization EdVoice and gained dynamic operational experience at a private-sector startup.

Mr. Sandoval’s areas of expertise include workforce development and career pathways, educational equity and advocacy, cross-sector educational partnerships and qualitative research and data analysis. His qualitative research examines the systemic and personal barriers first-generation community college students navigate when transferring to four-year universities. He frequently engages with systemwide equity initiatives and plays a key role in coordinating strategic planning for the UC Chicanx/Latinx Advisory Council (CLAC).

A native of Winters, California, Alejandro holds a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Chicano Studies, and he is currently a doctoral student in the Capital Area North Doctorate in Educational Leadership (CANDEL) program at the UC Davis School of Education.