Perez Research Fellowship

2026 Perez Research Fellows

Catalina Garzon-Galvis

Perez Research Fellow

Catalina is Resilience Director at Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ), centering how we keep us safe during climate emergencies and disasters. She brings over two decades of experience with facilitating community planning, research and storytelling partnerships with Bay Area community-based organizations and coalitions. Previously Catalina managed a youth climate action research collaboration with Oakland Youth Advancing Climate Action (OYACA) and developed a foto-novela on alternatives to criminalizing youth with CURYJ’s co-founders and youth leaders to stop proposed gang injunctions in Oakland. Catalina received the 2010 Thomas I. Yamashita “Foundations for Change” Prize which honors scholar-activists whose work bridges academia and community. She holds a Masters in City and Regional Planning and a BA in Environmental Sciences from UC Berkeley.

Maya Sapienza

Perez Research Fellow

Maya Sapienza is a second-year Geography PhD student at UC Berkeley. Her research engages Black political economy to identify, understand, and challenge the institutional structures that form current social and material conditions affecting residents in Oakland, California. Her professional experience includes conducting community engagement projects for the Oakland Department of Transportation and transportation-equity centered projects at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Maya is currently an archivist for the Archive of Urban Futures (AUF) which is a collective of scholars led by Dr. Brandi T. Summers that explores history, the right to place, memory, and erasure in Oakland. She holds a BA in Urban Studies from UC Berkeley.

Talley Michelé

Perez Research Fellow

Talley Michelé is a first year Master of Public Policy student at the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley. Her work centers on criminal justice reform and economic community development, with a focus on policies that expand opportunity and strengthen historically underserved communities. Talley is particularly interested in how local economic investment, workforce development, and fair justice policies can work together to create safer and more resilient communities. Through her lived experience of being systems impacted and graduate studies, she continues to develop skills in policy analysis, research, and community centered policymaking. Talley hopes to pursue a career in public policy where she can contribute to building more equitable systems, supporting community driven development, and advancing reforms that promote justice, economic mobility, and long-term opportunity. Talley holds a BA in Sociology from UC Berkeley.

Dr. Shamawn Wright

Perez Research Fellow

Dr. Shamawn Wright is the founder and CEO of Bridge Builders to a New Generation, a nonprofit based in Contra Costa County dedicated to empowering youth to live a productive life by providing a chance. Dr. Shamawn was inspired to create Bridge Builders based on his lived experiences growing up in East Oakland. Growing up in urban communities, Dr. Shamawn had to figure out who he was as a black male trying to navigate through society. He watched his biological father walk out of his life, saw his mother incarcerated, and lived in homeless shelters and group homes. After being released from juvenile detention center, Dr. Shamawn re-focused his attitude and effort and increased his GPA from 0.0 to 4.0. He received a full ride football scholarship to the University of California, Davis and earned his BS in Sociology Organizational Studies. He went on to earn an MS in Higher Education and Student Affairs from the University of San Francisco and a PhD in Educational Leadership from San Francisco State University.

2024 Perez Research Fellows

Juan Flores

Perez Research Fellow

Juan Flores, a native of San Diego, is a driven student at the University of California, Berkeley, pursuing dual Master’s degrees in Social Welfare and Public Policy. As a formerly incarcerated Chicano, his transformative journey is the cornerstone of his tireless commitment to uplifting underrepresented communities and addressing systemic inequities. While at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Juan played a pivotal role in implementing the Racial Justice Act in California prisons, amplifying the voices of those impacted by the carceral system. As a former facilitator of evidence-based practices, he provided compassionate support to individuals navigating substance use disorders and mental health challenges. Juan’s unwavering commitment to holistic care and advocacy catalyzes meaningful change, embodying his vision of wellness, justice, and equity for all. Juan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from UC Berkeley.

Larissa Benjamin

Perez Research Fellow

Larissa Benjamin is a second year Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) student at UC Berkeley. Her research uses a mixed-methods approach to exploring the upstream determinants of cardiovascular disease inequities in the rural Southeastern United States, also called the “Stroke Belt.” She is curious about how regional history, geography, and structural racism shape inequitable neighborhood risk environments. Larissa was born in Detroit, MI to parents from divergent socioeconomic and racial backgrounds with a shared commitment to fighting social inequality, which has motivated her commitment to eliminating health inequities. As a Project Policy Analyst at Berkeley Public Health, Larissa worked on health equity-centered projects (police violence, COVID-19 vaccine uptake, NIH-funded RURAL Cohort Study) with Professors Herd and Mujahid before starting the DrPH program. Larissa holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Evolutionary Anthropology from University of Michigan and a Master’s of Public Health from UC Berkeley in Health and Social Behavior with a specialty in Multicultural Health.

Paris Davis

Perez Research Fellow

Paris Davis, an Oakland native, is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership at Cal State East Bay that complements his passion for equitable outcomes and his mission to foster safer, more resilient communities. With over a decade dedicated to catalyzing change and advocating for social justice, Paris serves as the Intervention Programs Director at Youth Alive, demonstrating a profound commitment to effecting positive change. Spearheading initiatives to address community violence and promote resilience, Paris utilizes relationship building, strategic planning, and trauma-informed approaches in intervention programs such as “Caught in the Crossfire,” Violence Interruption (VI), and Pathways. Paris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Humboldt State University and a Master’s in Public Administration with a concentration in healthcare from Cal State East Bay.

2023 Perez Research Fellows

Eghosa Obaizamomwan-Hamilton

Perez Research Fellow

Eghosa is a ﬁrst generation Nigerian American originally from Sacramento. She is co-founder of Making Us Matter (M.U.M.), a Black woman-owned nonprofit educational organization. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in international and multicultural education with a concentration in Racial Justice at the University of San Francisco. She has over 15 years of experience as an educator and culturally-responsive curriculum creator. She is also the editor of the Black Educology Journal where collective work is being done to amplify and empower Black voices. Her sites of inquiry are anti-Blackness in education, Critical Pedagogy, BlackCRT, and Black Feminist Thought, and embodied epistemologies. Her research is centered on unpacking anti-Blackness in education, Black student experiences, Black women educators, Black hair identity, and culturally-responsive curriculum development. She seeks collective liberation and visibility for those who have been left in the margins. Eghosa holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology, a teaching credential in English and Sociology, and a Master of Arts degree in Education from Saint Mary’s College of California.

Montzerrat Garcia Bedolla

Perez Research Fellow

Montzerrat, also known as “Montze,” is currently a Master’s candidate of the Health Sciences and Public Health graduate program at California State University, Long Beach. Montze’s leadership and lived experiences stem from growing up in a low-income, immigrant Mexican family in Santa Ana, CA. Montze values community organizing, community participatory action research, health policy, and strategically working to better the livelihood of communities disproportionately affected by lack of investment and access to healthy resources. Over the past ten years, Montze has led several youth and community coalitions throughout California that address health inequities in their communities through alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention work, financial and economic justice, transportation equity, and immigrant justice. Montze holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Ethnic Studies from UC Berkeley.

NaaKoshie Mills

Perez Research Fellow

NaaKoshie is a doctoral candidate in Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research examines the impact of race and racism in U.S. foreign policymaking to Sub-Saharan Africa, with particular focus on democracy and human rights promotion. Prior to her doctoral studies, she was a career diplomat at the U.S. Department of State and served in the Bureau of African Affairs in Washington, D.C., Johannesburg, South Africa, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As a diplomat, she specialized in multilateral initiatives at the UN General Assembly and the African Union in addition to interagency projects with the Department of Defense and U.S. Agency for International Development. In addition to government service, NaaKoshie has worked for global non-profit organizations to advance local economic development, gender equality, and sustainability in South America and West Africa. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Howard University in Washington, D.C., as well as three Master of Arts degrees from Columbia University in New York, Sciences Po in Paris, and UCLA.

2022 Perez Research Fellows

Carrie Oliver

Perez Research Fellow

Carrie is a Certified Health Education Specialist with experience designing, implementing, and evaluating public health programs for youth and adults in the nonprofit, private, and government sectors. Her professional experience has allowed her to serve as a researcher and practitioner in a wide range of topic areas including youth development, HIV/AIDS, healthcare workforce development, employee wellness, and mental health. Carrie received her Bachelor’s in Science in Biomedical Engineering and Master’s in Public Health with a Certificate in Socio-Contextual Determinants of Health. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Public Health at Georgia State University and hopes to use her academic training to leverage and evaluate partnerships that aim to create sustainable solutions to address health inequities.

LeQuita Carroll-McKoy

Perez Research Fellow

LeQuita holds a Bachelor’s in Social Work from Grambling State University and a Master’s of Social Work from Howard University. Her professional experience includes providing direct services in the non-profit sector, and program development within county governmental programs and higher education. For several years she worked within the Broward County, FL Human Services Department as Regional Coordinator and Contracts Grants Administrator in Children’s Mental Health. LeQuita is currently the Director of Social Work Field Education at California State University, East Bay and is also pursuing her Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership at CSU East Bay, with a research focus on Institutional Culture and the Retention of African American women who are pursuing the Master’s degree.

2021 Perez Research Fellows

Ana Aguilar

Perez Research Fellow

Ana holds a BA in Communication Studies from San Francisco State University. She continued on to receive an MA in Communication Studies at The University of Texas at Austin and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. Ana’s research focuses on trauma, resilience and temporality using qualitative and quantitative approaches. In Austin, she conducted research with organizations such as the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas, CommUnity Care Clinic and volunteered at The Workers Defense Project. Prior to moving to Austin, she worked and volunteered at various nonprofits in the San Francisco Bay Area including Alliance for Girls and Girls on the Run. Now that she is back in the Bay Area, she is excited to engage in community centered research with local groups.

Esteem Brumfield

Perez Research Fellow

Born to civil rights activists in the Bay Area, Esteem cultivated a deep sense of social responsibility, passion for human rights, and a love for the Bay Area. His interests center on law, health and alternatives to incarceration. Particularly, his work examines the relationship between incarceration, mental health, and public health outcomes. He is currently pursuing a Masters of Public Health at Brown University and plans to enter law school to study constitutional law. As a Fulbright Fellow to South Africa, he researched the relationship between learning disability accommodations and rehabilitation within the Western Cape’s prison system. Prior to pursuing his Masters, Esteem served as a Public Health Commissioner for Alameda County and reviewed health effects of incarceration within the county. He holds a Bachelors from the University of California, Berkeley.

2020 Perez Research Fellows

Chantiri Abarca

2020 Perez Research Fellow

Chantiri holds a BA in Development Studies from the University of California, Berkeley and is currently a doctoral candidate and teaching fellow at the Department of Chicana/o and Central American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. Since 2006, she has been learning with and supporting immigrant youth leadership development and organizing efforts for education and immigration reform. As a UCLA Labor Center Dream Summer Fellow, UCLA Department of Urban Planning Community Scholar, and UCLA Urban Humanities Initiative graduate student, she has supported, designed and delivered a variety of collaborative community-centered research projects, particularly in the areas of youth and community development. Previously, she worked in administrative office operations at a 6th-12th grade school in East Oakland where she also volunteered as a running coach.

Jesse Enriquez

2020 Perez Research Fellow

Jesse Enriquez is the first person in his family to earn a college education. He completed his BA from Cal State University, Chico and his MA from San Diego State University. Jesse is currently a Ph.D. student in the Department of Education Studies at UC San Diego. Prior to his doctoral studies, Jesse worked with community-based organizations in San Diego focused on increasing college access for historically underrepresented students and worked in higher education as a student affairs practitioner. He is currently a Lecturer at California State University, San Marcos, a Hispanic Serving Institution. As a scholar-practitioner, his research aims to challenge deficit discourse surrounding Latinx students, community college students, and young men of color in pursuit of education.

Daniela Medina

2019-2020 Perez Research Fellow

Daniela is an Oakland native and student at the University of California, Berkeley where she is pursuing a Masters in Social Work. She is a board member for the Underground Scholars Initiative, which provides services and support to formerly incarcerated and system impacted students in navigating higher education. As a woman of color who has been impacted by mass incarceration and community violence, Daniela is passionate about advocating for those who have also been directly impacted by those issues. Previously, Daniela was a Case Management Supervisor at Community & Youth Outreach, supporting youth and young adults in Oakland towards healthy participation with their families and communities through coaching, system navigation, advocacy, and connection to needed resources.

2019 Perez Research Fellows

Holly Joshi

2019 Perez Research Fellow

Holly has been a dedicated public servant, community leader, and justice advocate for the past 15 years. She is a life long learner who is passionate about impacting issues of equity and social change. Her professional experience is diverse and includes leadership positions within government and non-profit agencies. She is a skilled strategist, organizational change leader, relationship builder, fundraiser, public speaker, and national trainer. She has worked at the forefront of the local and national anti-trafficking movement for over a decade. She holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, a master’s degree in leadership for social justice, and is currently pursuing her doctorate in educational leadership.

Rod Martinez

2019 Perez Research Fellow

Rod Martinez is a community-based researcher located in Washington, D.C. His research examines the intersections of mass imprisonment, race, masculinity, and social movements. Guided by a Du Boisian scholar-activist framework, Rod has collaborated with a number of community-based organizations and public systems that focus on the well-being of formerly imprisoned people, Black & Latino Men and Boys, and non-carceral approaches to community safety. Broadly, his work seeks to empower communities of color through mentoring, teaching, and research. Currently, Rod is a doctoral candidate in sociology.

BACK TO HOME PAGE »