Cambio de Colores 2026

Dr. Van Lac is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Policy Studies at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Prior to her graduate career, she was a high school English teacher in Richmond, California, serving primarily Black and Latine families in an under-resourced community. Her research interests include supporting minoritized students in youth participatory action research and examining the racial consciousness development of K–12 students, teachers, and school administrators. She is the daughter of Vietnamese refugees and attended her entire K-12 public education in the Oakland Unified School District. 

Dr. Julia López (she/ella) is a bilingual public health researcher and clinician committed to advancing trauma-informed care and health equity across reproductive, sexual, and mental health. She conducts psychological evaluations for asylum seekers and provides culturally responsive, trauma-informed support to survivors of gender-based violence. Dr. López uses implementation science to expand access to evidence-based interventions and works in partnership with communities to reduce stigma around mental illness and substance use. Her work centers on people living with HIV, immigrants and refugees, and LGBTQIA+ communities, bridging clinical care, research, and policy to build justice-driven, trauma-responsive systems of support.