Team

Dr. Chavira is the inaugural director of OUR and a professor in the Psychology Department. She holds bachelor’s degrees in psychology and Chicana/o Studies from CSUN and a doctorate in Developmental Psychology from UC Santa Cruz. As principal investigator and co-director of student training for BUILD PODER, she has engaged over 350 minoritized undergraduate students in research using Critical Race Theory and equity-minded frameworks. Additionally, she leads an NSF HSI STEM grant to establish a STEM undergraduate research office, ESTUDIO, and participates in the NSF Advance SPACES grant aimed at increasing the number of minoritized women faculty in Engineering.

Her interdisciplinary research focuses on the well-being and achievement of immigrant youth in the U.S. A dedicated advocate for student success, she has received several awards, including the Don Dorsey Award for Excellence in Mentoring (2013), the SACNAS Outstanding University Mentor Award (2020), and CSUN’s Outstanding Faculty Award (2021).

Mirranda Salas received her Master of Arts degree in General-Experimental Psychology from CSUN in 2011 and has worked on grant-funded research programs for the past 15 years. In the Office of Undergraduate Research, Mirranda is in charge of the finances and logistics that keep OUR running smoothly, as well as providing a friendly face if you stop by the OUR main office in University Library 27.

As a transfer student from Pasadena City College, Alina earned her BS in Microbiology and MS in Genetics at CSUN. She conducted research in gene regulation during her academic career and joined the NIH BUILD PODER team as a STEM recruiter during her Masters in addition to working in the Biology Advising Office. Her passion is student success which entails recruiting students into research and guiding their academic and career paths to turn their dreams into reality.

Renee Medina is a first-generation college graduate and public health master's student focusing on applied epidemiology. She is also an aspiring research scientist and academic professor. Renee is passionate about studying the psychosocial factors contributing to health disparities in minority communities and am an ally in promoting health equity and social justice.

Luis Paz de la Vega is an OUR mentor and workshop facilitator. He is an Assistant Professor in Psychology and Statistics at Los Angeles Valley College. He earned his BA in Psychology and MA in Psychological Sciences from CSUN.

Adriana Perez is an OUR Graduate Peer Mentor in Psychology. She is a 2nd-year master's student in the Clinical Psychology program, Research track at (CSUN) and a graduate research assistant in the P.U.E.N.T.E. lab. She received her BA in Psychology and a minor in Community Engagement and Social Change from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Her research interests include the implementation and dissemination of culturally responsive mental health interventions for ethnically/racially minoritized youth and families.