---

The EVC lab is on a building trajectory. Members of the lab range from all walks of life and utilize a variety of interdisciplinary methods to advance environmental justice, health equity, and community engagement. They focus on qualitative thematic analysis, building of science communication tools, data analysis to advance exposure science, and translating science into policy.

---

I am a grad student pursuing an MS in Environmental Health Sciences at UCLA. Growing up in a farmworker family, I developed a deep interest in exposure science and occupational health through my parents’ experiences in agriculture. Through research, I hope to advocate for and shed light on the struggles Latine farmworkers face. Outside of academics, I enjoy unwinding by sitting with a good book. Some of my favorites are Mexican Gothic, The Haunting of Alejandra, Vampires of el Norte, and The Hacienda, just to name a few. I am also big on thrifting and antiquing—always on the hunt for vintage decor. Painting is another favorite hobby, and I love using gouache paint. Lastly, I am a cat parent and enjoy spending time with my orange fluff named Leah.

---

Isabela Cruz-Vespa is an M.S. student in the Community Health Sciences Department at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Her interests lie at the intersections of disability justice, labor rights, and environmental health. She currently works as a Graduate Student Researcher at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research where she helps evaluate experiences of adults with disabilities in California who need Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) to meet their daily needs. Her master’s thesis is a community-based participatory research project examining pesticide exposure among female farmworkers in collaboration with the student organization Compas and the farmworker-led organization Alianza Nacional de Campesinas. Her long-term goal is to pursue a career in community-based participatory research with worker communities impacted by environmental injustice.

---

Nayely is a second-year Master of Public Health student at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, specializing in the Department of Population and Family Health, with a certificate in Climate and Health. She earned her B.A. in Global Health from the University of California, San Diego. Her research interests are examining pesticide exposures among Latino agricultural workers. Nayely is originally from Los Angeles, CA, but currently lives in Brooklyn, NY. After graduation, she hopes to work for an academic institution assisting in environmental research studies that contribute to climate justice solutions. In her free time, she enjoys trying new coffee shops around the city and attending SoulCycle classes.

---

Hello! My name is Xochilt (SO-CHEE) Morales, and I am a freshman at UCLA majoring in Environmental Science! I am an 18-year-old first-generation college student of Guatemalan heritage, born in Sun Valley, California, and raised in Pacoima, where I have lived for the past 15 years. 

I am passionate about environmental justice advocacy and climate change awareness, and I am deeply committed to making a positive impact in my community and beyond. Growing up in Pacoima, I witnessed firsthand the effects of environmental racism, systemic injustice, and corporate pollution on low-income communities of color. These lived experiences inspired me to take action and work toward a more sustainable and equitable future for all who have been affected directly and indirectly by these issues. Through my involvement with non-profits such as Pacoima Beautiful, Youth on Root, CCAEJ Action, and TreePeople during my high school years, I have had the absolute honor to gain invaluable knowledge on grassroots organizing, environmental policy, community-led solutions, and the power of collective action. Although my major is science-based, my current career aspirations focus on law, particularly environmental and public health-related law! I hope to one day be able to engage in legal advocacy and policy reform at a professional level. 

---

Jazmine is an early career environmental justice advocate and scientist. They are currently a Master’s of Science student at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health in the Environmental Health Sciences department, as well as a Southern California Education and Research Center NIOSH Trainee in Industrial Hygiene. Jazmine is a proponent of community science and making
research accessible to all audiences, and is a proud member of the Exposures and Vibrant Communities Lab led by Dr. Yoshira Ornelas Van Horne where they intend to conduct a risk assessment and lead air sampling in the West Long Beach area of Southern California. They have previous research experience with the UCLA Carceral Ecologies Lab as Communications Lead, as well as the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County as a Microplastics Research
Assistant via the NSF funded RaMP program Understanding Nature and Los Angeles Biodiversity. They are passionate about exploring paths towards environmental justice alongside impacted communities through their work.

---

Sydney Litvin is an M.S. student in Environmental Health Sciences at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, building on her B.S. in Environmental Science. She is also pursuing a certificate at the UCLA Bixby Center to Advance Sexual and Reproductive Health Equity. Her academic and research interests lie at the intersection of environmental justice and health, with a particular focus on impacts affecting vulnerable reproductive-aged women, risk assessment sciences, and environmental epidemiology. She is currently working on the Right to Breathe Project, a community-based initiative involving air monitoring and biomonitoring of volatile organic compound (VOC) levels to assess health effects across multiple parishes in Cancer Alley, Louisiana. For her master’s thesis, she hopes to incorporate her interests in maternal and child health into this work, examining reproductive health implications of environmental pollution in frontline communities. Her long-term goals center on continuing research and advocacy focused on women’s health, community engagement, and advancing environmental justice in the context of reproductive and environmental health disparities.

Past EVC Lab Members

Madeleine Killough, MPH Columbia University 2024, now a Data Analyst with the UNITE-EJ Tishman Center

Sanika Parasnis, MPH Columbia University 2024

Izzy Pacenza, BA Barnard 2024, now at Environmental Data & Governance Initiative

Dylan Morgan, MS EH Data Science, Columbia University 2025