Rodrigo Alatriste-Diaz is a PhD candidate in Development Sociology at Cornell University and researcher at UC Merced’s Community and Labor Center. His research investigates how racial and class relations manifest in health and environmental politics in California’s San Joaquin Valley. His research also underscores community-based research to increase civic engagement and for social change. Rodrigo graduated from UC Santa Cruz with degrees in Sociology and Latin American Latino/a Studies.