Meriel Fay Zeltzer is a Research Analyst with the Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative (BIMI) and a student at UC Berkeley, pursuing degrees in Political Economy and Sociology on a pre-law and diplomacy track. She is passionate about policy, international relations, and the arts. She is interested in exploring how social structures, migration, and economic systems shape local and global communities.
Meriel also serves as an Associate for the Multicultural Initiative Fund under the Associated Students of the University of California, Berkeley (Office of the President)....
Julio Adrián Cedillo is a Research Analyst at the Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative (BIMI) and a fourth-year undergraduate in the Department of Sociology at UC Berkeley. Before pursuing his bachelor’s, Julio earned two associate degrees in Sociology and Chicana/o Studies at San Diego City College. His interest in immigration research stems from his involvement in political organizations based in Barrio Logan, San Diego, during his time as a community college student. His research interests include Latinx sociology, political sociology, and economic sociology....
Daniela Arreola is a Research Analyst with the Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative (BIMI) and a student at UC Berkeley, pursuing a degree in Public Health. She is passionate about social determinants of health, health equity, community engagement, and environmental health. Daniela’s interest in immigration research stems from her familial background of Mexican and Peruvian immigrants, as well as a strong academic background in how institutions, policy decisions, and racism shape health outcomes. At BIMI, Daniela hopes to deepen her knowledge of community health...
Max Geiger (he/him) is an undergraduate Political Science major at the University of California, Berkeley. As a part of BIMI, he is working on compiling a comprehensive overview of major global migration trends and their critical impacts on society. Max grew up in the culturally rich and demographically diverse Los Angeles. Through his education, friendships, and part-time jobs, he developed a strong passion for immigrant rights. In his free time, Max enjoys traveling, cooking, and tending to his aspirations of becoming an attorney.
Dr. Yannick Coenders is a historical sociologist of race, space, and politics. His research agenda interrogates how race persists and continues to shape the social life of populations on both sides of the Atlantic, despite the global decline of institutions that brought it into being, such as European colonialism, slavery, and de jure segregation. Coenders’ research has been published in the American Journal of Cultural Sociology, Antipode, Public Culture, and the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies.
His current book project, Dispersal: Governing Against...
Lena Ramos is a Research Analyst with the Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative (BIMI) and a student at UC Berkeley, pursuing degrees in Legal Studies and Society and Environment on the pre-law track. She is passionate about immigration law, policy, and reform, with a particular focus on Latin American communities. Her academic interests are rooted in her dedication to advocacy and humanitarian aid.
Lena serves as a Staff Editor for the California Legal Studies Journal, Co-Director of Finance for the Berkeley...
Christian Dieguez is a Research Analyst at the Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative, and a senior at UC Berkeley majoring in Political Science with a minor in Public Policy. Being raised in Los Angeles, California, Christian has become passionate about addressing the historically discriminatory systems that shape the access to opportunities and resources for many individuals. He is particularly interested in creating immigration reform and keeping families together, strengthening our human rights, and investing in early education.
Bianca Garcia is a Research Analyst with the Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative (BIMI) and a fourth-year undergraduate student in the Department of Sociology at UC Berkeley. She is passionate about the intersections of society and technology and hopes to pursue a career in sustainable software development. Furthermore, she is deeply interested in exploring how social structures affect underrepresented communities, such as migrant communities, in which she grew up and around, in her hometown of San Diego, California.
Donya Atashie is a Research Analyst with the Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative (BIMI) and a student at UC Berkeley, pursuing degrees in Psychology and Legal Studies on the pre-law track. She is deeply passionate about the intersections of law, psychology, and human rights, particularly in advocating for underrepresented communities. Her academic interests center on the ways legal systems shape social structures and the psychological impact of migration and displacement.
Beyond her academic pursuits, she serves as the Culture Chair...
Ishita Srivastava is a Research, Practice, and Policy Scholar at the Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative (BIMI), where she focuses on health inequities and expanding medical access for marginalized communities. As an Indian immigrant and a graduate of UC Berkeley with a degree in Molecular and Cell Biology, she brings a unique perspective to the intersection of research, policy, and community advocacy.
Her research explores systemic barriers to care, particularly for rural and underserved populations. She has published work on innovative solutions for reducing health...
