Lauren Ashley Gonzalez

Job title: 
Class of 2025
Department: 
2024 Cal-in-Sacramento
Bio/CV: 

As the daughter of an immigrant father, Lauren is passionate about utilizing public service to fill in the gaps of unjust systems. Her background also includes family members exposed to environmental pollutants that had unjustly contributed to severe health problems. Due to her background, Lauren is focused on environmental justice and empowering disadvantaged communities. Currently, Lauren is majoring in environmental science and public health.

Previously, Lauren has worked in the ASUC Student Advocate’s Office as both a Financial Aid Caseworker and Director for the Financial Aid Division, supporting students through one-on-one support surrounding monetary-related concerns. Her work has also involved increasing resources for unenrolled students working to complete their education, winter break housing programs to support in-need individuals unable to return home during the break, and much more.

She has also spent time as a student researcher at the Othering and Belonging Institute conducting research on climate-induced displacement to develop country-specific case studies including Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Belize, etc.

Outside Berkeley, she has worked at the Public Health Institute as a Project Assistant supporting health equity and uplifting a unified policy agenda through creation of podcasts on violence prevention, videos targeting misinformed communities on the 2024 Oil Referendum, and general research to increase awareness of important public health issues.

Research interests: 

Major(s): Environmental Science, Public Health

Minor(s): Public Policy