ROBERTO VARGAS, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor
Division of General Internal Medicine
David Geffen School of Medicine
University of California at Los Angeles

MD, MPH in Internal Medicine
University of Rochester
BA in Biology
University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Roberto Vargas is a natural scientist at RAND and a clinical instructor of medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research at the Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. His research interests examine the role of access to health care and variation in health policies on population level health. As part of the ICICE project he is investigating the impact of the chronic care model breakthrough series on cardiovascular risk in patients with diabetes. He is also a co-principle investigator of a RAND research team examining interventions to reduce racial, ethnic, and poverty driven disparities in breast cancer care. In addition he is examining the impact of state specific health policies on health outcomes in a national sample of Medicaid enrollees and the role of access to care and health policies on disparities in health in patients in California. . . . read more

TONYA PINKINS
Tony Award Winning Actress-Singer
Author of  "Get Over Yourself"
Hyperion Books Publishing
Los Angeles, CA / New York, NY

BA
Columbia College Chicago
Music & Theatre
Carnegie Mellon University

Official Website: www.tonyapinkins.com

Oprah describes Tonya Pinkins as one of the "Ten Women in America Who Will Take Your Breath Away in 2004." This Tony Award winning actress and modern day Renaissance woman is the star of Tony Kushner's ("Angels in America") critically acclaimed, hit Broadway musical "Caroline, or Change." For her portrayal of "Caroline," Pinkins was nominated for the "Best Actress in a Musical" Tony again. A single mother of four who also plays "'Livia Frye Cudahy" on the ABC daytime drama, "All My Children," Pinkins made her mark on stage as "Sweet Anita" in "Jelly's Last Jam," for which she received a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle and Clarence Derwent Award and starred in "Play On!" and "The Wild Party." Additionally, Pinkins starred in the Jeff Pollack/Benny Medina feature film ABOVE THE RIM alongside Bernie Mac, Tupac Shakur and Marlon Wayans. And this fall, Pinkins can be seen in John Turturro's film ROMANCE AND CIGARETTES with James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon . . . read more.

JONG LEE, ESQ.
Civil Rights Attorney
Law Office of Jong Lee
Los Angeles, CA

JD, Southwestern University School of Law
BA in Political Science
University of California at Davis

Jong Lee is a solo practitioner, and has practiced law since 2002.  Mr. Lee cites his unwavering support for the “underdog” as his inspiration for practicing law.  As a community oriented civil litigator, Jong Lee practices primarily in the area of labor & employment law and business law. In the area of labor & employment law, Jong Lee has acted on behalf of a number of clients in actions involving race, sex, national origin, age discrimination, back wages, wrongful termination and breach of contract.  Also, Mr. Lee has advised clients concerning employee disciplinary actions, development of company practices and employee handbooks. In business law, Mr. Lee has represented numerous clients including contractors, manufacturers and distributors in contract-based and general litigation matters. Jong Lee received his B.A. in political science from the University of California at Davis. . . . read more.

VIRGINIA WATSON
Actress/Writer/Music Catalogue Supervisor
Los Angeles, CA

BA in Political Science
BA in Broadcast Journalism
University of Southern California

The daughter of the legendary late musician Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Virginia Watson is an actress, writer and the Music Catalogue Supervisor of her father's records.  More of Virginia's bio is forthcoming . . .

REV. CHARLES ANDRUS, SSJ
Parochial Vicar
Corpus Christi Catholic Church
New Orleans, LA

MDIV in Theology
Washington Theological Coalition
BA in Sociology
Howard University

Father Charles Andrus (commonly refereed to as Father Chuck) is the parochial vicar of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in New Orleans, LA.  He serves as the Community Coordinator for the Josephite Fathers and Brothers Rebuilding Effort of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.   A charismatic preacher, Father Chuck conducts revivals at Catholic churches throughout the country. Prior to his work in New Orleans, Father Chuck concurrently served as Pastor to the Mother of Mercy Catholic Church and Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Houston, Texas.  From 1994 to 2002, Father Chuck served as Pastor to St. Brigid Catholic Church in Los Angeles.  From 2002 to 2004, Father Chuck was the Director of the Center for African-American   . . . . read more.

SHASHANA AYLLÓN
Instructional Assistant
Special Education Unit
Lexington School for the Deaf
Jackson Heights, Queens, NY

MA Candidate, Deaf Education
Hunter College, City University of New York
BA 2007, Psychology
Queens College, City University of New York
AA Special Education
Miami-Dade College

Currently the Instructional Assistant for the Special Education Unit of the Lexington School for the Deaf in Jackson Heights, Queens, NY, Shashana Ayllón is fluent in American Sign Language.  A first-generation Miami-born Cuban, Shashana is also fluent in Spanish and English.  Shashana received her AA in Special Education from Miami-Dade College.  In May of 2007, she received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Queens College, CUNY.  Next fall, Shashana will be matriculating into Hunter College, NY for her Masters in Deaf Education.  Formerly, Shashana was the Assistant director of the Tutor Time Day Care / Pre-K in Long Island, NY.  Shashana is committed to showing children that despite their physical limitations they can achieve any success.  She believes that every child deserves a chance.

FRANKLIN L. FERGUSON, JR.
Civil Rights Attorney
Law Office of Franklin, L. Ferguson, Jr.
Los Angeles, CA

JD, Root-Tilden-Snow Scholar
New York University School of Law
BA in Honors English
University of Pennsylvania

Admitted to the State Bar of California June, 1994, Mr. Ferguson has consistently maintained his practice, emphasizing the representation of civil rights plaintiffs. Even while serving as a full-time faculty member at Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles, Franklin maintained a modest case-load, seamlessly weaving the lessons from the courtroom into the classroom and vice versa. Franklin’s career began as a staff attorney for the Mark Rosenberg Community Law Center of South- Central Los Angeles. Franklin worked on various community-organizing projects, including impact civil rights litigation. The Rosenberg Center was a pilot project of the ACLU of Southern California. Mr. Ferguson was hired for this position by noted civil-rights attorney. Paul Hoffman, Esq., then the ACLU of Southern California legal director . . . . read more.

RICH OROSCO
Vice President of Marketing
Warner Bros. Domestic TV
Burbank, CA

BBA in Marketing
International Business & Spanish
University of Texas at Austin

Rich is the Vice President of Marketing for Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.  He manages the trade and consumer marketing operations for first-run and off-network Warner Bros. Television shows including The Ellen Degeneres Show, The Tyra Banks Show, Extra, The George Lopez Show, and Two and a Half Men.  Prior to joining Warner Bros., he was the Executive Director of Advertising and Promotion for CBS Paramount Domestic Television where he was responsible for brand management and marketing of the #1 entertainment news magazine, Entertainment Tonight, and the most successful syndicated TV Show launch of 2004, The Insider.  He was a two-time recipient of the “Share-The-Vision” award which recognized employees who made a significant and measurable contribution to the CBS Corporation.  Early in his . . . . . . . . read more.

DION RAYMOND, ESQ.
Employment & Business Attorney
Law Office of Dion Raymond

JD, Hastings College of Law
University of California at San Francisco
BA in English
University of California at Los Angeles

BRUCE MORROW
Associate Director
Teachers & Writers Collaborative
New York, NY

MFA in Creative Writing
Columbia University
BS in Biology
Rochester Institute of Technology

Bruce Morrow joined the Teachers & Writers Collaborative in December 1994. He received a B.S. in Biology from the Rochester Institute of Technology and a M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Columbia University. He is the recipient of the Frederick Douglass Cultural Arts Center Fellowship for 1995-96 and is on the editorial board of Callaloo: A Journal of African American, African and African Diaspora Arts and Letters. He is the co-editor of the anthology Shade (Avon, 1996) and his writing has appeared in the New York Times, Callaloo, Speak My Name, Step into a World, Mama's Boy, and Men on Men 2000.

MARIA ELENA GIL, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Yoga Teacher,
Writer, Dancer, Mother and more . . .

Masters in Social Welfare (MSW)
University of California at Los Angeles
BA in Print Journailsm & BA in Religion
University of Southern California

Diploma in Spanish Language and Culture
Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain

WILKI TOM
Photographer
Teachers & Writers Collaborative
Los Angeles, CA

BS in Engineering-Computer Science
University of California Los Angeles