The directors

Dr. Lopez is the founder and director of COVIDLatino. He is an applied social scientist, creator, and academic whose work is driven by a commitment to democratizing science and knowledge. As Charter Professor in the School of Transborder Studies at Arizona State University, Dr. Lopez dedicates his efforts to teaching and researching issues that affect Latino communities.

Dr. Lopez is also the founder and director of El Laboratorio, an award-winning research and design studio that focuses on creating effective and culturally-responsive science communication projects. This initiative reflects his dedication to making science accessible and relevant to everyone.

Born to Mexican immigrant farmworkers in California's Central Valley, Dr. Lopez's journey is fueled by a lifelong passion for social justice and equal opportunities. His academic path began at Modesto Junior College, leading to a BA from Fresno State University, an MA from Southern Methodist University, an MPH from Johns Hopkins University, and a doctorate from Harvard University.

Dr. Reyes is the Co-Director of COVIDLatino. She is Presidential Postdoctoral Scholar at ASU's Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. A scholar-activist, Dr. Reyes has fought for equity for minoritized students since 2015 as a founding member of Mothers of Color in Academia, a student collective of Women of Color mother scholars that organized to build systemic support for parenting students. Her efforts helped raise the visibility of parenting student needs from a single campus to the system, state, and national levels. She has worked on state policy with multiple senators and served on a national leadership council from 2021-23 with the Urban Institute.

An art historian and museum professional, Dr. Reyes has previously worked at the Getty, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), and the Hispanic Society Museum and Library in New York. From 2016-2019, she served as the book review editor for Aztlan: A Journal of Chicano Studies. Working on both colonial Mexican and modern Chicano/a art and visual culture, Dr. Reyes' academic research interests include identity formation and expression, social histories of art production, and the twin specters of colonialism and imperialism.

Lalo Alcaraz is Artist in Residence at Arizona State University. As collaborating artist with COVIDLatino, Lalo and his team at Pocho Villa Productions, developed engaging cartoons and animations, including the award-winning Vaccine Vato series, to combat COVID-19 misinformation.

Lalo is renowned for his impact on Latino representation in media and the arts. Creator of the syndicated comic strip La Cucaracha and founder of the satire website POCHO, he has garnered multiple awards for his editorial cartoons. Alcaraz's contributions extend to Hollywood as a consultant and producer, with notable involvement in projects like the Oscar-winning COCO and The Casagrandes. A son of Mexican immigrants and a graduate of San Diego State University and UC Berkeley, his work encapsulates a blend of humor, cultural critique, and advocacy for Latino communities.

Andrea Pro, also known by her artist name, 4.Pro Art, is a Chicana painter, illustrator and designer from Douglas, Arizona. Growing up in a bicultural border town has heavily influenced her work, characterized by vibrant colors & unique compositions that explore themes of cultural identity, nature, and womanhood. Andrea earned her BFA in Painting at Arizona State University in 2021 and has since worked with non-profit art organizations such as Xico and Phoenix Center for the Arts. She is a recipient of numerous academic awards, artist grants and has also formed part of several art exhibitions & community events throughout Arizona. She is a multifaceted artist who embraces both digital and traditional art techniques to weave together stories through art.

One night Darrin Armijo-Wardle looked out of his window and was met with an unfamiliar set of eyes. Running into the darkness to confront a stranger, he could only wonder: Who are you? What do you want? Why are you here? The stranger escaped yet the event left him wary of looking outside his own window. Which got him thinking: what do I really have to fear?

Exploring this question of fear, both real and imagined, universal and domestic, is the basis of his new series of portrait paintings. Unlike traditional portraits Armijo-Wardle paints his subjects as they sit behind textured glass in an attempt to demystify his fear. The fracturing of the portrait results in beautiful colors, unique patterns and evocative imagery.