Marissa Brookes is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Political Science department at the University of California, Riverside. She is also Faculty Co-Director of the UCR Inland Empire Labor and Community Center and a faculty affiliate of the UCR Labor Studies Program. Her research focuses on transnational labor activism, workforce development, and the politics of work and employment in the global economy. Her research has appeared in outlets such as Comparative Political Studies, Development and Change, the Global Labour Journal, and Qualitative and Multi-Method Research. Her book, The New Politics of Transnational Labor: Why Some Alliances Succeed (Cornell University Press) analyzes the causes of success and failure in transnational labor campaigns. On invitation, she has presented her research at the Center for Advanced Study in Oslo, the ILO in Geneva, the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung in Berlin, The Worker Institute in New York, USAID in Washington, DC, and the ILR School at Cornell University, among other venues. Dr. Brookes teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in international relations, international political economy, labor studies, and qualitative methods. She earned her Ph.D. in political science from Northwestern University.

Ellen Reese is Professor of the Department of Society, Environment, and Health Equity and Chair of Labor Studies at the University of California, Riverside. She is also faculty co-director of the UCR Inland Empire Labor & Community Center (ielcc.ucr.edu). Her research focuses on the interconnections between health and work, regional economic development and the environment, gender, race, and class inequality, organized labor, social movements, and public policy. She is co-editor (with Jake Alimahomed-Wilson) of The Cost of Free Shipping: Amazon in the Global Economy (2020, Pluto Press), which won the 2020-2021 Best Book Award Related to Labor Education. United Association of Labor Educators. She is co-author (with Juliann Emmons Allison) of Unsustainable: Amazon, Warehousing, and the Politics of Exploitation (University of California Press, 2023).

Zoe Caras is Inland Empire Labor and Community Center’s Project Coordinator. She comes to the position with a background as a labor, environmental, and community organizer, researcher, and educator. Zoe is passionate about the power of working people, political education, prison abolition, internationalist organizing, and racial and environmental justice. She received her B.A. in 2015 from Prescott College, where she studied Social Movement History and Community Organizing. After graduating, she worked with indigenous field guides to start a union in the tourism industry as part of a larger land rights campaign. In 2018, Zoe attended CUNY’s School of Labor and Urban Studies Union Semester, where she organized with the National Domestic Workers Alliance and New York Caring Majority. She is trained in Strategic Corporate Research from Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. As a researcher at ROC United, a restaurant workers’ center, Zoe coordinated projects including a National Research Panel of 1,000 restaurant workers tracking COVID-19’s impact on the industry; the “State of the Restaurant Workforce” report, which compiled data into a comprehensive report on the industry; and trained and mentored research fellows. Zoe hopes to support students to join the labor movement as workers and organizers as well as to build the power of working people and their communities across the Inland Empire and California. She aspires to bring a collaborative presence to IELCC and is excited to connect with students, staff, faculty, and community members– please reach out to her anytime!

Clarielisa (Lisa) Ocampo is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Education at the University of California, Riverside (UCR). Her research focuses on how race, colonialism, and power play a role in shaping the career decision-making of Filipino American students. She uses mixed-methods approaches to understand the structural and cultural forces that influence students’ educational and professional pathways. Lisa has contributed to several projects with AAPI Data, most recently co-leading a research initiative on the state of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities in the Inland Empire. She currently serves as a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) with the Inland Empire Labor and Community Center.

Gregory Blake Hutchins is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in the Political Science Department at the University of California, Riverside where he received his M.A. degree in 2022. His concentrations are in Mass Political Behavior and International Relations. He served as Chief of Staff for UCR's Inland Empire Labor and Community Center from April 2023 to September 2024 where he helped start the center and build up its full team.  Since September of 2024 he serves as Senior Advisor to the Executive Director and Lead Graduate researcher working on everything from the center’s research to assisting in building and fostering community and student relations. In addition to his academic work, Greg is also a member of the Pick Group of Young Professionals, a network of young community members working towards engaging Riverside to be a better place to live while pursuing excellence in the workplace, where he serves as the Vice-Chair of the Civic Engagement Committee. Lastly, Greg is also a Riverside City Commissioner sitting on the Budget Engagement Commission.

Nayeli Escorcia Navas is one of the Inland Empire Labor & Community Center’s Program Assistants. She is a second-year undergraduate student majoring in business economics at the University of California, Riverside. As an International Baccalaureate diploma recipient and first-generation student, she thrives on hard work and determination. With over two years of volunteering within the community, Nayeli truly understands the importance of being a community member who is civilly engaged. As a member of the TRIO Program at UCR, Nayeli places significance on academic and social success. Additionally, during her undergraduate career, Nayeli hopes to become more involved in research programs on campus.

Alexis was raised and born in Guatemala. A recent graduate from San Bernardino Valley College with an Associate of Arts in Humanities and Social Science, she is the first in her family to attend a university. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor's in Language & Literature in Chinese, though she is also considering a shift to Political Science and International Affairs with a minor in Languages. Alexis previously interned with Catholic Charities, where she supported the region’s immigrant community. As an undocumented student herself, she deeply understands the challenges faced by immigrants and is committed to making a positive change. Her goal is to help community members understand their rights, access vital resources, and become more actively engaged in civic life. As a Program Assistant for the IELCC, she is excited to connect with organizations that advocate for and empower workers. In her free time, Alexis enjoys dancing, singing, and hiking in open, green spaces where she can connect and enjoy the Inland Empire's beautiful nature.

Alice Parra Rios (they/them) is a fourth year Political Science/Law and Society student with a minor in Public Policy. Alice has gained experience with community building through their time in ASUCR, where they currently serve as the First Time College Student Director. They also previously worked with the IELCC through their role as a MSIRA research assistant. They have grown a passion for immigration and labor law, and have a strong sense of public service for their community. Alice would like to battle injustices in both the labor and immigration sector within the Inland Empire through legal justice as an attorney. With their experience in leadership, public service, and research, they would love to work towards creating a better Inland Empire for all. They hope to gain experience to achieve their goals through their role as a Program Assistant. In their free time, Alice enjoys singing, playing tenor saxophone, and performing in drag.