New deputy director brings 20 years of research and workforce development experience
Dr. Ana Luz González-Vásquez has been appointed deputy director of the UCLA Labor Center, a unit of the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment (IRLE) that advances cutting-edge research, education and service guided by its core values: economic equity, racial and immigrant justice, and worker power and solidarity.
She brings with her over 20 years of experience in qualitative and quantitative research, using a participatory and popular education approach to engage research participants in the conceptualization and production of knowledge. In 2006, she was the project manager for the first comprehensive study of day laborers and their worker centers across the nation. In 2010, she co-authored a report on the prevalence of wage theft and workplace violations among low-wage workers in Los Angeles, using an innovative methodology called “respondent-driven sampling, which increases access to hard-to-reach populations.”
Her connection to the UCLA Labor Center originated with her work as a graduate student researcher at UCLA, personifying the UCLA Labor Center’s school-to-movement pathway and solidifying her passion for advancing worker justice.
“Having known and collaborated with Dr. González-Vásquez for over two decades, I know she brings keen insights, unmatched experience, and a can-do attitude that will continue to advance policy-relevant research and timely, worker-informed initiatives,” said Abel Valenzuela, dean of UCLA’s Division of Social Sciences. “I look forward to her leadership and the tangible impact it will have on working people in Los Angeles and beyond.”
Dr. González-Vásquez assumes this deputy director role after co-founding and serving as project director of the UCLA Labor Center’s POWER in Workforce Development unit for seven years. During her tenure, she championed workforce development and spearheaded the creation of multi-year frameworks for high road training partnership (HRTP) models. Her work established the UCLA Labor Center as a trusted expert, leading to the 2025 partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) to launch the $17.8 million High Road Training Partnership (HRTP) Fund.
“We started a paradigm shift seven years ago,” said Dr. González-Vásquez. “We’ve shown the state the importance of investing in workforce models that are meeting the needs of our communities and our workers.”
Dr. González-Vásquez’ research and expertise have informed government entities, labor officials, and employers to invest in workforce development and worker empowerment. In 2024, she was appointed a governing board member of the California Crade-to-Career Data System (C2C), where her deep knowledge of the workforce development sector helped guide the strategic direction of the ambitious project.
“Her expertise has shaped the workforce development sector and contributed immensely to the UCLA Labor Center’s presence as a trusted thought partner in these spaces,” said UCLA Labor Center Director Saba Waheed. “I am delighted to have Dr. González-Vásquez as a partner and senior leader in the organization.
She has also worked extensively with Organizing Rooted in Abolition, Liberation, and Empowerment (ÓRALE) to document and uplift the stories of immigrant entrepreneurs in Long Beach.
“She is a force to be reckoned with—her unwavering commitment to immigrant workers shines through in everything she does,” said ÓRALE Executive Director Gaby Hernandez. “Congratulations, and so well deserved!”
As deputy director, Dr. González-Vásquez plans to bring the leadership skills she developed as a project director to the center’s broader work, with a goal of increasing the organization’s impact and capacity to support working communities.
“I’m committed to using the skills I have developed to enable sustainable growth, mentor others, and influence meaningful change for workers through community-centered efforts at our organization and beyond it,” said Dr. González-Vásquez. “Investing in training the next generation of labor justice scholars and leaders, engaging in cutting edge worker-centered research, and developing robust partnerships will be crucial for pushing the labor movement forward in the years ahead.”
