Magaly N. López

Magaly N. López is dedicated to enhancing the socio-economic mobility and power of communities of color through research and evaluation, with a commitment to participatory, culturally responsible practices centered on racial equity. At the Labor Center, she focuses on reimagining California’s workforce development system to elevate workers of color and improve industry standards in low-wage sectors. As the co-founder of the POWER in Workforce Development unit at the UCLA Labor Center, López plays a key role in expanding the team’s vision, leveraging her expertise in High Road Training Partnerships—a framework essential for creating equitable solutions to future workforce challenges.

López’s expertise includes designing research and evaluation tools, conducting rigorous data collection and analysis, and producing reports that highlight underrepresented voices and inform strategic initiatives. Before her current role, she served as a senior associate researcher at the Equity Research Cooperative, where she contributed to critical post secondary education research initiatives. Previously, she worked as a data analyst at the USC Equity Research Institute (ERI), focusing on immigrant integration and social movement building. Her research spans various topics, including hometown associations and economic development policy in Mexico, day laborer workforce development in the U.S., and the impacts of Hurricane Katrina on construction work in New Orleans.

Raised in a family-run hometown association, López has consistently sought ways to serve her community, founding a leadership development and higher education prep program in her hometown of Salinas. She currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Alumni Advisory Committee. López holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy and a Bachelor’s degree in International Development Studies and Spanish from UCLA.