I am Zayda Sorrell-Medina and I am committed to equity, inclusion, diversity; innovative approaches to addressing communities problems; elevating individuals and communities by integrating research, teaching, community engagement and the arts. I am presently a PhD candidate at the University of California, Irvine in the Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy, where I am conducting research that measures the impact of US immigrant-serving nonprofit organizations in contributing to the degree to which US cities are inclusive towards immigrants. I am also conducting research on the effectiveness of an organizational program that integrate the arts to address urban conflict in Jos, Nigeria. My research interest include organizations, inclusive planning, and immigrants. I have a bachelor’s degree in the Arts from the University of Missouri Columbia and a master’s in Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh. I am also multi-lingual, and my languages include English, Spanish, and French.   
​