Zayda Sorrell-Medina is a PhD candidate at the University of California, Irvine, in the Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy. Her research measures the effect of US immigrant-serving nonprofits on immigrant inclusion outcomes. Her professional background is in youth education, the development of community-based programs, program evaluation, and stakeholder engagement. She has been nationally awarded for her contributions in the field of education. She is also the founder of Yemaya Productions, a social enterprise that specializes in the development of community programs and artistic productions, creative approaches to disseminate research, and curriculum and lesson plan design. Zayda is also an affiliate researcher for the UCI Africana Institute for Creation, Recognition and Elevation (AICRE). She has a bachelor’s degree in the Arts from the University of Missouri and a master’s in Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh.
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