Social Justice Lab

This lab involves interdisciplinary work, with Principal Investigators Dr. Shahla Ala’i, Dr. Alicia Re Cruz, Dr. Aecio Borba and Dr. Stephanie Gonzales.

The Social Justice Lab brings together students and researchers committed to examining the structural conditions that shape inequality and the lived experiences of those affected by it. Through social justice scholarship, the lab fosters critical discussion of topics such as discrimination, access, power, and systemic exclusion, helping members develop a deeper conceptual understanding of the contingencies that maintain justice and injustice in everyday life, and of ethical, applied ways to intervene.

A core part of the lab's mission is building meaningful connections with communities and creating access to services to vulnerable populations. This involves listening to and supporting the people whose voices are often excluded from academic, therapeutic and policy conversations.

Methodologically, the lab emphasizes conceptual, applied, qualitative, and participatory approaches to research, including those contributed from areas like cultural anthropology. These approaches allow members to center the perspectives and expertise of community members themselves, producing research that is both rigorous and responsive to real-world needs.

Together, these three pillars (critical discussion, community engagement, and participatory research) form a lab dedicated to generating knowledge that is socially relevant, ethically grounded, and oriented toward meaningful change.