The Labor Center welcomes new Coordinator of Student Field Programs

We are pleased to announce that Mara Ortenburger has joined the Labor Center as coordinator of student field programs!

Mara is a labor and public health advocate who supports social justice movements with applied research and strategic communications. In her role at the Labor Center, Mara connects university students to labor organizations by facilitating research, internships, and service learning. She is thrilled to be part of a team that is dedicated to expanding student opportunities in the labor movement.

Before joining us, Mara spent four years at Worksafe, a California nonprofit focused on occupational health and safety. As Communications and Research Director, Mara co-authored a 2017 study of safety lapses at Tesla Motors and published Dying at Work in California, an annual report that documents the human toll of work-related injury and illness. She has also worked with the UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program and the Occupational Health Internship Program.

Mara holds a master’s degree in public health from UCLA and a bachelor’s degree in politics from UC Santa Cruz. Between degrees, she worked with incredible teams at DataCenter, Human Impact Partners, and Research Action Design. At these organizations, Mara supported community-engaged projects on a range of equity issues and developed deep respect for critical and participatory approaches to research.

We are thrilled to welcome Mara to the Labor Center!