Please join the Bridges Center in congratulating Maya Cruz on her promotion to Lead Research Analyst! Cruz began working as a Bridges Center Research Assistant in June 2023, the same month she graduated from the University of Washington with a major in Political Science and a minor in Labor Studies. Before joining the Bridges Center, Cruz was in the inaugural LABOR 480 class and also participated in the 2022 Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO Union Summer cohort. 

In Cruz’s first year with the Bridges Center, she worked on a variety of projects and supported training new team members. Maya authored an issue brief in collaboration with the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, “Abortion Access is a Racial and Economic Justice Issue,” supported a research report on pre-apprenticeship as a tool to support underrepresented workers, and played a pivotal role in launching and completing the first “State of the Student Worker” research project. She also co-hosted “Building Bridges,” the Bridges Center’s podcast. 

Cruz was promoted to Researcher in July 2024 and has continued to play a pivotal role in growing the Bridges Center’s research capacity. In September 2024, she started co-leading an applied research internship with MLK Labor’s People’s Organizing Initiative (POI). Cruz provides direct research support to unions and worker organizations affiliated with the POI and partners with the POI to provide training and support for interns. Outside of the internship, which is now in its second iteration, Cruz continues to provide research support to projects supporting workers in Washington and beyond. In the last year, she’s worked on our migrant fisher project, a follow-up to our “Building Futures” study, and has provided research support to the City of Seattle Office of Labor Standards (OLS), the American Federation of Teachers, Washington (AFT Washington), Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 925, and more. 

The Bridges Center is thrilled that Cruz will be continuing her work with us, and with a much-deserved promotion. If you have any questions or would like to connect with Maya, please reach out to her at her email, mcruz3@uw.edu.