Diana Rodriguez completed her undergraduate and master’s degrees in criminal justice at the University of Houston – Downtown where she was Vice President of Alpha Phi Sigma, receiving the Criminal Justice Service Excellence Award while holding this position. Diana has dedicated her education and career to advocating for social and economic equity, system accountability, and community healing.

She spent the first several years of her career in the field of criminal justice focused on understanding the intricacies of government systems and how to bring relief to those in need through community partner collaboration and civic engagement. She then expanded this work as a juvenile probation officer by merging her knowledge and experience to advocate for equity and system accountability. She collaborated with youth and families from diverse backgrounds, schools, community partners, government agencies, and nonprofits to remove systemic barriers from marginalized communities.

She was a strong advocate for justice-involved youth, using her expertise to argue for non-punitive responses to delinquent behavior, supported by evidence as more likely to prevent future criminal activity, and continues to focus on research that explores system reform, restorative justice practices, and equity.

During this time, she was actively involved with organizations such as Methodist Children’s Home, The Montrose Center, The Caucus, and ReVision Houston. Ultimately, she decided to pursue a PhD at The University of Texas at Dallas, completing core courses before returning to Houston to accept an opportunity to launch and establish Project Remix Ventures—a nonprofit that provides training and internships to youth on probation who are actively working to achieve their GED.

In addition to serving as Director for The Mulligan Fund, Diana is an adjunct professor at Lone Star College Systems, where she enjoys teaching and sharing her expertise in equity and social justice, economics, and public policy. Her research on restorative justice practices and youth resilience has been published in respected journals and presented at national conferences.

Condensed:

Diana Rodriguez earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees in criminal justice at the University of Houston–Downtown, where she served as Vice President of Alpha Phi Sigma and received the Criminal Justice Service Excellence Award. She has dedicated her career to advocating for social and economic equity, system accountability, and community healing.

Diana began her career in criminal justice, focusing on understanding government systems and fostering community collaboration. As a juvenile probation officer, she used her expertise to advocate for equity and non-punitive responses to delinquent behavior, working with diverse youth, families, schools, and community partners to remove systemic barriers. Her commitment to system reform, restorative justice, and equity has led her to pursue a PhD, and allowed her to manage projects that align with her passion for enhancing social impact causes, advocating for system reform, and civic engagement

In addition to her role as Director of The Mulligan Fund, Diana is an adjunct professor at Lone Star College Systems. where she enjoys teaching and sharing her expertise in equity and social justice, economics, and public policy. Her research on restorative justice practices and youth resilience has been published in respected journals and presented at national conferences.