vitalvoices 2025-2026
The vitalvoices Speaker Series serves as a forum to bring scholars and practitioners alike to speak
to students, faculty, alumni and community partners at UHD's College of Public Service.
It is our hope that those we invite to speak will share, from the heart, their professional
experiences, their knowledge, and how the work they do impacts society as a whole.
We like to feature people whose work is interdisciplinary and touches upon the fields
social work, criminal justice and urban education.
FALL SEMESTER
The Badge and Beyond: A Live Conversation with HPD's Chicano Squad
Wednesday, October 8th from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Commerce Street Building C100 and via ZOOM
Speakers: Dr. Jesse Esparza, Dr. Natalie Garza
This special live interview event will put you face-to-face with a member of the legendary Houston Police Department's Chicano Squad, the groundbreaking, all-Latino homicide unit that transformed community policing forever.
In the late 1970s, amid rising crime rates and deep distrust between law enforcement and the city's expanding Latino community, the HPD took a bold step. A small team of young, bilingual officers—with no prior homicide experience—was carefully selected to create an experimental unit. Given only 90 days to clear a backlog of cold cases, they faced the impossible task: solving dozens of unsolved murders while trying to rebuild trust with a community cautious of the police.
This conversation will reveal the layers of that extraordinary time. We'll hear firsthand accounts of the challenges they faced, from overcoming internal skepticism within the department to earning the trust of the neighborhoods they served. You'll learn how these officers, working as a tight-knit team, not only cleared a remarkable number of cases in their first 90 days but also became one of the most decorated and effective units in HPD history.
Join us as we examine their legacy and lasting influence. This event offers a chance to hear the real story of how an innovative community policing experiment helped shape a more diverse and culturally aware police force, setting a new standard for cities nationwide.
Dr. Jesse Esparza
Dr. Jesus Jesse Esparza, is an Associate Professor of History at Texas Southern University in Houston. His area of expertise is the history of Latinos in the United States, with a particular emphasis on civil rights activism...
Dr. Natalie Garza
Dr. Natalie Garza is a professor of history at Houston Community College in Houston, TX. She also serves as a faculty member and mentor with the Puente Project, a nationally recognized initiative to increase the number of underrepresented students who enroll in four-year colleges and universities...
When Loss is Traumatic: Reflections from Life and Research
UHD Social Work professor, Dr. Liza Barros-Lane, knows how profoundly life can shift when loss comes without warning. In 2020, her husband died in a tragic boating accident, an event that reshaped her identity and her world. Since then, she has explored what it means to mourn a loved one when the death is sudden, accidental, intentional, violent, or deeply tragic.
This three-part series weaves together her personal story and traumatic bereavement research to explore how trauma complicates grief, and how people find ways to survive and slowly rebuild their lives in the aftermath of devastating loss.
Part 1: When Loss is Traumatic
Wednesday, September 24th from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Part 2: The Burden and Beauty of Remembrance after Traumatic Loss
Thursday, October 23rd from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Part 3: Carrying Grief into the Holidays
Thursday, November 20th from 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Register for November 20th
All events are both in-person in C100 and via Zoom.
Dr. Liza Barros-Lane
Dr. Liza Barros-Lane, Ph.D., MSW, is an Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Houston-Downtown, where she explores how traumatic grief reshapes identity, family, and community, particularly for those widowed too soon. She is the founder and Executive Director of The Young Widowhood Project, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting people navigating premature spousal loss.
Past Events
A Conversation with Houston District Attorney, Sean Teare
Tuesday, September 23th from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Commerce Street Building in room C100 and via ZOOM
Speaker: Sean Teare, District Attorney
Join us for a lunchtime discussion with Houston's recently elected District Attorney, Sean Teare. Mr. Teare will share with us his agency's priorities, successes, challenges and future plans. Please send questions you'd like to ask the DA by Thursday, September 18th to cpscr@uhd.edu
Bio: Sean Teare, a lifelong resident of Harris County, believes our criminal justice system should be both empathetic and efficient, balancing safety with fairness. In November 2024, he was elected Harris County District Attorney. Sean has returned to the office he loves, eager to help implement a new vision for justice. He believes in being a voice for survivors and protecting and upholding the rights of victims and the accused.
Growing up, Sean was shaped by activist parents who marched for Civil Rights in the
1960s. They instilled in him an unwavering commitment to equity and community. After
his mother’s tragic death from addiction, Sean took on the responsibility of raising
his younger siblings. He graduated from St. Thomas High School and earned his bachelor’s
degree in American History from the University of Houston, followed by a JD from the
UH Law Center. For 11 years, Sean served as a prosecutor in the office he now leads,
including six years as Division Chief of the Vehicular Crimes Division. He and Lauren
Teare, his wife of 19 years, are proud to raise their four children as part of the
next generation of Houstonians.
Sean Teare
Sean, a lifelong Harris County resident, was elected District Attorney in November 2024. He is committed to a justice system that is fair, efficient, and compassionate—protecting public safety while upholding the rights of victims and the accused.
AI Revolution: Smart Cities and Future Careers
Thursday, September 4th from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Commerce Street Building in room C100 and via ZOOM
Speaker: Darius Henry, Brown Rock founder and CEO
Join Dean Uzman, and professors Lin and Izadi as they host Darius Henry, founder and
CEO of Brown Rock, to discuss how AI, drones, and robotics are reshaping smart cities—enhancing
traffic optimization, disaster response, and urban security. This session will delve
into the educational implications, showing students how to leverage these technologies
for future careers.
AI is here and everywhere! Join Dean Uzman, and professors Lin and Izadi as they welcome
Brown Rock founder and CEO Darius Henry to explore how AI and drones are transforming
our lives from smart cities, disaster response, battlefield resilience, and urban
security. This session will delve into the educational implications, showing students
how to leverage these technologies for future careers with a live demo of Brown Rock’s
quantum-secured solutions.
Darius Henry, Founder and CEO of Brown Rock, will join Dean Uzman, and professors Lin and Izadi to discuss how AI, drones, and robotics are reshaping smart cities—enhancing traffic optimization, disaster response, and urban security. This session will delve into the educational implications, showing students how to leverage these technologies for future careers with a live demo of Brown Rock’s quantum-secured solutions.
Darius Henry, Brown Rock Founder & CEO
An innovative and dynamic executive leader with 10+ years of experience managing projects, founder and chairman of Brown Rock Holdings, a global conglomerate comprised of companies in a multitude of technology and service areas.
Schizophrenia & Culture - Insights from Four Decades of Research
Tuesday, August 26th from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Commerce Street Building in room C100 and via ZOOM
Speaker: Padmavati Ramachandran, Director at the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF)
This talk will critically examine the challenges of delivering equitable mental health care across diverse cultural contexts. It will emphasize the necessity of dismantling cultural barriers to care and advocate for a global mental health perspective that both respects and integrates diverse cultural narratives surrounding mental illness.
Schizophrenia and Culture: Insights from Four Decades of Research at SCARF, India
The schizophrenia conundrum remains a significant management challenge globally, despite remarkable advances in research. However, contemporary perspectives on the course and outcome of this inherently chronic and potentially deteriorating condition have become more optimistic, owing to the emergence of culturally informed, evidence-based interventions across the world.
The Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF), India—a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization—has been committed to mental health care, service delivery, and research for over four decades. Through strong national and international collaborations, SCARF has consistently prioritized the translation of research findings into practice, particularly focusing on the cultural dimensions of psychosis.
Over the years, our research has addressed various aspects of schizophrenia, including epidemiology, duration of untreated psychosis, course and outcome, and the lived experiences of patients and families. A notable example is the Madras Longitudinal Study, a 35-year investigation whose findings—when compared to other longitudinal studies—highlight the profound influence of culture on illness trajectories and recovery.
Our body of work has explored schizophrenia through the lenses of gender, marriage, employment, and stigma. Genetic studies have offered insights into underlying biological vulnerabilities, while over 15 years of research on first-episode psychosis populations have informed the development of early intervention protocols at our clinical sites.
In parallel, our investigations into metabolic comorbidities have shed light on the impact of antipsychotic medication and lifestyle factors in this population. These findings have prompted the refinement of psychosocial interventions, both in facility-based and community settings.
Recent initiatives include the use of technology to pilot low-cost, scalable solutions—such as the DIALOG+ app and an online compensatory cognitive remediation program. Further, we have incorporated persons with lived experience into our research processes, demonstrating the feasibility and acceptability of peer support volunteer programs.
This talk will critically examine the challenges of delivering equitable mental health care across diverse cultural contexts. It will emphasize the necessity of dismantling cultural barriers to care and advocate for a global mental health perspective that both respects and integrates diverse cultural narratives surrounding mental illness.
Dr. Padmavati Ramachandran
A dedicated clinician, Dr. Ramachandran is deeply invested in needs-based psychosocial interventions for individuals seeking treatment and rehabilitation at SCARF’s clinical services.
For more information contact Steven Villano, director of the Center for Public Service and Community Research