Judit is a passionate advocate for garden-based education, currently serving as the Co-Executive Director at Life Lab during a transformative era for the organization in Santa Cruz County and nationwide. Inspired by her childhood experience in rural Mexico and upbringing in a farm-working family in California, Judit has cultivated a profound connection to the land and a steadfast commitment to equity in education. 

Prior to her role at Life Lab, Judit spent over 12 years leading the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) whose mission fosters diversity in STEM fields at the doctoral level. She also dedicated five years to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland where she developed programs committed to supporting underrepresented populations in health research. In acknowledgment of Judit’s work at SACNAS and the NIH, in 2011 the White House honored her as a Champion of Change for Girls and Women in Science. 

Beyond her professional roles, Judit actively engages with diverse communities as a mother, student, facilitator, and volunteer. She serves as a mentor for the UC Santa Cruz Osterbrock Leadership program guiding astronomy graduate students, and she is an appointee on the Santa Cruz County Commission on the Environment.

She holds a bachelor's degree in Mathematics from the University of California Santa Cruz, and a master's in Ontological Coaching from San Sebastian University in Chile.