Valentín Quiroz Sierra, Jr.

2023 – 2024 Berkeley Connect Fellowship

University of California, Berkeley

2023 – 2024 Data Science Fellowship (Turned Down)

University of California, Berkeley Data Lab

2022 – 2024 Graduate Fellows Program

University of California, Berkeley Institute for the Study of Societal Issues

2021 – 2023 Computational Social Sciences Fellowship (NIH OBSSR T32)

University of California, Berkeley - Berkeley Institute for Data Science

2020 Graduate Remote Instruction Fellowship (Turned Down)

University of California, Berkeley

2019 Human Rights Center Fellow

University of California, Berkeley School of Law

2018 – 2020 Chancellor’s Fellowship

University of California, Berkeley

2017 Tribal Member Initiative Fellowship (Turned Down)

University of California, San Diego

2017 Eugene Cota-Robles Fellowship (Turned Down)

University of California, Irvine

2017 Chancellor’s Fellowship (Turned Down)

University of California, Davis

2017 Community Fellowship

Elton John AIDS Foundation

2016 Beth Altier Fellowship in Native American Studies

University of California, Davis

2016 Provost Undergraduate Fellowship

University of California, Davis

2013 – 2017 Point Scholar

Point Foundation

2023 Teaching Effectiveness Award

University of California, Berkeley

2022 Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award

University of California, Berkeley

2019 Brandon Harrison Award for Youth Leadership & Youth Organizing

The California Endowment

2017 C.N. Gorman Memorial Excellence Award

University of California, Davis

2017 Outstanding Senior Award

University of California, Davis

2016 David Risling Intertribal Award

University of California, Davis

2015 Undergraduate Award

Hispanic Scholarship Fund

2013 Genentech eQuality Scholar

eQuality Scholarship Collaborative

2010 Eagle Scout Rank

Boy Scout Troop 712 - Southern Sierra Council, Bakersfield, CA

Research Grants

2022 – 2023 Center for Democracy and Organizing Research Grant

University of California, Berkeley Institute for Governmental Studies

Total: $5,000.00

Federal Grants

2021 – 2024 Indian Child Welfare Act Title II Grant

Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior

Foster Care Services Department, American Indian Child Resource Center, Inc.

Total: $160,000.00

2019 – 2024 Garrett Lee Smith Tribal Youth Suicide Prevention Grant

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Dept. of Health and Human Services

Community Health Department, Sacramento Native American Health Center, Inc.

Total: $1,500,000.00

2019 – 2024 Strategic Prevention Framework – Partnerships for Success Grant

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Dept. of Health and Human Services

Community Health Department, Sacramento Native American Health Center, Inc.

Total: $1,500,000.00

Journal Articles 

Sierra, V. Q. (Under Review). Predicting Suicidal Ideation among Native American High Schoolers in California. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior.

Figueroa, C. A., Hernandez-Ramos, R., Boone, C. E., Gómez-Pathak, L., Yip, V., Luo, T., Sierra, V., Xu, J., Chakraborty, B., Darrow, S., & Aguilera, A. (2021). A Text Messaging Intervention for Coping with Social Distancing

During COVID-19 (StayWell at Home): Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Research Protocols, 10(1), e23592. https://doi.org/10.2196/23592

Study Registrations & Preprints 

Sierra, V. Q. (Under Community Review). The HOPES Study: Helping Our People End Suicide Study. Information available at https://vqsierra.github.io/HOPES/

Sierra, V. Q. (2023). Indigenous Wholistic Factors Project: Predicting Suicidal Ideation among Native American High Schoolers in California. Retrieved from https://osf.io/4dpwt/

Sierra, V. Q. (2023). Predicting Suicidal Ideation among Native American High Schoolers in California. UC Berkeley: Institute for the Study of Societal Issues. Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5z1751rw

Manuscripts In Progress 

Sierra, V. Q. (2023). The Helping Our People End Suicide Study: A Protocol Paper.

Sierra, V. Q. (2023). A Guide for Constructing Indigenous Statistical Spaces for Computational Research.

Book Chapters

Mallon, G. P., Karnoski, R., Stabbe, O., Waller, L., & Sierra, V. (2021). Social Work Practice with Trans & Gender Expansive Youth in Child Welfare Systems. In J. Shelton & G. P. Mallon (Eds.), Social Work Practice with Transgender and Gender Expansive Youth (3rd Edition). Routledge.

Opinion Editorials

Cesspooch, A., Kewenvoyouma, A., Sanchez, P., & Sierra, V. (2020, August 25). Native Student Organizations Want to Un-Name Kroeber Hall, are Frustrated with Faculty Pushback. The Daily Californian. https://www.dailycal.org/2020/08/25/native-student-organizations-want-to...

White Papers 

Sierra, V. (2020). “The Spirit Endures: A Readiness Guide for the Implementation of State Tribal Title IV-E Agreements in California”. With the California Department of Social Services – Office of Tribal Affairs. Available upon request.

Research Presentations

Sierra, V. Q. (Scheduled 2024). Predicting Suicidal Ideation among Native American High Schoolers in California. Oral presentation submitted to the 28th Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference. Washington, D.C.

Sierra, V. Q. (Scheduled 2024). A Guide for Constructing Indigenous Statistical Spaces for Computational Research. Oral presentation abstract accepted at the UC Berkeley 2024 Crossing Paths Research Symposium. Berkeley, CA.

Sierra, V. Q. (2024, May). Predicting Suicidal Ideation among Native American High Schoolers in California. Oral presentation at the UC Berkeley Institute for the Study of Societal Issues Breaking Barriers, Building Community Research Symposium. Berkeley, CA.

Sierra, V. Q. (2021, November). The Helping Our People End Suicide Study. Oral presentation at the UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare Research Colloquium. Berkeley, CA.

Sierra, V. Q. (2019, November). The Spirit Endures: California Department of Social Services and the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978. Oral presentation at the UC Berkeley School of Law Human Rights Center Fellowship Symposium. Berkeley, CA.

Sierra, V. Q. (2017, April). Serving Decolonial Realness: Queer Visual Sovereignty, Memory, and Identity. Paper presented at the UC Davis 6th Annual Native American Studies Graduate Student Symposium. Davis, CA.

Sierra, V. Q. (2016, August). Native American Voices in the Fight for Ethnic Studies. Paper presented at the 24th Annual McNair Scholars National Symposium. Berkeley, CA.

Sierra, V. Q. (2016, April). Examining Cultural Competency and Native American Representations in 4th Grade Classrooms. Oral presentation at the Institute of American Indian Art 2nd Annual Indigenous Interventions Conference. Santa Fe, NM.

Sierra, V. Q. (2016, March). Patwin Elementary: What’s Wrong with Native American Representations in 4th Grade Classrooms. Oral presentation at the 44th National Association for Ethnic Studies Annual Conference. Tucson, AZ.

Panels 

Lesansee, E., Maestas, J., O’ Grady, C., Petoskey, J., Rice, H., & Sierra, V. Q. (2023, June). Alumni Pride Month Panel. Panel presentation for the Nation Native American Law Association. Virtual.

Sierra, V. Q., Edd, S., & Reyes, E. (2022, April). Indigenous Relations and Unexpectedness. Panel facilitated at the 2nd Annual Indigenous Sound Studies Symposium at UC Berkeley. Berkeley, CA.

Evans, A., Croteau, A., Ghost, P., Rico, R., & Sierra, V. Q. (2022, March). Indigenous College and Career Panel. Panel presentation for the Sacramento Native American Health Center. Virtual.

Sierra, V. Q., Recollet, K., Reed, T., & Robinson, D. (2021, April). Indigenous Politics and Resistance in Sound. Panel facilitated at the 1st Annual Indigenous Sound Studies Symposium at UC Berkeley. Virtual.

Lucchesi, A., Montelongo, L., & Sierra, V. Q. (2019, March). Sovereign Bodies: Fighting Sexual and Gender-based Violence Against Indigenous People. Panel presentation for the UC Berkeley School of Law Human Rights Center Lecture Series. Berkeley, CA.

Cuevas-Romero, V., Colegrove, C., & Sierra, V. Q. (2019, March). Two-Spirit Talking Circles in Native American Cultures. Panel presentation for the UC Davis School of Medicine Diversity and Inclusion Dialogue Series. Sacramento, CA.

Grande, L., Growing Thunder, J., Romero, N., & Sierra, V. Q. (2016, November). Native Student Voices on Standing Rock. Panel presentation as part of the UC Davis Standing Rock Teach-In. Davis, CA.

Zepeda, S., Gonzales, P., Hernández-Ávila, I., & Sierra, V. Q. (2016, March). Red Medicine: Community Pláticas con Patrisia Gonzales on Indigenous Healing and Traditional Medicine Ways. Panel presentation as part of the Indigenous Knowledges Series for the UC Davis Mellon Social Justice, Culture, and (In)Security Research Initiative. Davis, CA.

Workshops 

Sierra, V. Q. (Scheduled 2023). Culture is Prevention: Shawl Making. Workshop facilitated at the Indian Health Service Sacred Oaks Healing Center. Davis, CA.

Sierra, V. Q. (2023, April). Shawl Making. Workshop facilitated as part of the Culture is Prevention Series at the Sacramento Native American Health Center. Sacramento, CA.

Sierra, V. Q. (2022, March). Talking Circle. Workshop facilitated as part of the Student Health and Wellness Series in collaboration with the UC Berkeley Native American Student Development Office. Berkeley, CA.

Sierra, V. Q. (2021, October). Talking Circle. Workshop facilitated as part of the Student Health and Wellness Series in collaboration with the UC Berkeley Native American Student Development Office. Berkeley, CA.

Sierra, V. Q. (2021, April). Digital Talking Circle. Workshop facilitated as part of the Student Health and Wellness Series in collaboration with the UC Berkeley Native American Student Development Office. Berkeley, CA.

Sierra, V. Q. (2020, March). Digital Talking Circle. Workshop facilitated as part of the Student Health and Wellness Series in collaboration with the UC Berkeley Native American Student Development Office. Berkeley, CA.

Sierra, V. Q. (2020, February). The Practice of Accountability. Workshop co-facilitated at the 2020 International Abolition Convergence. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Canceled due to COVID-19.

Sierra, V. Q. (2019, July). Yaqui Wood Block Printing. Workshop facilitated as part of the Culture is Prevention Series at the Sacramento Native American Health Center. Sacramento, CA.

Sierra, V. Q. (2017, April). Indigenous Voices Beyond the Border. Workshop co-facilitated as part of the 48th Annual Native American Culture Days at UC Davis. Davis, CA.

Sierra, V. Q. (2016, February). Indigenous Knowledges: Pedagogies, Spirit Work, and Storytelling. Workshop facilitated as part of the Indigenous Knowledges Series for the UC Davis Mellon “Social Justice, Culture, and (In)Security” Research Initiative. Davis, CA.

Invited Talks

Sierra, V. Q. (2023, February). Confronting White Supremacy. In SOCWEL114: Practice in Social Work: Spring 2023. UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA.

Sierra, V. Q. (2022, September). Confronting White Supremacy. In SOCWEL114: Practice in Social Work: Fall 2022. UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA.

Sierra, V. Q. (2022, February). Confronting White Supremacy. In SOCWEL114: Practice in Social Work: Spring 2022. UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA.

Sierra, V. Q. (2021, December). Case Termination: Endings and Transitions. In SOCWEL114: Practice in Social Work: Fall 2021. UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA.

Sierra, V. Q. (2021, October). Therapy with, by, and for Native American Clients. In MFT223: Marriage and Family Therapy with Diverse Populations: Fall 2021. Alliant International University, Sacramento, CA.

Sierra, V. Q. (2021, September). Confronting White Supremacy. In SOCWEL114: Practice in Social Work: Fall 2021. UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA.

Sierra, V. Q. (2021, July). The Spirit Endures: Indian Child Welfare Past, Present, and Future. In SOCWEL105: Child Welfare Policy: Summer 2021. UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA.

2020 – Current Lead Academic Researcher

Community Health Department, Sacramento Native American Health Center, Inc.

• Graduate student researcher leading the Helping Our People End Suicide (HOPES) Study.
• Lead Academic Evaluator quantifying community health measures for the Garrett Lee Smith Tribal Youth Suicide Prevention Program.

2019 – Current Lab Member

Digital Health Equity Access Lab, UC Berkeley

• Graduate student researcher supporting the StayWell at Home Study.

2019 – 2019 Research Assistant

Sovereign Bodies Institute

• Graduate student researcher supporting the maintenance of the SBI Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women database.
• Provided technical support documenting biographic and demographic information for input into the database.
• Assisted with community outreach and system partner networking regarding promotion of the database.

2015 – 2017 McNair Scholar & Researcher

Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, UC Davis

• Research fellow receiving training from Dr. Jessica Bissett Perea and other McNair program staff.
• Principle Investigator for a multisite, archival research project on Native American student activism.

Associate Instructor – Fall 2023

University of California, Berkeley School of Social Welfare

SOCWEL114 – Introduction to Social Work Practice

Graduate Student Instructor – Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023

University of California, Berkeley School of Social Welfare

SOCWEL114 – Introduction to Social Work Practice with Associate Instructor Brenda Mathias

Teaching Assistant – Winter 2017

University of California, Davis Department of Native American Studies

NAS005 – Native American Studio Art with Professor Hulleah Tsinhnahjinnie

2021 – Current Associate Clinical Social Worker

California Board of Behavioral Sciences

License #: ASW98814

Clinical Social Work Experience

Foster Care Social Worker & Therapist, 2021 – 2023 

American Indian Child Resource Center, Inc.

• Provided culturally relevant therapeutic services to American Indian/Alaska Native children.
• Offered case management services to children to promote successful family reunification.
• Certified resource families to secure placements in compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act.

Social Work Practice Experience

Health Program Manager, 2019 – 2020 

Berkeley Student Cooperative, Inc.

• Directed health and wellness services for all cooperative members.
• Supervised 19 student health workers to implement health promotion programming.

Graduate Student Assistant, 2019 – 2020

California Department of Social Services – Office of Tribal Affairs

• Expanded strategic planning for the Indian Child Welfare Act Field Specialist Position Initiative.
• Formulated California’s State Tribal Title IV-E Agreement with the Yurok Tribe.
• Conducted empirical legal research on the Indian Child Welfare Act's impact on social work in California.

Evaluation Assistant, 2018 – 2019 

Sacramento Native American Health Center, Inc.

• Evaluated the Tribal Practices for Wellness in Indian Country grant.
• Initiated the Youth-to-Elder Connections suicide preventive intervention project.
• Executed grant writing efforts for the Youth Initiatives programming.

Youth Peer Support Specialist, 2017 – 2018 

Sacramento Native American Health Center, Inc.

• Managed the Native Youth Wellness Initiative grant.
• Delivered culturally relevant health education to American Indian/Alaska Native youth.
• Developed policies to increase HIV and other STI testing for health center patients.

University

2023 Graduate Student Representative

Hiring Committee for Associate Director

UC Berkeley Native American Student Development Office

2023 Student Representative

Hiring Committee for Open-Rank Professor in Native American Community Health

UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare

2021 – Current Student Representative

Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce

UC Berkeley Counseling and Psychological Services

2019 Student Representative

Hiring Committee for Open-Rank Professor in Supporting Health Aging

UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare

2019 Student Representative

Indigenous Campus Building Renaming Project

UC Berkeley Office of the Chancellor

2019 Graduate Student Representative

Equity and Inclusion Committee

UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare

2019 Graduate Student Representative

Hiring Committee for Director

UC Berkeley American Indian Graduate Program

2018 Representative

Student Disability Justice Committee

UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare

2016 Student Representative

Recruitment Advisory Committee for Licensed Therapist (Native American Specialist)

UC Davis Counseling and Psychology Student Services

2015 – 2017 Student Representative

UC Davis Native American Retention Initiative

2015 Student Representative

Recruitment Advisory Committee for the Director of Strategic Native American Retention Initiatives

UC Davis

Community

2019 Student Representative

UC Berkeley American Indian Commencement Planning Committee

2019 Co-President

UC Berkeley American Indian Graduate Student Association

2019 Volunteer

UC Berkeley Annual Campus Powwow

2018 – 2019 Member

Sacramento Native American Health Center, Inc. Evaluation Advisory Committee

2014 – 2017 Member

UC Davis Annual Campus Powwow & Native American Culture Days Planning Committee

Spanish – Intermediate reading, writing, and speaking

Yoem Noki (Yaqui Language) – Intermediate reading, writing, and speaking

Professional

2019 – Current Native American and Indigenous Studies Association

2018 – Current Society for Social Work and Research

2018 – Current National Association of Social Workers

2017 – Current National Indian Child Welfare Association

Academic

2020 – Current Indigenous Sound Studies Working Group, UC Berkeley

2019 – Current Joseph A. Myers Center for Research on Native American Issues, UC Berkeley

2019 – Current Berkeley Center for Social Medicine, UC Berkeley

2018 – 2020 Indigenous Americas Working Group, UC Berkeley