Today’s guest is Javier Garcia – Perez, a 4th year Ph.D. student at UCLA in the department of Social Welfare, and we discuss the importance of conducting equitable research. His research focuses on the LGBTQIA+ community and the intersections of youth and Latinx/e identity. Javier’s research seeks to understand the resilience within the community and discover areas of support by using a holistic model that focuses on the cultural toolkit of Latinx/e LGBTQIA+ people. Javier shares best practices for conducting fair and impartial research from a holistic point of view that is nuanced and uplifts communities. We discuss how research can be conducted with a community centered mindset that builds trust and engagement. Javier also shares his experience with the McNair program and provides tips for undergraduate students pursing graduate school.