SHORT BIO
Omar Vargas is a college graduate from Denison University (class of 2016) with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology/Anthropology. He hails from East Los Angeles, California. Omar is an alumnus of the East Los Angeles Renaissance Academy (ELARA), where he first encountered Public Matters as part of the Proyecto MercadoFRESCO in 2011-2012. He later interned with Public Matters in summer 2015. At Denison, Omar’s school projects received recognition for their impact on student campus life. He was on the planning committees for both the Summit of Ohio Latinx (SOL), the first summit for Latinx college students in Ohio, as well as The Nest, an alternative dining experience created with a focus on entrepreneurship and student autonomy. Omar’s interests are in public health and urban planning, seeking to impact the world through his attention to detail and spontaneous ambition.
By: Omar Vargas // With each module, Fellows dig into readings, exercises, conversations, and reflections around a theme. The focus of Module 5 was Leadership. It was 2 in the morning and I had just come back from a concert. Exhausted, I sat on the......
By: Omar Vargas — Reflections from Open Engagement 2017 – JUSTICE This April, the Urban Futures Lab Fellows had the opportunity to present on our fellowship at Open Engagement, a conference in Chicago. Open Engagement is an annual artist-led conference dedicated to expanding the......
By: Omar Vargas — “We often miss aspects of Los Angeles from our cars or when passing by neighborhoods that make up the city’s diverse history. Through walking, I began to see LA through different perspectives, as a daily commuter and a city native. Through......
By: Omar Vargas — With each module, Fellows dig into readings, exercises, conversations, and reflections around a theme. November/December’s theme = Educational, Life and Career Pathways. Since graduating from college, I have not thought about my career goals because much of my focus has......
This is an introduction to Urban Futures Lab Fellow Omar Vargas. “A Day in the Life of Omar” takes you through a typical day in Los Angeles, accompanied by Omar discussing his passions and aspirations as a UFL Fellow. Omar Vargas // Blog Post #2......
By: Omar Vargas — My first day as an Urban Futures Fellow was very intense. Coming into the program two months after the fellowship started, I was brought up to speed on what the fellowship was about, current and upcoming projects, and expectations for being......