Laura Vesga Villalba is a program associate for the Human Rights program at the Heising-Simons Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2022, Laura worked for the Center for Global Education at the University of San Francisco (USF), promoting study abroad opportunities to students and assisting them throughout the study abroad process. During her time at USF, Laura participated in Diversity Abroad’s Taskforce for Disabilities Abroad, presented at Diversity Abroad’s Conference in 2020, and helped develop and implement diversity resources for minority students looking to study abroad. Laura also participated in the Arrupe Human Rights Observatory, where she connected the Colombian Consulate General of San Francisco with the work that the Observatory was doing with regards to the Truth Commission in Colombia and coordinated events to inform the larger SF community about the truth and reconciliation efforts being conducted in Colombia.

Laura received a master’s degree in human rights education from the University of San Francisco, where she also received a bachelor’s degree in international studies, with a focus on peace and conflict studies.