Kimberly Mata-Rubio is the mother of Alexandria Aniyah "Lexi" Rubio, one of 21 victims who died in a mass shooting on May 24, 2022 at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX. She is the president of Lives Robbed, a non-profit organizations formed to combat the gun violence epidemic in America. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in public history from St. Mary's University in San Antonio. Mata-Rubio is an award-winning journalist, having earned multiple first- and second-place awards from the regional South Texas Press Association and statewide Texas Press Association.
Nicole Golden, MSSW
Nicole Golden is the Executive Director of Texas Gun Sense, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that advocates to prevent gun violence in Texas through education, partnerships, and policy change.
After serving in the interim capacity, Nicole officially took the reins as Executive Director in April of 2022. Nicole's education as a social worker and more than 11 years of experience with advocacy and public speaking prepared her for this challenge. She is deeply devoted to working toward a future free from gun violence and moving the needle in Texas through coalition-building, legislative and grassroots advocacy and education.
Will Francis, LMSW
Will Francis is the Executive Director of both the Texas and Louisiana chapters of the National Association of Social Workers. He previously served as the Government Relations Director for the Texas Chapter. Prior work experience includes positions with Mental Health America of Texas in the stat office of a home visiting program, Child Protective Services and Travis County Juvenile Probation.
Will received a Master's in Social work from the University of Texas at Austin Steve Hicks School of Social Work and a bachelors degree in English from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia.
Monica Muñoz Martinez, Ph.D.
Dr. Monica Munoz Martinez is Associate Professor of History and the Clyde Rabb Littlefield Chair in Texas History Fellow. She is an award-winning author, teacher, and public historian. Martinez's research documents the long impacts of massacres and racist violence on communities and offers recommendations for addressing historical harms.
Since the tragedy at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, her hometown, Martinez has been leading a multidisciplinary team of researchers at UT to bring solutions to meet the ongoing and urgent needs in Uvalde and rural communities impacted by mass violence. Martinez is a 2021 MacArthur Foundation Fellow.
Noël Busch-Armendariz, Ph.D., LMSW, MPA
Noël Busch-Armendariz is a University Presidential Professor, Associate Dean for Global Engagement, and Director of the Institute of Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault at UT Austin's Steve Hicks School of Social Work. With over 40 years of international experience, she has lived and worked in countries including Albania, Ireland, and South Korea.
Noël has provided expert testimony in over 100 legal cases and co-led the response to the Uvalde school shooting. She is a returned Peace Corps volunteer, licensed social worker, and sexual assault survivor who is dedicated to global engagement and social justice.
