Vania Buck

Vania Buck (she/hers/ella) is the daughter of immigrant parents and a dedicated Mexican-American scholar from San Diego, CA, with roots in Guanajuato and Tijuana, Mexico. As a first-generation college graduate, she earned her B.A. in Psychology from San Diego State University and her MSW from California State University, Chico. Vania began her social work career in 2017 with San Diego Child Welfare Services, evaluating and approving families for fostering and adoption. She later worked as a bilingual social worker in Tehama County, investigating child abuse cases and ensuring culturally sensitive support for Latinx families. Her research and teaching focus on transforming the child welfare system to better serve Latinx and immigrant communities. She developed and launched the course “Bilingual Social Work in Child Welfare” at CSU, Chico, based on her master’s thesis. Before pursuing her PhD, Vania contributed to the University of Denver’s Butler Institute for Families as a research associate on the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (NCWWI) Evaluation Team. Vania’s personal journey, shaped by her bilingual upbringing and commitment to social justice, fuels her ambition to create lasting change in the child welfare system. Outside of her academic and professional pursuits, she enjoys rewatching the Twilight Saga and The Office, exploring the outdoors, delving into true crime shows, and finding the best carne asada tacos – so far, the best taco is in Tijuana, MX.