2025 Women in Leadership Awards
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Sponsored by the Office of Equity and the History Department
12:30 - 1:30 p.m. | Broadcast Online at MissionCollege.edu/WLCW
Mission College’s Women in Leadership celebration recognizes women, including women of color, who have had a profound impact on the world and/or in their fields.
Award recipients were selected because their leadership provides a positive influence in their communities and their commitment to making a difference in the world makes them an important example to others -- clearly demonstrating the importance of women in leadership positions.
Award Recipients
Dr. Sharadha Raghavan, MD, Board-Certified Psychiatrist
Dr. Sharadha Raghavan graduated from Madras Medical College in 1984 and completed her residency at Stanford University, where she honed her expertise in Psychiatry. Dr. Raghavan specializes in both Child & Adolescent and Adult Psychiatry, and she currently practices in San Jose, CA.
With extensive experience in diagnosing and treating a wide range of neuropsychiatric disorders, Dr. Raghavan has a particular focus on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Dr. Raghavan served as the Director for Youth Services at Charter Behavioral Health Systems and the Lead Psychiatrist to the Emergency Psychiatric Services, at Valley Medical center.
She received the Moos Grant fellowship for her research on Cocaine craving, and her research was posted at the APA conference in 1992. Her publications include areas such as Prozac in sleep paralysis and Arousal Regulation During Social Interaction of Autistic children. Her work has provided significant impact for individuals across all ages, allowing her to offer evidence-based treatment to improve the quality of life for her patients and their families.
Dr. Raghavan has a well-established reputation for her in-depth knowledge and caring approach to patient care. She has spoken at numerous conferences and is a valued contributor to her field, sharing her expertise with colleagues and helping to advance the understanding of neuropsychiatric conditions. Her commitment to excellence in psychiatric care has made her a respected figure among both peers and patients.
Dr. Ma Vang,
Associate Professor of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies at UC Merced
Dr. Vang has authored several books, including History on the Run: Secrecy, Fugitivity,
and Hmong Refugee Epistemologies, which examines how secrecy structures both official
knowledge and refugee epistemologies about militarism and forced migration.
In addition to her scholarship, she founded the program in Critical Race and Ethnic Studies as a new major at UC Merced and served as the program’s inaugural chair from 2017-2020.
Dr. Vang is also a founding member of the Critical Refugee Studies Collective whose research, public engagement, and grant-giving activities center the refugee as a subject of knowledge rather than an object of study. Through the Collective, she has organized two scholar-community conferences and the Refugee Teaching Institute to train K-12 teachers to center the refugee in their curriculum.
She is actively involved in local Merced community organizations in an advisory role on youth and education projects. Since spring 2022, Dr. Vang has worked with two California county (Orange and Santa Clara) offices of education to develop high school ethnic studies curricula related to Hmong American history and culture. She teaches courses in critical race theory, critical refugee and immigration studies, and interdisciplinary humanities.
Mrs. Kim Roylance
Co-founder of EnLevo
EnLevo, the international nonprofit, works with communities suffering from systemicpoverty in Guatemala. In Guatemala, Mrs. Roylance helps direct the EnLevo Sustainable Lives program which makes a meaningful difference in building skills and habits that strengthen communities.
Mrs. Roylance also serves on the Board of EnLevo, bringing her extensive experience in building trusting relationships across cultural and language barriers. Known for her genuine compassion and ability to connect with others, she has made a lasting impact on the communities she serves, especially those living in poverty.
Mrs. Roylance has been actively involved in humanitarian work across the globe, contributing to efforts in countries such as Mexico, Myanmar, the Dominican Republic, Pakistan, India, Vietnam, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Honduras, and Belize. She has worked closely with refugees in the United States, helping them navigate cultural differences and integrate into their new communities.
As an accomplished entrepreneur, Mrs. Roylance also owns a successful clothing business and manages a direct sales team of several thousand people. She has held numerous leadership roles in her community and businesses, sharing her expertise and training in front of thousands.