Judy Tzu-Chun Wu is a UC Irvine professor of History and Asian American Studies, the associate dean of the School of Humanities, and the director of both the Humanities Center and the Center for Liberation, Anti-Racism, and Belonging (C-LAB). Having immigrated to the U.S. at a young age and grown up in a Chinese immigrant family, Judy was deeply involved in helping her family run various businesses. Her passion for literature, history, and politics developed during college when she became a student activist, advocating for students of color facing exclusion and attacks on campus. This led her to research social movements, activism, racial liberation, and gender inequality.

Judy's recent book, ""Fierce and Fearless,"" explores the life of Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first woman of color in Congress and a dedicated advocate for environmental justice. Patsy's work included efforts to combat nuclear and military testing in the Pacific, address whaling issues, and fight for clean water access while highlighting the disproportionate harm to marginalized communities, especially women, from environmental toxins. Judy's commitment to creating an inclusive educational curriculum that fosters understanding and empathy for diverse histories and cultures drives her work. She believes that collaboration and belief in positive change can make a significant impact in both personal and collective lives.

Judy has adapted some of her writings for younger readers and is currently working on a comic book about Patsy Mink to make these stories accessible to young leaders and inspire their engagement in important political and environmental issues. She underscores the role of education in climate action, broadening our perspectives to consider the societal and environmental consequences of our daily choices. Despite concerns about our treatment of the environment amidst extreme weather events, Judy finds hope in the environmentally conscious thinking fostered in today's younger generation through education.