People

Vlada Teper, Founder and Executive Director

A Third Culture Kid (TCK) born in Moldova, Vlada has been a teacher, curriculum developer and an educational leader for 20 years. A former Fulbright Scholar in Russia, Vlada has been recognized for her work with English Learners by the Oakland Unified School District and is the recipient of the Teacher of the Month Award from 826 Valencia. Fluent in Spanish and Russian, Vlada believes that youth’s power is limitless and that we can create a kinder, more EQ and CQ wise world through adult partnership with youth. Read about what the youth have taught her.

Erin-Kate Escobar

Erin-Kate had the pleasure of working with Vlada on IMU’s first curriculum in 2009. At that time Erin-Kate had engaged in conflict transformation focused on ethnonational-religious conflict and social justice education. Since then Erin-Kate has pursued a Master degree in Education, worked in multicultural centers in college campuses, and then founded their own consulting company. They are a diversity, equity, inclusion specialist and a decades-long organizer, activist, and educator. They work with organizations across the United States towards effective structural and cultural climate changes within organizations with a specialty in empathy, care, and healing while challenging systems of oppression. You can read more about Erin-Kate and their work at  www.erinkateescobar.com

Yee Ling (Elaine) Liang

Elaine Liang, currently in her third year at UC Berkeley studying Data Science, serves as the Treasurer Assistant for I M U Peace Club. Her journey with I M U began through an introduction by her friend Alan, sparking an enduring commitment to the organization. Elaine deeply resonates with I M U ‘s vision of fostering a global community that embraces and celebrates diverse cultures and languages. She believes that I M U ‘s dedication to creating safe spaces for high school students to dialogue, along with I M U’s focus on social justice and cross-cultural awareness, is crucial for personal growth and societal development . Elaine finds her role in I M U particularly fulfilling as it aligns with her values of diversity, empathy, and non-violence, and offers her a platform to contribute to building a world where individuals appreciate and support one another in their self-exploration and development.

Alan (Lingxiang) Hu

Alan (Lingxiang) Hu, a former Peace Club leader from 2017 to 2020, is a senior at UC Berkeley. He is majoring in Public Health with a minor in Data Science. Alan believes that I M U Peace Club has not only been significant for him, but is also very important to the school community and the student body. It has opened students’ eyes to the diverse cultures of our world. As a Peace Club leader in training, Alan learned many things that aren’t taught in school, such as non-violent communication and the three-chair strategy (used in external and internal conflict mediation and developed by John Kinyon, based on NVC). Alan also found his best friends in Peace Club. Taught to respect and embrace other people’s cultures, Alan also developed his leadership and teamwork skills. Alan has benefited greatly from this program; he feels it has made him a better person. Alan strongly believes that with these opportunities, youth leaders and participants will make an amazing positive impact on their community, and spread peace and love! You can learn more about him in his  linkedin profile. 

Hilton Obenzinger

Assistant Director for Honors Writing at Stanford University. A Professor that teaches the importance of humor as well as how to write well, Hilton believes that the more people understand each other across culture the better. For more information, click here.