Juan Avilez was a graduate student in the Master of Public Policy Program with a concentration in health policy, bioethics, and human rights at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. From Asheboro, NC, he earned his degree from UNC-CH with majors in Public Policy and Political Science and a minor in Music. Prior to starting his MPP, Juan worked as a graduate assistant for the Carolina Center for Public Service.

His policy interests mainly lie in immigraiton policy, specifically immigration enforcement policies and their impact on migrant populations. He has previously worked as a research assistant on several projects examining the economic impacts of these policies on migrant families.