06/04/2012 hispanic center of excellence at utmb

JUNE 04, 2012 • $3.75 www.HispanicOutlook.com VOLUME 22 • NUMBER 17

Need of Minority Health CareWorkers Center of Medical Excellence in Chicago

Also available in

Digital Format

2 H I S P A N I C O U T L O O K • 0 6 / 0 4 / 2 0 1 2

Publisher – José López-Isa

Vice President & Chief

Operating Officer – Orlando López-Isa

Editor –Adalyn Hixson

Executive & Managing Editor –

Suzanne López-Isa

News Desk & Copy Editor – Jason Paneque

Special Project Editor – MaryAnn Cooper

AdministrativeAssistant & Subscription

Coordinator – Barbara Churchill

DC Congressional Correspondent –

Peggy Sands Orchowski

Contributing Editors –

Carlos D.Conde

MichelleAdam

Online ContributingWriters –

GustavoA.Mellander

Art & Production Director –

Avedis Derbalian

Graphic Designer – JoanneAluotto

Sr.Advertising SalesAssociate –

Angel M. Rodríguez

Advertising SalesAssociate –

Cyndy Mitchell

Article ContributorsFrank DiMaria,Thomas G.Dolan,Marilyn Gilroy, Sylvia Mendoza,Miquela Rivera, Jeff Simmons

Editorial Office80 Route 4 East, Suite 203, Paramus,N.J. 07652

TEL (201) 587-8800 or (800) 549-8280FAX (201) 587-9105

“‘The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education’ and‘Hispanic Outlook’ are registered trademarks ofThe Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education

Publishing Company, Inc.”

Letters to the EditorThe Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine ®

80 Route 4 East, Suite 203, Paramus,N.J. 07652

email: [email protected]

®

0 6 / 0 4 / 2 0 1 2 • H I S P A N I C O U T L O O K 3

Editorial Board

Ricardo Fernández, President

Lehman College

Mildred García, President

California State University-Fullerton

Juán González,VP Student Affairs

University of Texas at Austin

Carlos Hernández, President

New Jersey City University

Lydia Ledesma-Reese, Educ. Consultant

Ventura County Community College District

Gustavo A. Mellander, Dean Emeritus

George Mason University

Loui Olivas,AssistantVPAcademic Affairs

Arizona State University

Eduardo Padrón, President

Miami Dade College

Antonio Pérez, President

Borough of Manhattan Community College

MaríaVallejo, Provost

Palm Beach State College

Editorial PolicyThe Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine® is a nationalmagazine published 23 times a year. Dedicated to exploring issuesrelated to Hispanics in higher education,The Hispanic Outlook in

Higher Education Magazine® is published for the members of the highereducation community. Editorial decisions are based on the editors’ judg-ment of the quality of the writing, the timeliness of the article, and thepotential interest to the readers of The Hispanic Outlook Magazine®.

From time to time,The Hispanic Outlook in Higher EducationMagazine® will publish articles dealing with controversial issues.Theviews expressed herein are those of the authors and/or those inter-viewed and might not reflect the official policy of the magazine.TheHispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine® neither agrees nordisagrees with those ideas expressed, and no endorsement of those

views should be inferred unless specifically identified as officiallyendorsed by The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine®.

Advertising SalesTEL (201) 587-8800 ext. 102/106

FAX (201) 587-9105email: [email protected]

Want a Subscription?Visit: www.HispanicOutlook.com

or call toll free 1 (800) 549-8280 ext. 108

Article Reprints:Available through“The Reprint Dept.”Tel: 800-259-0470

Postmaster: Please send all changes of address to:The Hispanic Outlook,P.O.Box 68,Paramus,N.J. 07652

The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine® is a member of

and a sponsor of


elcome to our annual Health Professions Issue, which highlights schools, initiatives and individuals,sometimes prominent, sometimes unsung, that provide health care and health education to the Hispanic community.

One medical provider known to many of our readers is former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona. This first-in-family collegegraduate, a Vietnam vet with two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts, has entered another battle zone, the U.S. Senate race in Arizona. A highschool dropout, Carmona earned an AA at Bronx Community College, a BS at the University of California-San Francisco, and wound up witha medical degree – as the top graduate. If Carmona wins in November, he’ll be the 52nd physician to serve in the U.S. Senate over all its years.

An AFL-CO report released last month showed that 55 percent of foreign-born workers killed on the job in the U.S. in 2010 wereLatino: 134 in California, 115 in Texas and 64 in New York.

As scientists internationally ponder how best to fight the global obesity epidemic, and the U.S. tries to improve school lunches,scientists and researchers here are wondering whether airplane seats “are strong enough to protect heavy travelers,” according to aNew York Times article by Christine Negroni.

She writes that in 2005 the F.A.A. increased average passenger weight, used to calculate plane weight and balance, by 25 pounds formen, to 200 pounds, and by 34 pounds for women, to 179 pounds.

Dr. Robert Salzar, Center for Applied Biomechanics, University of Virginia, said that with a heavier person in it, an airplane seat “isnot likely to behave as intended. …” And in a study of serious auto accidents, conducted by Dietrich Jehle, professor of emergencymedicine, University of Buffalo, he found that overweight drivers “were 67 percent less likely to be wearing seat belts.”

EsquinaEditorial

¡Adelante!Suzanne López-IsaManaging Editor

W

Pass this on to a colleague...Take advantage of our 2012 rates

NAME TITLE/INSTITUTION

ADDRESS CITY/STATE/ZIP CODE

CREDIT CARD # SIGNATURE/EXP. DATE

BILLING ADDRESS CITY/STATE/ZIP CODE

SUBSCRIBE TO :

PLEASE ALLOW 2 TO 3 WEEKS FOR DELIVERY OFYOUR FIRST ISSUE AFTER PAYMENT IS RECEIVED

1 Year (23 issues) $29.95$19.95

Payment enclosedMake check payable to: The Hispanic Outlook inHigher Education

P. O . B o x 6 8 , P a r a m u s , N J 0 7 6 5 2 - 0 0 6 8 Te l . # 1 . 8 0 0 . 5 4 9 . 8 2 8 0 e x t . 1 0 8 w w w . h i s p a n i c o u t l o o k . c o m

Digital (1 Year) $9.95

Digital & Print(1 Year) $29.90

Free Preview on Our Website


Doyou know of anyone, unless orphaned or abandoned, who didn’tsay their mother’s cooking was second to none? Or that don’t saytheir ethnic food is the best in the world, if not the most unique?

Well, I am Mexican – Tex-Mex, to be exact – and I declare thatMexican food – Tex-Mex, to be exact – is the best and that my dearlydeparted mother had no equal in the art of ethnic cooking.

There’s still some debate by Mexican food connoisseurs on the originsof Mexican food, which has no determined area where the most authenticfare is served since there are so many varieties, save for the standards liketacos, enchiladas, beans and tamales.

Mexican cuisine varies by regions as do the native foods in many othercountries. There is the northern food of Coahuila, Sonora,and Baja California that influences the type of Mexican foodyou’ll find in San Antonio, Santa Fe or Los Angeles, which isbasically the same but with variants and preparation styles.

Some credit Hernán Cortés and his Spanish conquis-tadors in the 15th century, who teamed with the Aztecsand other Mexican indigenous groups to blend the mostpalatable of these food origins – but the natives werealready cooking up some familiar native dishes with foodstaples like corn, beans and local spices.

Along the way came others, like the French, to amal-gamate the tastiest of the culture foods into a hybridMexican food menu.

What sets apart Mexican food are the hot, spicycondiments, although other country foods might claimthe same distinction, which brings up an interesting fablethat malignly gave some identity to Mexican food.

The iconic Texas folklorist J. Frank Dobie supposedlyonce said that Mexican food – particularly the Texas vari-ety – is so hot that vultures wouldn’t eat Mexican corpsesbecause they contain so much chili pepper it would givethe scavengers heartburn.

Mexican food is supposed to be greasy – don’t somecall us “greasers” – so here’s a slightly offensive jokemeant to be humorous and told to me by a Mexican friend.

Know why Mexican men wear mustaches? So the greasefrom their tacos can stream down their prickly bush.

There are thousands of eateries around the worldthat give testimony to Mexican food and its variants.(Note I didn’t say Mexican cooking, which is anothermatter.) I even found a faux Mexican eatery in Moscowoperated by some Salvadorians.

Ever had a margarita made with vodka that comes in all shades of colors?Pancho Villa would turn over in his grave at this sacrilege. Imagine serving acontemporary Pancho Villa type and his macho men pink margaritas –which are to die for, except that in this case you’d be the dead person.

No other Latino national fare has been exported as much as Mexicancuisine. Most cultures boast of their transportable dishes, but there aren’tmany that can claim a global reach like that of Mexican food.

I didn’t sample the Mexican food on a visit to China several years ago,where it is catching on through the Taco Bell chain, which is hardly thereal deal in ethnic plates. Anyway, the Chinese prefer Mexican dishes adul-terated to suit their palate.

My family and I don’t travel thousands of miles to exotic places to eattacos, but we do sample any foreign variety of homeboy food when we findit, if only for curiosity and comparative reasons.

Mother’s Mexican cooking was simple, with little flourish but, oh, withso much taste, “para chuparte los dedos,” as the Latinos like to say whencomplimenting good fare.

Unequaled were her picadillo, calabazitas and teeming frijoles withcilantro plus all the other condiments to give it that special taste. There wasthe aroma of flour or corn tortillas cooking on the comal, the Mexican skil-let and, of course, on the table a bowl of chili to add some zip to the meal.

I can taste those chilaquines (migas), huevos rancheros or macha-cado con huevo (dried beef jerky) for breakfast andthat big plate of pan dulce.

Did I say it was to die for? A lot of Mexicans do, withthat kind of artery-clogging diet that, all in all, is consid-ered more nutritious than today’s American fast fooddiet. And to some extent, the artery-cleaning chili pep-pers can also be the heroes in the diet.

It was unpretentious food but, oh, so good, and manyof my neighborhood friends hanging out around lunchor dinnertime were obliged to stay and enjoy. Some tothis day remember those gatherings at mom’s table.

Which is what prompted this essay.The New York Times ran a feature article in its

restaurant review section on Mexican food restaurants inthe Big Apple. I swear I couldn’t understand it and recog-nized few of the Mexican dishes they were raving about.

I do know that Tex-Mex food differs, for example,from food in Yucatan or Baja California and that muchof the authentic Mexican food had been adulterated overthe years to satisfy regional tastes.

The review is about two Mexican restaurants openedrecently in Greenwich Village and the East Village by a32-year-old pastry cook who “read the classic cook-books and spent some time in Oaxaca and Yucatan.”

“Mr. (Alex) Stupak’s cooking resembles the food ofMexico the way a dream resembles life,” the reviewergushed. Does it mean it’s that good or that bad?

“I couldn’t quite believe how much a spackle of bitter-sweet mole poblano paste had to offer roasted carrots, orwhat a lovely job yogurt did of bringing them together.”

What!The reviewer also tried “a kind of queso fundido made with lobster and

tetilla cheese (that) was buttery and rich ... and I missed the full impact ofthat menudo or of that marine broth that came with poached oysters. ...”

Oysters are Mexican?Forgive them, mother in heaven you be, for they know not what they

do. At least when it comes to cooking the real Mexican food.

Yummy-Yum Mexican Food

KALEIDOSCOPE

LATINO

KALEIDOSCOPE

LATINO

Carlos D. Conde, award-winning journalist and commentator, for-mer Washington and foreign news correspondent, was an aide in theNixon White House and worked on the political campaigns of GeorgeBush Sr. To reply to this column, contact [email protected].

LATINO KALEIDOSCOPE by Carlos D. Conde


Page 8

Page 13

MAGAZINE®

CONTENTS

JUNE 04, 2012

U.S. in Dire Need of Minority Health CareWorkersby Mary Ann Cooper

8

UT’s Hispanic Center of Excellence for FutureDoctors by Michelle Adam

Centering on Medical Excellence in Chicagoby Jeff Simmons

The Exemplary Career of Dr. CiroV. Sumayaby Frank DiMaria

La Cena Boosting the Number of HispanicNutrition Majors by Marilyn Gilroy

Is Justice on the Horizon for Direct-CareWorkers?byThomas G. Dolan

10

13

18

20

22

“ServingThoseWho Have Served Us”:USC School of SocialWork Reaching MilitaryVetsand Families by Sylvia Mendoza

24

Online ArticlesSome of the above articles will also be available online;go to our website: www.HispanicOutlook.com.


Page 18

Page 22

DEPARTMENTS

Cover photo:“Old Red,”The Ashbel Smith Building,courtesy of Mark Navarro (UTMB)

Uncensored by Peggy Sands Orchowski 17

FYI. . .FYI . . .FYI . . . 30

HHiissppaanniiccss oonn tthhee MMoovvee 32

Targeting Higher EducationHispanics and Health Professionsby Gustavo A. Mellander (Online only)

Yummy-Yum Mexican Food

Latino Kaleidoscope by Carlos D. Conde 5

PPrriimmiinngg tthhee PPuummpp...... by Miquela Rivera

Pobrecito Lament Not Helpful to Latino Teens

Back Cover

HO is also available in digital format; go to our website: www.HispanicOutlook.com.

HHiigghh SScchhooooll FFoorruummHHiigghh SScchhooooll FFoorruummSuccessful High School Graduates Aren’t Just Smart –They’re Healthier, Too! by Mary Ann Cooper

28

Book Review by Mary Ann Cooper

Teaching Lab Science Courses Online

27

IInntteerreessttiinngg RReeaaddss 27

U.S. in Dire Need of MinorityHealth Care Workersby Mary Ann Cooper

With or without the Supreme Court sanctioning of the AffordableCare Act, the demand for Hispanic and minority-serving publichealth care professionals is increasing at a dizzying pace. It’s a

simple numbers game that shows no signs of reversing itself.A 2004 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, In the Nation’s

Compelling Interest: Ensuring Diversity in the Health Care Workforce,warned of significant differences and rising gaps in the racial and ethniccomposition of the health care workforce as compared to the U.S. popula-tion. Its call to arms was prophetic. Eight years later, the need for addition-al Hispanic and minority health professionals is more urgent than ever.

That makes this year’s list of schools granting the most health profession-al degrees to Hispanics especially noteworthy. Those on this year’s list are allfour-year schools and have Hispanic populations ranging from 2 percent(Harvard) to 96 percent (Florida National College-Main Campus) of theirtotal degree recipients for 2010. The good news for Hispanics: preliminarynumbers for the class of 2011 show an increase in the percentage ofHispanic degree earners at all 25 top schools, from Harvard (3 percent) toFlorida National College-Main Campus (98 percent).

Four years after the IOM released its 2004 report, the AmericanAssociation of Medical Colleges reported that Hispanics made up approx-imately 16 percent of the U.S. population, but accounted for less than 6percent of all physicians. They also noted that African-Americansaccounted for a similar proportion of the U.S.’s population, but just over6 percent of physicians.

The explosion of the Hispanic population in the years since this reporthas outpaced any gains made in percentages of all physicians who areHispanic. Racial and ethnic minorities are more likely than non-HispanicWhites to report experiencing poorer quality patient-provider interactionsbecause of this disparity, which is especially evident among the 24 millionadults with limited English proficiency.

Insurance or the lack of it does contribute significantly to Hispanic andminority health problems, a reality that can be demonstrated by a stunningstatistic. A study titled Eight Americas: Investigating Mortality DisparitiesAcross Races, Counties, and Race-Counties in the United States(Murray et al., 2006) concludes that there is a difference of 33 yearsbetween the longest-living and shortest-living groups in the U.S.

Another study, The Economic Burden of Health Inequalities in theUnited States, by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, con-cludes that “the combined costs of health inequalities and premature deathin the United States were $1.24 trillion” between 2003 and 2006.

Racial and ethnic minorities constitute about one-third of the U.S. pop-ulation, but make up more than half of the 50 million people who areuninsured. Members of racial and ethnic minority groups are also over-represented among the 56 million people in America who have inadequateaccess to a primary care physician. Further, minority children are also lesslikely than non-Hispanic White children to have a usual source of care.

The National Healthcare Quality & Disparities Report in 2010 docu-mented that, with or without insurance, racial and ethnic minorities oftenreceive inferior quality of care and face more obstacles in seeking help,

including preventive care, acute treatment, or chronic disease manage-ment, than do non-Hispanic White patients. Also, minority groups experi-ence rates of preventable hospitalizations that are, in some cases, almostdouble those of non-Hispanic Whites. African-Americans, for example,have higher hospitalization rates from influenza than other populations.

One of the ways to improve health outcomes for Hispanics and minori-ties is to have the patient more involved and an active participant in his orher own health care. When dealing with a population with language barri-ers to such participation, the training of health care professionals who canliterally and figuratively speak their language is crucial. Diversity in thehealth care workforce is a key element of patient-centered care. The abilityof the health care workforce to close the care gap is largely dependent onhealth care workers’ ability to communicate with and relate to theirpatients in their care.

Schools like the ones on this year’s top 25 lists are helping to bridgethat gap.

Degrees Granted to Mental and Social Health Servicesand Public Health Professions

This year, we have prepared the top 25 lists of schools for two distinctprofessional areas in health care. We have highlighted these categories inrecognition that the burgeoning Hispanic population is going to require agreater number of health care providers with language skills and sharedexperiences to effectively serve this demographic.

Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions. Thisprofession encompasses the following fields: Substance Abuse/AddictionCounseling; Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician;Clinical/Medical Social Work; Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling; Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling; Clinical PastoralCounseling/Patient Counseling; Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy; MentalHealth Counseling/Counselor; and Genetic Counseling/Counselor.

Public Health Professions. This profession encompasses the follow-ing fields: General Public Health; Environmental Health; Health/MedicalPhysics; Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene; Public HealthEducation and Promotion; Community Health and Preventive Medicine;Maternal and Child Health; International Public Health/InternationalHealth; Health Services Administration; and Behavioral Aspects of Health.

RANKINGS



2010 Public Health Degrees

Institution Name Grand Hispanic Totals HispanicTotal All Men Women Percentage

1. Monroe College-Main Campus, NY 165 56 4 52 34%2. Keiser University-Ft. Lauderdale, FL 220 46 5 41 21%3. University of Southern California, CA 200 38 9 29 19%4. University of Texas at El Paso, TX 45 35 5 30 78%5. University of California-Berkeley, CA 296 31 7 24 10%6. University of Florida, FL 223 30 5 25 13%7. Florida International University, FL 99 29 3 26 29%8. Johns Hopkins University, MD 582 25 9 16 4%9. Florida National College-Main Campus, FL 25 24 6 18 96%10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL 236 24 7 17 10%11. Texas A&M Health Science Center, TX 131 23 8 15 18%12. Columbia University in the City of New York, NY 311 23 2 21 7%13. University of Texas Health Science Cntr at Houston, TX 105 20 5 15 19%14. University of California-Los Angeles, CA 204 20 5 15 10%15. New Mexico State University-Main Campus, NM 46 16 1 15 35%16. University of South Florida-Main Campus, FL 155 15 7 8 10%17. Portland State University, OR 197 14 3 11 7%18. California State University-Northridge, CA 72 13 3 10 18%19. San Diego State University, CA 107 13 3 10 12%20. George Washington University, DC 253 12 4 8 5%21. Emory University, GA 290 12 2 10 4%22. Harvard University, MA 498 12 4 8 2%23. CUNY Hunter College, NY 92 11 2 9 12%24. University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 175 11 5 6 6%25. Tulane University of Louisiana, LA 226 11 2 9 5%

Source: IPEDS/NCES data 2010 – all degree earners at level 1 - 4 year schools. Where schools have the same number of Hispanics degreeearners, rank is determined by higher Hispanic percentage.

2010 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Profession

Institution Name Grand Hispanic Totals HispanicTotal All Men Women Percentage

1. New Mexico Highlands University, NM 216 104 22 82 48%2. Mercy College, NY 92 30 1 29 33%3. CUNY LaGuardia Community College, NY 61 24 4 20 39%4. El Paso Community College, TX 25 22 3 19 88%5. West Hills College Coalinga, CA 45 20 5 15 44%6. Brandman University Chapman University System, CA 165 20 1 19 12%7. Pacific Oaks College, CA 50 18 3 15 36%8. CUNY Kingsborough Community College, NY 130 18 5 13 14%9. Grays Harbor College, WA 18 16 1 15 89%10. Pima Community College, AZ 27 16 7 9 59%11. Skagit Valley College, WA 17 11 3 8 65%12. Nyack College, NY 49 11 1 10 22%13. Alliant International University, CA 101 11 3 8 11%14. University of La Verne, CA 18 10 1 9 56%15. Nova Southeastern University, FL 55 10 1 9 18%16. Old Dominion University, VA 202 9 1 8 4%17. Imperial Valley College, CA 8 8 3 5 100%18. Miami Dade College, FL 14 8 1 7 57%19. Texas A & M University, TX 57 8 2 6 14%20. James Madison University, VA 258 8 2 6 3%21. San Diego City College, CA 22 7 4 3 32%22. California State University-Dominguez Hills, CA 30 7 2 5 23%23. University of Pennsylvania, PA 68 7 2 5 10%24. Michigan State University, MI 144 7 0 7 5%25. Saint Thomas University, FL 14 6 2 4 43%

Source: IPEDS/NCES data 2010 – all degree earners at level 1 - 4 year schools. Where schools have the same number of Hispanics degreeearners, rank is determined by higher Hispanic percentage.

UUTT’’ss HHiissppaanniicc CCeenntteerr ooffEExxcceelllleennccee ffoorr FFuuttuurree DDooccttoorrssby Michelle Adam

Itshould come as no surprise that one ofseven Hispanic Centers of Excellence in theUnited States is located at the University of

Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) and its School ofMedicine in Galveston, Texas. Here, where thelate, famous Mexican-American physician HéctorP. García once attended and where the largestnumber of Hispanic medical students graduatenationwide, the center is intent on expanding bothHispanic student graduation rates and the numberof Hispanic medical faculty in this country.

The center, which opened in 1992, closed in2005 due to federal budget cuts and reopened in2010, was initially established to increase therecruitment, training and retention of minorityfaculty. It is similar to six other Hispanic and 14non-Hispanic centers established nationwide tosupport the growth of health professions educa-tion for underrepresented minorities, through agrant from the U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services. Unique to UTMB’s center is theplethora of support and educational services itprovides in a state where the majority of thepopulation will soon be Hispanic.

Under the leadership of Dr. Norma Pérez, thecenter provides formal and informal facultydevelopment activities, mentoring, and financialassistance, with the goal of increasing promotionand tenure among Hispanic faculty (currently,more than 17 percent are Hispanic). In addi-tion, it offers a variety of programs for Hispanicmedical students, and most recently began anannual lecture series where professors andresearchers share their latest findings on thestate of Hispanics and their health.

“There are so many activities at the center thatwe are jumping from activity to activity, monthafter month,” said Pérez, who wrote the originalgrant to re-establish the center just two years ago.

One important program of the center is itsMedical Careers Diversity Program, a pre-medexperience for undergraduate juniors andseniors interested in medical school. During thisfive-week program, students are offered reviewclasses for MCATs, as well as enrichment activi-ties. These include admissions and personalstatement workshops, scientific article dissection

and student wellness workshops, clinical rota-tions and community service learning.

“I go across the state to recruit theseHispanic students to come here for five weeks. Irecruit from my partner universities,” saidPérez. “We bring in 50 students for this summerenrichment program from Texas, and somecome from across the country.”

The UTMB center also provides rising sopho-more students with a four- to five-week summerprogram that covers basic science course reviewand additional academic enrichment activities sostudents can become more competitive in careersthey pursue in the health field. In addition, incom-

ing medical students are invited to participate in aPrematriculation Reinforcement and EnrichmentProgram (PREP) for six weeks in the summer.

“It helped me see firsthand the challenges Iwas approaching in medical school. The pro-gram was fully funded and they actually gave mea stipend to cover the cost of books and livingexpenses,” said Humberto Mendoza, a first-yearmedical student at UTMB. “I had been out ofschool for two years as a teacher, and goingfrom no school to full-blast medical school wasa huge change. The program helped me realizethe expectations and everything about medicalschool. It helped me tremendously.”

HEALTH


The students are from the Latin Medical Student Association: Esteban Lorenzo,Latashia Irving, Vanessa Sánchez, Alejandro Mora, Daniel Alfson, Juan X. Lópezde Alda, Ashkan Zand, Adolfo Grajeda, Nickolas Boutris, and Best Anyama.

Mendoza is part of a sizeable population ofHispanics at UTMB. In 2010, 17.4 percent ofstudents were Hispanic, compared to 7.8 per-cent African-American. For a medical school,these percentages are substantial – so much sothat UTMB’s School of Medicine is ranked topamong medical schools in the nation in graduat-ing Hispanic students – excluding medicalschools at Historically Black Universities andPuerto Rico. UTMB is made up of the School ofMedicine, which houses the Center ofExcellence; School of Nursing; School of HealthProfessions; Graduate School of BiomedicalSciences; Marine Biomedical Institute; andInstitute for the Medical Humanities.

While there are others like Mendoza attend-ing medical school in Galveston, he is one of ahandful of students who come from the RioGrande border area. “Not many students from

the Rio Grande Valley of Texas make it here. Lastyear, from my university of UT-Brownsville, onlytwo made it here to medical school. There are atotal of 230 students in my program, and only 12from the valley,” he explained. “I have much,much less support than what my peers had. Theyhad pre-med counseling and a review program.”

Despite coming from an underserved area,Mendoza has done well in his first year of med-ical school, thanks in part to the summer pro-gram he attended and to the support of theCenter of Excellence. “The center does as muchas possible to ensure student academic success.They help with tutoring and counseling, andalthough I’ve not used these services, knowingthey are here helps me feel at ease and comfort-

able with the school,” he said. “Dr. Pérez is theone I have had the most contact with – she is amentor, advisor and coach. She is very suppor-tive, and I can talk to her about my life and cop-ing with the medical school experience.”

As Mendoza prepares for his second year ofmedical school, he’s considering participating in aprogram that Pérez has established through hercenter. Just this past year, she launched theBilingual Health Track (BHT), which provides stu-dents with a scholarly concentration emphasizingcultural competency in Hispanic health duringtheir academic years. Through this, students areexposed to culturally tailored clinical experiences,medical knowledge in the Spanish language, andclinical experiences abroad and in the U.S. There

are currently 69 medical students already enrolledin the program in its first year alone.

“It’s one of the most sought-after tracks.Most students want to get into it,” said Pérez.“We have so many students interested in becom-ing culturally competent, bilingual doctors.”

Prior to establishing this program, UTMBalready had a course called Practice of Medicine(POM) HABLE, which had been created byanother professor. Pérez has now incorporatedthis course as a prerequisite for the bilingualtrack, and has developed another requirementin the form of an online Clinical ConversationSpanish (CCS) course.

“I don’t have enough faculty to teach thiscurrently, so I created an online course. It willbe self-paced and needs to be finished in orderfor students to take other courses,” said Pérez.

Through BHT, students must complete five

credits of electives, with experiences in LatinAmerica or Spain, and are invited to conducttheir clinical electives, in a specialty of theirchoice, in a predominately Spanish-speakingpatient population clinic. In the students’ fourthyear, they must enroll in the AmbulatoryCommunity Service selective and submit a writ-ten report on Hispanic health, with an emphasison cultural competency. The end goal is for stu-dents to become proficient in medical Spanishterminology, to be proficient in history-takingand physical exams in Spanish, and to be cultur-ally competent in Hispanic health.

Students seeking financial support for travelto other countries or to present their research at


Dr. Norma Pérez, director, Hispanic Center of Excellence

Humberto Mendoza, first-year medical student, UTMB

Karl Eschbach, professor of internal medicine, geriatrics,preventive medicine, and community health, UTMB

Kyriakos Markides, Annie and John Gnitzinger Distin-guished Professor of Aging, director, Division of

Sociomedical Sciences, member of Department ofPreventive Medicine and Community Health, UTMB

national conferences are also offered travelstipends. In addition, the center has a libraryresource center with materials for Spanish-lan-guage acquisition, medical Spanish, andHispanic health, and is directly involved withHispanic student organizations such as Fronterade Salud, Latin Medical Student Association, and“Qué Quiere Decir.”

Newest on the agenda, and paving the way formore innovation for Hispanic faculty and staff atUTMB, is the center’s Lecture Series, which tookplace last February. From Feb. 22-28, facultyfrom the University of Texas and beyond present-ed research on areas that included: Hispanics inTexas in an era of change, low-income migrantsand access to health services, infectious diseasesin Mexico, challenges to delivering quality careto Latinos, Latinos and dentistry, and Hispanichealth and aging. The lecture series was broad-cast via the Internet, and other Centers ofExcellence were invited to listen in.

“This was part of our faculty developmentthat we finished in February. We wanted to pro-vide a snapshot of how Hispanic health looksacross the country. We had local, national andinternational data provided to us, and webrought in as many people as we could to talkabout different topics,” said Pérez. “We had agreat response. We even got a call from the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services inNew York saying they would attend next time.”

The lecture series began with a kick-offspeech by Karl Eschbach, a professor of internalmedicine, geriatrics, preventive medicine andcommunity health at UTMB. Closing the eventwas Kyriakos Markides, an Annie and JohnGnitzinger Distinguished Professor of Aging,director of the Division of Sociomedical Sciencesand a member of the Department of PreventiveMedicine and Community Health at UTMB.

Markides spoke about Hispanic health andaging, referring to a longitudinal study, HispanicEstablished Population for the EpidemiologicalStudy of the Elderly, which he has been leading forabout 20 years. He began his research in the early1990s, randomly interviewing 3,050 Mexican-Americans who were 65 and older and living inTexas, New Mexico, California and Arizona.Participants were surveyed in their homes abouttheir health, and then every two to three yearswould receive follow-up visits. About 600 to 700 ofthe original individuals remain in the study (and arenow in their 80s and above), while a new cohort ofpeople 75 and older was added in 2004-05.

What Markides discovered through hisresearch, and then shared in the lecture series, wasthat “the prevalence of diabetes went up from 22percent in the early 1990s to 36 percent in 2004-

05.” Although he went into the research knowingthat Hispanics tend to have higher rates of diabetesthan other groups – and live about two and halfyears longer on average than other groups (whathe calls the “Hispanic Paradox”) – what he soonlearned was that there is more diabetes now inolder Mexican-Americans than 10 years ago.

“The good news is that we are doing a betterjob at managing the disease, and we are testingbetter and finding diabetes among Mexican-Americans,” concluded Markides. The irony, hepointed out, is that more Mexican-Americans areliving longer with diabetes than before (thisgives rise to a larger percentage of living partici-pants within the research having diabetes in2004-05 than 10 years earlier).

Despite the good news of more Mexican-Americans managing their diabetes better, Markideswas quick to point out the secondary issues thatresult from this reality. “This disease brings alongwith it other concerns, like higher disability ratesand cognitive impairments. Our study is providingpreliminary data showing that there may be more ofan issue with Alzheimer’s [a cognitive impairment],and we need to focus more on this. We know thatdementia is high with this population – it could beabout 30 to 40 percent that have dementia aftertheir 80s,” said Markides. “The other problemattributed to this population of high life expectancyis that they have diabetes and higher rates of povertythan other groups, and yet they have a lifetime ofsubstandard care. Before 65 years old, this popula-tion has the lowest rates of insurance coverage.Without insurance, they don’t have access to med-ical care to take care of their health in earlier ages.”

According to Markides, many believe the rea-son why Mexican-Americans have higher lifeexpectancy rates than other groups is because theyinclude a substantial population of immigrants whotend to be healthier and of stronger disposition toleave their homes in Mexico to come here. Yet, asthis population lives longer than others – and withdiabetes, and disabilities and dementia that in lateryears stem from this – family members and com-munities remain carrying the burden of their care.

“The biggest issue is with providing moreaccess to medical care at an earlier age. And theproblems with access to health care fall dispro-portionately on the Mexican-American popula-tions here and immigrants,” said Markides. “Weare speaking with government and policymakers.We are also working with physicians and medicalstudents who are trying to work with the popula-tion of Hispanics. We want them to be aware ofthese health issues that stem from diabetes.”

While Markides spoke at the end of the lec-ture series, his colleague, Karl Eschbach,addressed the topic of “Hispanics in the U.S. and

Texas in an Era of Change: Current Patterns ofGrowth, Diversity, Spatial Distribution and HealthStatus” at the beginning of the event. As an ethnicdemographer and a former state demographer ofTexas, Eschbach has spent years looking at theHispanic population of Texas. He came to UTMBto work with Markides on his research regardingthe health status of Mexican-Americans.

“Half of the Mexican-Americans live within200 miles of the Mexican border, includingplaces like San Antonio and Los Angeles. Myhealth research looks at this and the fact thatwithin these areas where Mexican-Americanslive, they are the majority,” he said. “Thenthere’s the Hispanic paradox – Mexican-Americans having greater longevity than Anglos,despite lower economic standing (which usuallyresults in lower health and longevity). This is aunique opportunity to look at cultural mainte-nance and persistence of behaviors in thesecommunities that apparently result in longevity.”

Eschbach also noted what he calls the “bor-der paradox.” “If you make a list of the 15 poor-est counties in the U.S., every one of them isgoing to fall into one of three groups: Texas bor-der counties, Indian reservation counties, andthose along the Mississippi Delta. Two of thesegroups – Indian reservations and the MississippiDelta area – experience among the highest mor-tality rates in the country. Yet, Texas Bordercommunities have some of the lowest mortalityrates. This is striking to me,” he said.

Eschbach believes the Mexican-American cul-ture that has been near the border of Mexico forhundreds of years – and the strength of its immi-grant populations with more nutrient-dense diets– may be contributing greatly to the Hispanicparadox. In addition, he considers this researchessential to the future of Texas and beyond, sinceMexican-Americans are expected to become amajority group in Texas within the next five years,and a majority in the entire state by 2030.

It is an awareness that he and others likePérez at UTMB’s Hispanic Center for Excellenceare working with as they aim to increase the pop-ulation of faculty and physicians who truly knowhow to work with this growing Hispanic popula-tion. New leaders for tomorrow are needed asHispanics, and especially Mexican-Americans,take center stage and move up the social ladder.

“This institution chose as one of its missionsto make educating Latinos and African-Americanphysicians a priority – before other places did,”concluded Eschbach. “I think programs likethose of the center reflect the commitment torecruiting, retaining and graduating Latino andLatina health professionals. It’s a real gooddevelopment for the university and this state.”


by Jeff Simmons

Luis Rivera has two more years to go before graduating from medicalschool, and already has defined the career track he is set on pursuing:a future practicing family medicine or engaged in a surgical field.“And,” he pointed out recently, “I definitely want to work with an

underserved population.”It’s Rivera’s way of giving back to a com-

munity he knows all too well, because the35-year-old grew up in a largely Hispanicand economically disadvantaged neighbor-hood on the south side of Chicago.

“I didn’t have people around me whowent to college. I really, literally, didn’tknow anybody who went to college,”Rivera said. “I thought about it. The ideacrossed my mind about pursuing medi-cine, but it just didn’t seem like somethingthat was a possibility for someone from myneighborhood and with my background.”

Neither of his parents attended college.His father, a former welder, retired at anearly age due to health conditions. Hismother still packs boxes at a plastic cup-making plant on the south side. Rivera, theelder of two children, felt his path was set– leave school and start work.

“Unfortunately, students with back-grounds like mine who grew up in theinner city didn’t have the best education.I’m not trying to blame anyone, but a lot ofstudents unfortunately are unprepared interms of study skills and not knowing whatto expect from college,” he said.

When Rivera graduated in 1994, hewent to work in a grocery store, then start-ed as an electrician’s apprentice, and soonbecame an electrician. But something stirred within him, a belief that hecould put his hands to a more satisfactory use. And so a dozen years afterleaving high school, Rivera returned to a classroom, at the University ofIllinois-Chicago.

“I’m a nontraditional student,” Rivera said. “When I went back toschool, it was with the idea of eventually going to medical school. I knewthe general process, but I didn’t know all the ins and outs of how to apply.

It was a lack of those things that prevented me from pursuing medicalschool earlier in my life.”

At the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC), Rivera majored in LatinAmerican Latino studies – coursework that connected him more stronglywith his community – and minored in biology. He graduated two years ago.

“I chose the school because of thediversity,” he said. “It has a really strongreputation for recruiting a diverse class,not just racially but ethnically, and onewith people of different ages and with dif-ferent life experiences. A lot of studentsare the first in their family to go to col-lege.”

What provided Rivera with a strongfoundation, ties and support from his ear-liest days on campus, and guided himeven further along the education pipelineinto medical school, was UIC’s HispanicCenter of Excellence in Medicine (HCOE).

For the last 21 years, HCOE hasstrengthened the pipeline of medicalschool applicants with a mission to pro-duce culturally competent physicians andbuild global partnerships to improvehealth care for Hispanics.

As an undergraduate at UIC, Riverahad made an appointment to meet with anadmissions counselor at the College ofMedicine. That counselor connected himwith the HCOE, recommending he exploreits breadth of programs.

“My first meeting with them, theyintroduced me to a ton of opportunitiesand various seminars, and I became a for-mal member of their Medicina Scholars

Program, which gave me early exposure to topics in medicine and achance to meet physicians and medical students and identify mentorshipopportunities,” he said. “The Hispanic Center of Excellence has done agreat job to make us feel part of a community, and that this is our home.”

The HCOE was established in 1991 through a grant from the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services to overcome the severe short-age of Hispanic physicians throughout the country. Since that time, the


Centering on

Medical Excellence

in Chicago

Jorge A. Girotti, Ph.D., HCOE director, associate dean, College of Medicine

HEALTH/INNOVATIONS/PROGRAMS

nation’s Hispanic population has burgeoned, dramatically increasing theneed for culturally competent physicians and an urgency to address severehealth disparities that disproportionately affect low-income and Hispanicindividuals and families.

Similar Centers of Excellence exist elsewhere across the country, estab-lished to bolster access and numbers and solidify a stronger studentpipeline. But their mission and goals have evolved over time, said UICCollege of Medicine Associate Dean Jorge A. Girotti, Ph.D., who serves asthe HCOE’s director.

“Faculty development was something new,” Girotti said. “We wereencouraged to increase the number of Hispanic faculty within the Collegeof Medicine.”

So now the HCOE offers faculty development to recruit, train, andretain Hispanic faculty and facilitate faculty and student research inHispanic health, but it also develops a competitive Hispanic student appli-cant pool with partner organizations, promotes awareness and raises funds

for scholarships, and forges partnerships with medical schools throughcollege of medicine departments.

Girotti has been with UIC’s College of Medicine since 1982, and anassociate dean since 1994, and previously was director of the UrbanHealth Program. He stepped down from the latter role in 2001 to concen-trate on the HCOE, leading it since that time.

“It was clear in the early 1990s that Latinos were the fastest-growingsegment of the Illinois population,” Girotti said. “While all other groupswere growing at modest rates, the Latino population was just skyrocketing,particularly the young segment of students in their educational years.”

Socioeconomic issues were having a destructive impact on healthamong the region’s Hispanic population, with many in the Cook Countyregion unable to access appropriate medical services, unable to locateSpanish-speaking physicians and other medical personnel, and unable toafford health insurance.

Troubled by these trends, Girotti has focused on building a strongerHispanic presence in the medical field locally. In the early 1990s, few

Hispanic students pursued medical careers or undertook medicalresearch. The HCOE created a summer research fellowship to exposeHispanic medical students to the field of research and, he hoped, inspirethem to consider entering the medical profession.

“What used to be three or four students doing research in the summer– we now have a steady flow of 15 to 20 students working on a variety ofprojects at the College of Medicine each summer,” he said. “That’s beenquite a gain.”

The proof is in the numbers: In 2010, UIC’s College of Medicine hadthe largest Hispanic incoming class in the country. In 2011, the campuswelcomed 46 incoming Hispanic freshmen.

The 2011 applicant pool was 7,900 applications, of which 550 wereHispanic. While that may seem small, the figure represents a significantincrease over the years, he said.

“A big part of what we do is create a support network for students,”Girotti said. “Many of the students come from our undergraduate campus,

and the majority are from Chicago.”Over the years, the HCOE developed five pipeline programs to prepare and

inspire high school, college and medical students to pursue careers in medi-cine and in health-related research. Medicina Academy, for instance, was theoutgrowth of conversations with legislators in the greater Chicago area, whichinspired UIC to brainstorm about ways to reach younger Hispanic studentsand inspire them to attend college to pursue medical studies.

The goal, then as now, is to partner with schools that identify potentialstudents. The program, developed in 2009, invests resources at four areahigh schools, and reaches students aspiring to become physicians.

There’s also a component to support parents called Academia dePadres. “Many of these students are first-generation, with parents whodon’t have a college education,” he said. “Parents of the students come tothe academy every month with their children, and while the kids are in aworkshop, they are in a workshop, too. We’re trying to expand theirunderstanding and make them a partner in the process.”

Medicina Scholars, launched in 2005, is designed to introduce


Over the years, the HCOE

developed five pipeline

programs to prepare and

inspire high school,

college and medical

students to pursue careers

in medicine and in

health-related research.

Hispanic scholars – freshmen and sophomores – to the medical profes-sion. The three-year curriculum gives Hispanic undergraduates, such asRivera, and high school students a strong basis to succeed and becomecompetitive for admissions to the medical school. Each year, the programadmits about 30 students.

“The goal of that program is to keep people focused on their goalsfrom early on, so ideally they don’t get sidetracked by other issues thathappen in college,” Girotti said. “We try to provide them with some toolsto understand health care issues of Latinos.” About half of those who takepart apply to the medical school.

The Medical Student Summer Research Program is a 10-week initiativedesigned to introduce UIC Hispanic medical students to the field ofresearch. The fellowship provides basic skill sets to develop a hypothesis,understand preliminary data and findings, and appreciate the outcomes ofresearch, application in the medical field and relevance in the treatment ofpatients. Another 10-week program provides experience in health dispari-ties research to third- and fourth-year undergraduate Hispanic students.

Though Girotti and his colleagues harbor lofty goals, they also facestubborn and consistent obstacles, primarily that the pre-college educationmany students receive requires the provision of remedial assistance. Thelack of proper academic tools derails or delays their future plans.

Under the Latino Health Science Enrichment Program, HCOE partners withUIC’s Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services Program to offer asummer academic enrichment program for Chicago high school students.

Program participants engage in courses that enhance skills in sciencereasoning, mathematics and writing to prepare for the American CollegeTesting exam, take part in college readiness, health science career andleadership skills workshops in mid-June, and participate in an investigativeproject to develop research skills.

“We’ve made strides in developing our own local pool of applicants,”he said. “We are not where we want to be, to be quite honest. We wouldhope that in any given entering class, at least 80 percent of our Latino stu-dents would be from Illinois. Right now, we are approaching 70 percent.We have made progress.”

“I’m making sure that our agenda stays on the radar screen constant-ly,” Girotti said. “But the other component you cannot do without is sup-port from your leadership, and we have been very fortunate that the deans’support of minority initiatives has never wavered.”

A third-generation Mexican-American, Peter Ureste, said the Center ofExcellence has offered a lifeline, particularly because he moved far fromhis closest friends and family to study in Chicago.

“Most of my support system was on the West Coast,” he said. “Sincenobody in my family is a doctor or completed four years of college, when Iwould go to them, all they would say is that I needed to study more.”

Ureste is the first in his family to graduate from college and attendmedical school, an “exciting” benchmark in his family’s history.

“I don’t have any memories of my parents reading a newspaper or abook as I grew up. They probably did, but stuff like that influenced my ownstudy habits,” he said. “Going to school was very hard in the beginning. Istruggled, and at times I felt like I didn’t belong in school.”

When he eventually graduated high school in 1994, he went to Cal StateUniversity in San Bernardino, which was relatively close to home. There wasan expectation he would attend college, but he struggled and dropped outafter a year to study acting. He then became a dialysis technician at a clinic.

“I initially started by stocking medical supplies,” he recalled.

After a six-year hiatus, though, he felt he needed to attend, and stickwith it this time. He went to school at Portland State University in 2007,and while attending discovered a budding interested in medicine. He grad-uated with a degree in Community Health.

He applied to 15 medical schools, and only was accepted into theUniversity of Illinois-Chicago. But the adjustment was jarring because he did-n’t have his closest friends and family with him to provide a support system.

“Most of my classmates were 21,” the 36-year-old said. “It was a verydifficult transition for me in the beginning because I felt isolated. TheCenter of Hispanic Excellence was a support system, a safety net. I becamevery close with advisors, and would seek them out for support, even just tosit and talk.”

He took part in HCOE programs, connected with principal investigatorsand conducted research on the impact of literacy on patient care, he said.

“I understand how offering people medicine and treatments is not enough,and there’s a lot of other things that influence health outcomes,” he said.

Ureste has volunteered to work with students in several HCOE initia-tives, leading lectures on health disparities and talking with students aboutanatomy, psychology and public health disparities in communities of color.The HCOE sponsored his attendance at national Hispanic MedicalAssociation conferences in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Washington, D.C.

“I felt like they were available to me, the people in the center were veryapproachable,” he said, “and there’s a cultural element because some ofthem reminded me of my family members. They have been very supportive.Over the years, they’ve been available for encouragement, because some-times I’ve been discouraged by exams.”

Ureste spoke as he neared graduation and had just learned that hematched for a residency in psychiatry – closer to home – at the Universityof Southern California in Los Angeles.

He said he’s eternally grateful for the HCOE’s role in helping him tosucceed in higher education.

“UIC is really diverse. I have friends in other medical schools that haveminimal diversity,” he said. “I really feel that no one in my family had theseopportunities, and I don’t think that would have been possible withoutpeople who reached out and acted as a mentor, or reached out to createprograms like these.”

“I feel really lucky for what I have accomplished so far, and for thepeople who have helped me. They mean a lot to the students, and notbeing there would be a great disservice.”

Last fall, 45 Hispanics began medical studies at UIC’s College ofMedicine, bringing to 203 the number of Hispanics at the school (thehighest number ever was reached in 2010, when there were 212 at onetime). And this spring, 45 Hispanic students at UIC’s College of Medicinewere slated to graduate with an MD degree.

“Everybody wants to shoot for a higher number at entry, but the key is– does the school have the resources in place to make sure these studentssucceed,” Girotti said. “Before the Hispanic Center of Excellence was cre-ated, the attrition rate of Latino medical students was 15 percent. Our cur-rent attrition rate is 2 to 3 percent. Just about everybody who comes heregets their medical degree. Our goal is to get that to 100 percent.”

Despite its success, the HCOE always worries about the certainty offunding. Federal support for Centers of Excellence continued for 15 years,but when the funding stream was severed, UIC was fortunate. State legisla-tors recognized its role and in 2006 restored about $400,000 of the annu-al $700,000 the HCOE had received.


The College of Medicine contributed even further funding to preventthe HCOE from reducing its services. And, the following year, even betternews surfaced: legislators increased their annual funding to $800,000, apot of money that has remained steady.

“Every year we talk to our legislators and remind them not to forgetabout us,” Girotti said. “There is a huge money hole in the state, so we arealways in fear that the money will not materialize, so that is a huge con-cern. One of our priorities is to see if we can make the center a part ofuniversity funding. The advantage is that you would have more stability, butthe disadvantage would be that your funding could fluctuate, depending onhow the university’s budget goes.”

Isabel Angulo agrees that HCOE’s funding needs to remain strong,because it provides a valuable service. Angulo is the first in her family to goto college. Now 26 years old, she recalled first wanting to work the med-ical field as a youngster growing up in Chicago’s south side.

“It was something I decided when I was about 7 or 8 years old – that Iwanted to be a doctor, and that’s what I wanted to pursue when I moved tothe United States from Mexico when I was 11 years old,” she said.

She pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree in molecular and cellular biolo-gy and a minor in chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and then felt there was only one choice for her next step: UIC’sCollege of Medicine in Chicago.

“I wanted to be close to home,” she said. “I also felt like they reallywanted medical students from diverse backgrounds, and were willing toprovide the supports you needed there,” she said.

While in college, she served as social chair for the Latino MedicalStudents Association, devising programming to draw Chicago’s high schoolstudents to the campus to learn about health issues and careers. She alsovisited high schools in the region, and served as a peer mentor.

“I wanted to be part of an organization that served the Latino commu-nity,” she said. “They helped a lot during my first year in medical school,and so I wanted to help incoming medical students.”

“The Hispanic Center of Excellence and Dr. Girotti and all of his staffare a wonderful resource for all current and aspiring medical students,”

she said. “They provide a very needed resource at UIC, and I am verythankful for them. They were like a little family at UIC and always willing tohelp with anything I needed.”

Angulo, interviewed weeks before her spring graduation from theCollege of Medicine, was preparing to launch her residency at University ofIllinois Hospital this summer. Her focus: a combination of internal medi-cine and pediatrics.

“It was one of my top choices,” she said. “I’m very happy becauseChicago has been my home for a long time, and my family is here. I am veryhappy I can stay close with my family and be able to continue my education.”

“This has been a wonderful experience,” she said. “UIC provides somany resources and support for other students,” she said. “They reallywant to provide one of the best medical educations in the country, andtrain physicians who can serve their communities.”

Her family is proud of her drive. “My mom worked hard to get us tomove to the United States for more opportunities and to receive an educa-tion, because she didn’t really have these opportunities in Mexico,” shesaid. “Everything I’ve done is because of her. She taught me to go and pur-sue what you want.”

Rivera, too, believes he is indebted to the community from which hecame, which is why he strives to give back. He continues to mentorundergraduates who are interested in following in his footsteps, partici-pating in the Medicina Scholars Program. He talks with them about whatmedical school is like, and offers tips for success that helped him over-come challenges.

“It’s really the discipline,” he said. “Most people have the intellectual abil-ity to do well in college but don’t have the discipline. You should study whenyou know you have to study, and you should have a bigger, overall picture.”

Girotti has been a “great mentor,” Rivera said. “He’s somebody to turnto when you have questions, or if you are doubting yourself for a second.He’s someone who can really help put things in perspective and give youreassurance that you are here for a reason, and that you can do it. His sup-port has been tremendous.”


Anyway Want It, That’s The Way

You Read It!

You

Check our website for information


by Peggy Sands Orchowski

DO TENURED PROFESSORS WORK FULL TIME? – It’s a perennial question of citizens involved with large public universities. Do the pro-fessors really work full time? I remember that when the new chancellor of the University of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB) was intro-duced to the community at a packed luncheon, the first question asked was: “Do the professors at UCSB really work full time?” The issuewas raised not too long ago in the Washington Post (April 15, 2012, “Hardworking, or Hardly Working?”). It was pointed out that the typ-ical tenured professor teaches five classes and a two-hour lab a week (for many, it’s five courses a year, to be split over four quarters orthree semesters). While expected to have office hours, many professors have TAs to correct student papers. The publication of books andpapers is voluntary. “Twenty hours a week, eight months a year,” one professor said of his schedule. It’s not the timesheet of a typicalAmerican worker – low skilled or professional. As college costs increase, no wonder stressed-out taxpayers are again questioning profes-sors’ work ethic. Yet everyone agrees that nothing is worth more than an engaged, inspiring teacher. Maybe social media like Twitter andFacebook, capable of broadcasting instant reviews worldwide, will be the only way to expose and shame the unengaged professor.

GREED TAINTS UNIQUE MODEL OF THE U.S. ATHLETE/SCHOLAR – Athletics has a unique place on American campuses compared toother countries. No major European or Latin American university supports a semi-professional soccer team, for instance, whose games are

televised and bring in millions of dollars in revenue for its alma mater. The traditional attitude is that it is almost impossible for ahighly intellectual scholar to be a world-class athlete as well. American athlete/scholars have been cutting-edge leaders for a

new world attitude. But the increasing money in college sports is tainting this unique American model. The increasingcosts of major football teams, the mania of the fans, the danger of the sport and the number of sickening scandals

are replacing the positive American model. New studies show that increasing numbers of athletes nevergraduate. Sports and scholarship is an American tradition that needs to be honored as the unique

opportunity it is. Exposing and punishing abuse should be encouraged, not resisted.

GERMAN, FRENCH DOWN; CHINESE, ARABIC AND SWAHILI UP – Thepolitics of language says much about a country’s evolving culture.

That includes the languages that are taught at local colleges.Recent studies have found that offerings of European lan-

guages such as German and French have decreasedremarkably on U.S. college campuses the last

10 years, while more and more studentsare taking Chinese and Arabic. Also up oncertain campuses: Swahili. According to colum-nist Joe Nocera, some universities with major basket-ball programs such as the University of North Carolinarequire their athletes to take Swahili “because the athleticdepartment’s tutors are strong in that language.”

INTEGRITY OF STUDENT VOTING ON CAMPUS IS CHALLENGED – There are two basicsabout voting in a national election that I think everyone can agree on, even in this time of heated electionpolitics and controversy. One is that only citizens can vote. In fact, in the United States voting is one of the fewprivileges that is unique to citizenship; immigrants on permanent visas or green cards can do just about everything acitizen can except vote and serve on a jury (some permanent immigrants say they don’t want to become a citizen becausethey don’t want to be called up to serve on a jury that may have to consider the death penalty). Second is that eligible citizens (over18 and non-felons) can only vote once in any one election. Both of these basics face challenges this year as national organizations(including Hispanic groups such as LULAC and HACU) are financing big campaigns to encourage students to register and vote on campus. Proofof citizenship is never required and often not even asked by eager student voter registrants; on many campuses, even asking for proof of citizenship isconsidered highly politically incorrect. Unless challenged, there is really no place in the registration and voting process that citizenship is ever verified. There is also noway in America to crosscheck whether a student voter who casts a physical ballot on a college campus has also cast an absentee mail-ballot in another district or state.Double voting is easy to do with impunity. Our democracy depends on a clean voting system. Voting is an extreme privilege. It also is the ultimate honor system.

DOES GOING TO COLLEGE MEAN BECOMING A LIBERAL SECULAR SNOB? – The common image that former presidential candidate RickSantorum raised, that going to college makes a student a liberal secular snob, is not backed by research. Studies show increasing pro-portions of college students are not political, often work an off-campus job, and are more religious than noncollege students. Theyeven marry more and divorce less.

Margaret (Peggy Sands) Orchowski was a reporter for AP South America and for the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. She earned a doctor-ate in international educational administration from the University of California-Santa Barbara. She lives in Washington, D.C., where she was aneditor at Congressional Quarterly and now is a freelance journalist and columnist covering Congress and higher education.

UNCENSORED

UNCENSORED

The ExemplaryCareer of Dr. Ciro V.Sumayaby Frank DiMaria

Below the complimentary close of his e-mails, Dr. Ciro V. Sumayaoffers a saying that he himself coined: “The health of one isadmirable; the health of all, supreme.” Sumaya believes that while a

common physician performs an important service when healing an individ-ual who is ill, it is the physician who is equipped with public health skillsand principles who can protect the health of the masses.

Sumaya has been protecting the health of a large portion of the U.S.population for his entire professional life, from a stint as a general medicalofficer during the Vietnam War to his time serving under President BillClinton at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Currently heis protecting health at the School of Rural Public Health at Texas A&MUniversity System Health Science Center.

Born and raised in Brownsville, Texas, Sumaya was always fascinated bybooks. He spent countless hours reading in the library, especially topicsrelated to history and biographies. Moreover, his parents had a sizable col-lection of books at his childhood home. He attended public schools andgraduated as class valedictorian from Brownsville High School in 1959.

“In high school,” he said, “I won the Texas Interscholastic Leaguecompetition in typing – a skill that has been very useful, and I was electedpresident of the senior class.”

Sumaya attended Texas Southmost College in Brownsville for threesemesters before transferring to the University of Texas-Austin in the fall of1960, where he graduated, in 1962, Phi Beta Kappa and with high honors.After graduation, he entered the University of Texas Medical Branch throughan accelerated three-year program, earning his medical degree in 1966.

He immediately went into family medicine, taking a rotating internshipat Los Angeles County General Hospital, affiliated with the University ofSouthern California. After completing that internship, he was drafted andserved in the U.S. Air Force as a general medical officer at Whiteman AirForce Base in Missouri for two years, during the Vietnam War.

For reasons he does not understand to this day, Sumaya was alwaysinterested in becoming a physician. But his health as a child may haveplayed a small role in his choice to practice pediatrics.

“I was considered a sickly child and was taken to the physician oftenbecause I was pretty thin back then,” he says. His choice to care for chil-dren as a physician was cemented during his stint in the Air Force, wherehe was assigned to the pediatric department of the air base medical unit.

“There I met Dr. George Segal, an individual who helped broaden my

vision of my future professional life. Segal fostered my interest in pedi-atrics. He had just finished his residency at a children’s hospital, and hesteered me into competing for a pediatric residency position at his almamater, St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania,” he says.

St. Christopher’s, long considered a prestigious institution by the med-ical community, selected Sumaya for the residency. And it was during thatresidency that he developed a strong desire to seek more specialized train-ing as a pediatric infectious disease subspecialist. He received that trainingthrough a fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases at the Tulane UniversitySchool of Medicine, under the tutelage of Dr. Margaret H.D. Smith.

“This fellowship required that I obtain a concurrent public healthdegree at the Tulane University School of Public Health. I questioned theneed for this additional public health degree without realizing how impor-tant public health would be later in my professional life,” he says.

Sumaya ended up putting that public health degree he questioned togood use, first at the University of Texas Health Science Center at SanAntonio (UTHSCSA) and then for the federal government. At UTHSCSA, heestablished some vital programs – the South Texas Health Research Center,the Area Health Education Center of South Texas and the MedicalTreatment Effectiveness Research Center. “My purpose in establishing thesethree major programs was to develop the infrastructure for a future acade-mic health center, a grouping of schools of medicine, nursing, allied healthand public health, among others,” he says.

With the establishment of the South Texas Health Research Center,Sumaya brought a research sensibility that intimately linked academichealth center resources – in this case, the University of Texas HealthScience Center at San Antonio – and focused those resources on priorityresearch issues identified by faculty researchers as well as communityorganizations in the 41 counties that the institution serves.

HEALTH/LEADERSHIP


The state of Texas appropriated $2.2 million for the center, an amountthat Sumaya quickly leveraged with an additional $15 million from othersources during the first four years of the center’s existence. Under his lead-ership, UTHSCSA was awarded one of the first federally funded MedicalTreatment Effectiveness Research Centers, that serves as a research, train-ing and dissemination resource to improve medical outcomes and practicecosts. This program further augmented research efforts in health systemperformance and quality, an important research field that was emerging atthat time in Texas.

The third program that Sumaya implemented during his time at theUniversity of Texas was the Area Health Education Center. This centerestablished the foundation of medical student and residency training sitesfor primary and specialty care and a master degree nursing program,expanded health career opportunity efforts for school children, and pro-vided a traveling library for use by regional hospitals and health profes-sional students and faculty. “The evolution of what is now called theRegional Academic Health Center of South Texas will further expand notonly higher education opportunities in the health field but also bring incorresponding economic and social gains to the region,” he says.

Presidential AppointmentsDuring the 1990s, Sumaya put the additional public health degree he

obtained from Tulane to good use for the federal government. In 1993,President Bill Clinton appointed him to the Presidential Task Force onHealthcare Reform. “This was a time of much debate and discussion onthe prime need to improve the country’s health care systems,” he says.

The debates occurred over the country’s health care reform issues,such as the health professions workforce, health benefits, health servicedelivery systems and the roles of academic health centers, among others.While serving on the task force, Sumaya provided expertise and knowledgefrom his background, but he also learned a great deal about his chosenprofession. For example, he learned to tackle the complex issues of thehealth profession workforce, such as the shortage of primary care physi-cians and other providers, health care accessibility problems brought onby the geographical maldistribution of health professionals (particularly inrural areas and poor communities) and insufficient diversity in the work-force that results in inadequate competencies of that workforce in dealingwith diverse populations.

Only months after being appointed to the Health Care Reform TaskForce, Sumaya was again appointed by President Clinton as administratorof the Health Resources and Services Administration. He held this positionfrom 1994 to 1997, reporting directly to the secretary of the Department ofHealth and Human Services, Dr. Donna Shalala.

In that post, he again amassed a long list of accomplishments. Hedeveloped six priority programs across the agency, targeting significantinadequacies in the health care of underserved and vulnerable people, forexample, poor, rural, and inner-city mothers, children, elderly and peoplesuffering from complex health conditions. He spearheaded the develop-ment of the Association of Hispanic-Serving Health Professions Schoolsand the National Hispanic Medical Association, both of which addressedthe severe underrepresentation of Hispanics in the health professions andthe severe health disparities they suffered.

He also secured public-private organizations and networks that notonly support but enhance quality health services that were available, acces-sible and affordable to the poor and vulnerable, such as community and

migrant health centers. And he headed up the creation of the Friends ofHRSA, a group of national-level external organizations and institutionsessential for the long-term growth and impact of the agency itself.

Back to TexasAfter he’d served under President Clinton, Texas A&M recruited Sumaya

as founding dean of its School of Public Health, which included anappointment as the John and Maureen Cox Endowed Chair in Medicine.This was the first school of public health in the country with a statedemphasis on rural areas in Texas and the country, those geographicalregions that received insufficient attention.

“I found this offer as dean very appealing because it not only was sup-ported by a major land grant university but also because of the mission toteach, do research and develop informed policy using public healthapproaches, principles and values to help address critical and complexhealth issues affecting the country as a whole and rural and other under-served communities in particular,” says Sumaya.

Those representative health issues included inexorably rising healthcosts, recalcitrant disparities of health status across American society anddire need for expansion of prevention measures – taking a proactive rolein protecting an individual’s health rather than treating the individual afterhe or she becomes ill.

Since its founding, the School of Rural Public Health has grown rapidly,producing master and doctoral student graduates who are currentlyemployed at state and national level health organizations and institutions,expanding research and policy to improve the environment and healthylifestyles and anticipating the many needs of the growing elderly population.

“We are excited with our new three-building complex that houses theschool and point with pride to our selection into the top 25 schools ofpublic health in 2005 by U.S. News & World Report, at this early stage ofthe school’s evolution,” says Sumaya.

In 1997, after 11 years as dean of the School of Rural Health, Sumayastepped down as the school’s dean and assumed academic responsibili-ties as a professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management.In that role, he teaches and performs research affecting the country’s“need for a quality and committed health care workforce – our physi-cians, nurses, dentists, public health and allied health workers of thefuture,” he says. He continues to provide committee and consultative ser-vices to state and national/federal level organizations. Most notably is hisrecent service on the Secretarial-appointed Advisory Committee onImmunization Practice in the federal Centers for Disease Control andPrevention, Texas governor-appointed Research Board of the Gulf ofMexico Research Initiative (which monitors oil spills), Board of Trusteesof Ascension Health (the largest nonprofit health system in the country),and the President’s Council of Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Inc.

The doctor’s numerous honors include, among others, a distinguishedAlumnus Award from the University of Texas Medical Branch, the JuanCarlos Finlay Award from the U.S. Public Health Service, and in 2009,inclusion on Hispanic Business magazine’s list of the 100 most influentHispanics in the U.S.


LLaa CCeennaa BBoooossttiinngg tthhee NNuummbbeerrooff HHiissppaanniicc NNuuttrriittiioonn MMaajjoorrssby Marilyn Gilroy

Theneed for Hispanic professionalswho are trained in dietetics andnutrition science has never been

greater. One reason is the alarming rise in obesi-ty among Hispanics. In the case of Hispanicyouths, obesity rates have more than doubled inthe last decade, according to the Hispanic-Serving Health Professions Schools (HSHPS), anonprofit organization representing 22 medicalschools and three schools of public health.

Statistics show Mexican-American childrenare the most affected and are twice as likely tobe obese as their White peers. In addition, stud-ies indicate that more than 60 percent ofHispanic Americans eventually will develop type2 diabetes, which leads to other health problemssuch as heart disease and high blood pressure.

The issue is receiving attention from policy-makers, such as the National Hispanic Caucus ofState Legislators, which recently issued a policybrief calling Hispanic obesity “an American cri-sis.” As a result, there is an increase in nationalefforts to educate Hispanics as well as allAmericans about diet and nutrition.

Goya Foods has joined the movement by sup-porting first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move”campaign to promote healthier diets and moreactivity for young people. The company has dis-tributed posters, coupons and cookbooksencouraging healthy eating in conjunction withthe USDA’s “Mi Plato” slogan and visuals show-ing more fruits and vegetables on a plate as partof a balanced meal. The materials are being dis-tributed in 32,000 supermarkets, as well as localchurches and schools. Goya also has developedlesson plans about nutrition to be used in fourththrough sixth grade in several major cities.

Higher education institutions are jumping into do their part through educational initiatives.

“There is a lot of synergy around this topic,”said Dr. Neeta Singh, chair of the nutrition pro-gram at University of Incarnate Word (UIW),which has been at the forefront of trainingdietary specialists who will work in communitiesto improve the health of Hispanics.

UIW is one of four institutions in South Texasthat partnered in a USDA-funded grant project toincrease the number of underrepresented stu-

dents who declare nutrition as a major. Thethree-year project, La Cena (Central TexasEducation for Nutrition Advancement), wasdesigned to increase the retention rate of thesestudents and provide opportunities for them totransfer to a university to complete their bache-lor’s degree. The other grant collaboratorsincluded two community colleges that are HSIs,San Antonio College and Northeast LakeviewCollege, plus Texas State University.

The project set forth both short- and long-range goals. One of the most immediate objectiveswas to increase Hispanic education levels in thearea of nutrition. However, the ultimate goal is toameliorate the incidence of obesity in the southTexas region by providing more well-trained nutri-tionists for the area, especially ones who speakSpanish and are sensitive to cultural differences.

On both levels, La Cena met or exceeded itsgoals.

Susan Kazen, chair of fine/performing arts andkinesiology of Northeast Lakeview College, and one ofthe project’s directors, said La Cena was successfulbecause it was the “right program at the right time.”

“San Antonio continues to be identified as

one of the fattest cities in the nation, and ourmayor has made obesity treatment and preven-tion through nutrition and fitness a top priority,”she said. “So there has been quite a bit of mediacoverage for the topic over the past few years.”

There is no mystery as to what it will take toreduce the adverse effects of poor diet and lackof exercise. Kazen says it is estimated that ifeveryone just adopted three lifestyle factors (nosmoking, daily physical activity, and a healthydiet of at least 50 percent plant-based foods),that 80 percent or more of the chronic diseasein the United States could be prevented. Thatmeans 80 percent of heart disease, diabetes andhypertension/stroke.

“That is an amazing number,” she said. “Sothere is a real need for more educated profes-sionals in the areas of nutrition and fitness –especially those who can communicate effective-ly with all sorts of people.”

Meeting the Challenges of Recruitment andRetention

Originally, La Cena targeted students fromhigh schools with high (44 percent to 98 per-cent) minority enrollments in the San Antonioarea. But Kazen said as they presented at highschools, it became apparent that students werenot really ready to commit to a college major.

“We were spending time and money on thiscohort and not really getting the results we hadhoped for,” she said. “Fortunately, we were ableto correct in year two of the grant and USDAallowed us to minimize our high school recruit-ment and redirect those scholarship funds tostudents already in college.”

Recruitment efforts were stepped up towardcommunity college students already enrolled inallied health, the sciences and kinesiology class-es. A wealth of informational materials includingflyers, brochures and a website were alreadydeveloped during the first year of the grant. Afull-time project manager, Stephanie LozanoBurns, who has a degree in nutrition and is analumna of Texas State University, was hired.Kazen said Burns was very effective in giving pre-sentations about La Cena because she was orga-nized, knowledgeable and very approachable.

HEALTH


Susan Kazen, chair, fine/performing arts andkinesiology, Northeast Lakeview College

Students immediately felt comfortable with her.“Many students were interested in nutrition,

but didn’t know where to go or how to get start-ed,” said Kazen. “So when our flyers andbrochures went out and when Stephanie madepresentations in science and kinesiology cours-es, many students became interested.”

La Cena organizers also reached out to facultyand staff on campus, relying on “word of mouth”marketing to colleagues in various disciplines.

“For example, if a student did a speech aboutsomething related to health, nutrition, or fitness,or wrote a paper about one of those topics, theinstructor would ask them if they had ever spo-ken to Stephanie or me, and would give themour contact information,” said Kazen.

Money, in the form of scholarships, was amajor factor in bringing students to the pro-gram. La Cena gave out more than $75,000 inscholarships.

“Money is very tight for most community collegestudents, and a scholarship of $500-$750 reallyimpacts their ability to attend college,” she said.

Most importantly, the grant included funds tosend students to conferences where they couldmeet professionals in the field, learn more aboutjob opportunities, and meet students from otherschools around the state and the nation interest-ed in the same areas of study.

“This was an amazing experience for a lot ofthese students,” said Kazen. “Many communitycollege students have not had the opportunity totravel very much, and have never attended a pro-fessional conference. Exposing these studentsearly in their college careers to these opportuni-ties was priceless.”

By the summer of 2011, La Cena had sur-passed its recruitment goals. Last year, the pro-ject had 63 students at Northeast Lakeview andSan Antonio Colleges, of which 43 percent wereunderrepresented in the categories of malesand/or Hispanics.

However, the retention piece of the projectpresented additional challenges. One of the rea-sons is the curriculum.

Students who major in nutrition take severalcourses in biology and chemistry as well asclasses in behavioral sciences, food preparation,public health and food management. It is a rig-orous course of study and can be daunting formany students.

“Curriculum is probably our largest stickingpoint,” said Kazen. “The nutrition majorrequires at least four semesters of chemistry,and at least three semesters of biology. Many stu-dents are underprepared for math and get stuckin the math cycle, which is a prerequisite for thechemistry/science courses.”

Although this problem is not limited to minori-

ties, it has been an obstacle in getting underrepre-sented and disadvantaged students to persist inmath and science-based degree programs.

“Nutrition is a science-based program andmany of our students are first-generation stu-dents who often do not have a strong back-ground in science,” said UIW’s Singh. “That isone of the biggest hurdles for students.”

Singh says that Incarnate Word lends support

to students through learning assistance programsand tutoring. La Cena also built in a “mentor’component in which junior/senior nutritionmajors work with community college transfers tohelp them adjust to the university environment.

Kazen says the idea of providing mentorswho would encourage students to “hang inthere” was sound but needed some additionaltweaking as the grant progressed.

“We did not anticipate that many of the men-tors really didn’t know how to do it in a way thatbenefited both the mentor and the mentee,” shesaid. “So we ‘course-corrected,’ reduced thenumber of mentors we had, but trained thembetter and got better results.”

Those efforts paid off. Although the goal of thegrant was to increase the annual retention rate ofunderrepresented nutrition majors who trans-ferred to Texas State or UIW to 89 percent and 78percent, respectively, by year three, that goal wasmet and surpassed. The retention rate for TexasState hit 100 percent; for UIW, 85 percent.

It wasn’t only the numbers that delightedKazen; she was equally gratified by the success ofLa Cena students.

“The feedback we receive from our universitypartners is that the students who come throughour program and transfer are some of the beststudents now at the universities,” said Kazen.“They know how to study, know how to ask ques-

tions when they get confused, know what they haveto do to complete, and will become productive,successful members of the nutrition profession.”

La Cena is just beginning to graduate its firststudents, but there are more than a dozen in thepipeline and other transfers lined up for next year.Those students who persist often land good jobs.

“Our graduates work in government and com-munity settings, hospitals and hospices, anywhere

there are health organizations,” said Singh. “Butthey also go to corporate wellness centers, sportsorganizations, and food companies.”

In many cases, students are hired as a result ofthe internship required to complete the program.

“We have a good reputation, and when ourstudents go out to fulfill the internship compo-nent of the program, 50 percent end up gettinghired through that experience,” said Singh.

Most nutrition degree programs qualify stu-dents to apply for the American DieteticAssociation (ADA) program to become a regis-tered dietitian, thus enabling them to work in aclinical setting. Singh says it is a highly competitiveand well-regulated program that requires studentsto complete an additional 1,200 hours of super-vised practice and pass the ADA licensing exam.

Although the La Cena grant period hasended, the project has left a lasting impact, withseveral components still in place. Kazen says theLa Cena Student Nutrition Organization stillmeets monthly. Trips to professional conferenceshave continued, with 14 students traveling to themost recent meeting of the Texas DieteticAssociation. The “word of mouth” networkingon campus continues.

“Almost weekly, we have students coming tothe office who are interested in majoring innutrition, and we continue to work with them ontransfer plans,” said Kazen.


La Cena students from Northeast Lakeview College

Is Justice on the

Horizon for Direct-

Care Workers?by Thomas G. Dolan

Justice travels slowly, sometimes much too slowly, but when it doesmove, it does so inexorably. This appears to be the case with the con-vergence of a number of forces aimed at ending the long-term discrimi-

nation against aides who work in the home caring for the disabled andaged. Their duties range from housekeeping and cooking chores to care-giving and companionship, to personal attendance and hygiene, and, withtraining, may extend to health care tasks such as administering medica-tion, changing bandage, and monitoring medical equipment.

Due to its legal history, this occupation is referred to by a variety of dif-ferent, sometimes overlapping and confusing names. But, for simplicity,here those engaged most often in this activity will be referred to as eitherdirect-care or home-care workers.

This article was occasioned by the report of the Washington, D.C.-basedNational Council of La Raza (NCLR), the nation’s largest Latino civil rightsand advocacy group. The report, dated Feb. 3, 2012, is titled Caring forCaregivers: Latinos in the Direct-Care Workforce.

Why is this issue important for the U.S. population in general andLatinos in particular?

Catherine Singley, NCLR’s senior policy analyst, drawing on the report,points out that by 2030, persons over the age of 65 are projected to makeup 19 percent of the general population, up from 12.4 percent in 2000. In2050, the population of older Americans is expected to number 88.5 mil-lion, more than doubling the 39.6 million older-American population in2009.

With the dramatic growth in the older population and longer potentiallife expectancy, demand for long-term health and support services will alsoincrease, Singley continues. Already, families responsible for findingappropriate long-term care for elderly relatives find their options limiteddue to high demand for community and group-living situations; as a result,many turn to direct-care aides.

And as Singley points out, the direct-care industry is a major employerof Latinos. Of the nearly 3.4 million direct-care workers in the U.S.(including nursing and psychiatric aides), 15.4 percent, or approximately52,000 direct-care workers, are Latino. Furthermore, 23 percent of thedirect-care workforce is foreign-born, compared to 15.8 percent of thegeneral working population. This figure is not insignificant, since Latinosconstitute almost half of foreign-born workers in the U.S.

“The vast majority are women, 90 percent, and 20 percent are foreign-born immigrants. And by 2050, Latinos will constitute one in three ofAmerican workers,” Singley says. “So since Latinos represent one of thefastest-growing group of workers and direct-care is the fastest-growingoccupation, this represents a real growth opportunity for Latinos.”

Catch-22 – direct-care workers are grossly underpaid, often not attain-ing even the minimum wage or being paid for overtime. Where does themoney go? Much of it to the direct-care services industry, the third partieswho provide the home-care workers. This industry has seen consistentgrowth over the past year, adding 38,000 jobs just this January alone, andis projected to grow by 58 percent over the next decade.

“Many of these companies are making record profits,” Singley says,“pocketing twice as much of the Medicare and Medicaid funds they getinstead of paying it to the workers, 46 percent of whom live below thepoverty line.”

Are we looking here at some Third World country, or maybe 19th-cen-tury sweatshop America? No, this is the current good-old U.S.A., land ofequality. So how did the country get to this state? Why has this segment ofthe workforce been so cruelly left behind?

Here’s a brief summary of the snarled legal history:“The Labor Standard Act, as part of the New Deal, was passed in 1938,”

Singley says. “This act established the minimum wage and overtime, but aspart of the compromise to get the bill passed, home-care workers wereexempted. Why? Because these workers at the time were primarily African-Americans in the South.” So this issue began with racism and, as Singleysays, “continues to have racial implications.”

But this intolerable situation has gradually attracted more and moreparties pressing for a change. These include Latino and African-Americanorganizations, as well as advocates for the disabled and aged, the labormovement, health care providers, and others. This injustice has been pre-sented to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2007, which has continued to delay,mainly through extending the period for public hearings, allowing manythird-party agencies to complain how extending the law to home-careworkers would put a damper on their record profits. But the delay hasalso allowed the opposition to reach a groundswell of support, whichmeans there is a reasonable hope that the court will relegate this illegalpractice to history. Singley says that the best-case scenario is a court deci-sion in August 2012.

There is a real hope for change, explains Haeyoung Yoon, staff attorney,National Employment Law Project, New York City, because in 1974 Congresspassed an amendment that did, in fact, extend minimum wage, overtime andother benefits to home-care workers. However, in 1975, the U.S. Departmentof Labor, which had the mandate to define the regulations, Yoon says, “nar-rowly carved out two exemptions, providing that people who offered onlycompanionship or protection were not covered. This means that as many as2.5 million home-care workers are excluded from the federal minimum wageand overtime protection under the Fair Labor Standards Act.”

HEALTH/REPORTS


Hoon provided a paper presented by National Employment Law ProjectExecutive Director Christine Owens and Legal Co-Director CatherineRuckelshaus (in cooperation with the Center for Community Change)reflecting their comments before the U.S. Department of Labor on March21, 2012.

The home-care advocates at this hearing addressed what has beentermed the “companionship exemption.” In brief, what was meant to beexcluded were activities such as casual baby-sitting or the neighbor whocomes in to play an occasional game of checkers with an elderly person.This report states: “Not only did Congress make clear that the companion-ship exemption did not include jobs involving substantial household workduties but nowhere in the record did the legislative sponsors suggest thatphysically demanding personal care services, such as assistance withbathing and toileting, or services relating to medical care (all of which aretypically parts of home-care work) should ever be exempt.”

The report shows that the 1974 amendments were intended to “includewithin the coverage of the act all employees whose vocation is domesticservice.” Sen. Quentin Burdick stressed that the exemption was not intend-ed to exclude “the professional domestic who does this as a living.” Sen.

Jacob Javits echoed that the coverage was meant to extend “to really thosewho make it a regular part of their occupation. And Rep. Shirley Chisholmdescribed this workforce as being made up of “the thousands of ladieswho have the sole responsibility for taking care of their families and willnot be able to adequately support their families.”

One of the characteristics of this particular fair employment movementis that not only are various organizations working together, they are alsonot limiting themselves to any single strategy. They are trying many things,which, though different, are complementary. For instance, the New YorkCity-based National Domestic Workers Alliance, with some 35 affiliatesacross the country, works on the state level, and, says campaign directorJodeen Olguin-Tayler, worked with the Caring Across Generations cam-paign and others to get the bill passed in New York state.

The bill, after several years of advocacy, was passed in the fall of 2011.“This was a big step forward, for this was the first legislation in New Yorkthat specifically provides for paid sick leave and other benefits,” saysOlguin-Tayler. She adds that a similar bill has passed the California stateassembly and is currently pending in the senate.

Olguin says that her organization has five pillars or goals: to increasehome-care jobs by two million; to get a number of measures passed, suchas minimum wage and right to organize legislation, that would improve thequality of the occupation; to initiate a national training program; to stabi-

lize the workforce by measures such as improving working conditions andoffering a pathway to citizenship for immigrants; and to make sure thatthose who need it have access to affordable and quality home care.

Olguin agrees that there are many third-party agencies that exploitdirect-care workers by pocketing an unfair cut. But she also says that thevarious unfair exclusions “also make it difficult for good employers to dothe right thing. We need the laws so that employers can provide a support-ive work environment.”

One of the big problems with the current situation is the high rate ofturnover. “One member told us that she took care of an elderly couplearound the clock for $35 a day. That’s just one of thousands of stories wehear all of the time.”

The National Employment Law Project report points out the obvious:“Long hours can also result in worse care for patients, as caretakers work-ing 60-hour or 70-hour weeks face fatigue and stress in performing whatis a demanding job under any circumstances.”

The report also states: “Studies have shown turnover rates amonghome-care workers of between 44 percent and 65 percent. And a 2007National Home Health Aid Survey found that 35 percent of home health

aides intended to quit in the next year. The primary causes of high turnoverrates are low wages, insufficient hours, and a lack of reimbursement fortravel costs. High turnover imposes a significant financial burden toemployers in the form of recruitment, retraining, and administrative costs.Additionally, because workers’ annual earning are so low, many workersrely on public benefits programs – a huge financial burden on state bud-gets. Raising wages modestly could therefore result in an overall costs sav-ings to Medicaid home-care programs and state budgets.

“Home-care clients would benefit as well from reduced turnover,increased stability and less burnout in the home-care workforce, and theresulting improvement in the quality of care. Clients may also have an easi-er time finding workers if working conditions improve and more workersare attracted to and more likely to remain in the home-care field.

“Finally, experts estimate that one-third of the victims of labor traffick-ing are domestic workers (a category that includes companions, nanniesand housekeepers). Their vulnerabilities stem both from the isolating con-ditions under which they work and from their exclusion from core laborprotections that cover all other workers. These are matters not only oflabor rights, but human rights.”


There is a real hope for change, explains Haeyoung Yoon, staff

attorney, National Employment Law Project, New York City, because

in 1974 Congress passed an amendment that did, in fact, extend

minimum wage, overtime and other benefits to home-care workers.

“Serving Those Who Have Served Us”:USC School of Social Work Reaching

Military Vets and Familiesby Sylvia Mendoza

When Army Sergeant Ernie D’Leon arrivedhome from Vietnam, complete with aPurple Heart for his heroic efforts, he had

hoped to ease into civilian life and bury his com-bat experience. The first question his girlfriendasked, however, was, “Did you kill anyone?”

Thinking he would have had time to transi-tion, to feel solid American ground, to have time

to adjust, the question instead jolted him into areality he was not prepared for. “I realized Imight not be treated as a regular person, that Imaybe might even be looked at as a barbarian,”D’Leon says. “In Vietnam, you ceased compas-sion for life – for your own and for your ene-mies. That haunts you.”

D’Leon was only 20 when he and 70 menwere sent on a firefight in Vietnam. The two menon either side of him were instantly killed in thatambush. He earned the Purple Heart and wassent to Fort Ord in California for four months

before rotating out of the service.After that, he “disappeared” to Tahoe for two

years, to try to get his head straight. By day, hewas “normal,” masking his pain and trauma. Bynight, nightmares plagued his sleep, the flash-backs vivid. The transition to civilian life was asdifficult for him as it had been for his father. AWorld War II vet, the senior D’Leon had been on36 bombing missions and suffered from debili-tating nightmares the rest of his life, says D’Leon.It was painful for him to watch his father’s trau-ma. It was painful to go through himself.

“There wasn’t a name for post-traumaticstress back then,” he says. “The governmenttrains me to kill a guy, but it doesn’t help me fig-ure out how to live my life after I do that.”

Somehow, D’Leon eventually came back toSan Diego where he’d been raised, earned hisdegree from San Diego State University, becamean assistant vice president of a software engi-neering company, married and had kids. Thefaçade worked for a while. Then, 20 years afterreturning from Vietnam, everyday “normal”stressors became too much. His personalitychanged, self-destructive tendencies took root,and then he spiraled and crashed. The long-sup-pressed stress and nightmares of the war finallybrought him to his knees as he lost everythingthat mattered – his wife, his kids, his job andhimself. “I couldn’t take it anymore.”

He finally forced himself to talk to a therapist.For the first time, he cried and admitted to sur-vivor’s guilt, dealt with rage and shame andlearned to forgive and live with himself. He tookup positive activities such as surfing, yoga, thera-py, and community service – all which helped himdeal with PTSD – post-traumatic stress disorder.

According to the RAND Center for MilitaryHealth Policy Research, one in five military per-sonnel who have served in the Iraq andAfghanistan wars – more than 300,000 – sufferfrom PTSD. It seems that almost all military vets,

especially those who see combat, can sufferfrom PTSD or any of a number of ailments thataffect overall health and well-being, as they try totransition to civilian life. Even though there arecountless organizations, nonprofits and govern-ment programs that offer assistance to vets andtheir families, they are mostly run by volunteersor personnel with no professional training inhow to truly reach and help veterans.

D’Leon himself is on the board of directorsof American Combat Veterans of War (ACVOW),based in San Diego. He works as an outreachgroup facilitator, and when he can get groupsof vets – from all wars – to gather and talkabout their experiences, he knows they are onthe right track of healing – or at least facing –their demons.

He also knows he is not trained as a socialworker or therapist.

Serving Those Who Serve UsThe University of Southern California (USC)

School of Social Work started a first-of-its-kindprogram in the nation – a specialization on mili-tary veterans and their families. Based at the USCSan Diego Academic Center, the slogan on theMilitary Social Work’s program brochure states,“Serving Those Who Have Served Us” and “Noone comes home from war unchanged.”

Dr. José Coll, a Cuban immigrant and Marinevet who served from 1996-2000, is one of thefounders of the military social work programand former director of the center.

“This is a culture unto itself,” he explained.“Active duty and vets’ needs, and those of theirfamilies, are unique. We have to help preparestudents to become trained mental health profes-sionals familiar with their unique mental health,physical health and transitional concerns.”

When Coll fractured his back and had toretire early, his captain encouraged him toreturn to school. After earning his Ph.D. in

INNOVATIONS/PROGRAMS


Ernie D’Leon, retired Army sergeant, board ofdirectors, American Combat Veterans of War

social work, he knew he wanted to address mili-tary needs.

“The school’s mission is an enormousundertaking, but a necessary one,” he says.Coll’s book, A Civilian Counselor’s Primer forCounseling Veterans, focuses on the family sys-tem, sub-cultures, brain injuries, new interven-tions, exposure therapy, substance abuse andhomelessness, and more.

At Coll’s urging, the center was placed in SanDiego, which has a strong military presence.According to an NBC San Diego report, there areapproximately 95,000 active duty personnel inthe county. Adding families increases the num-ber to 175,000. There are also about 57,000retired military personnel.

Coll helped develop the specific militarysocial work curriculum, which includes traininggraduate students in courses such as TheMilitary as a Workplace Culture; ManagingTrauma and Post-traumatic Stress; andPreventive Care and Health Management inMilitary and Veteran Settings. Offered electivesdelve further into issues that may affect a vet andhis/her family, including: Disabilities and FamilyCaregiving; Domestic Violence; Loss, Grief andBereavement; Diversity; Mental Health Practicewith Severe and Persistently Mentally Ill;Substance Abuse and Other Addictive Disorders;the Societal Response to War: Advocacy, Politicsand Policy; even Spirituality is covered.

Students are also placed in internships where

they will work directly with vets and their fami-lies in everyday transition, such as at schools,rehabilitation centers, correction facilities, veter-ans affairs hospitals, university counseling cen-ters, and mental health centers.

Veterans and Military SubculturesTraditionally, certain cultures make it difficult

for retired vets to seek professional help becauseof mistrust or stereotypical views of counseling.And mental health concerns carry a stigma.

“We have sub-groups, we can’t deny, likeLatinos, African-Americans and Asian[-Americans]. Their families play a significantrole in their transition home, but it’s not alwaysgood.” Some of these families believe that theycan offer the mental support needed, but thatapproach often backfires, Coll explains. The vetpulls away because of their lack of understand-ing, and the family can become disjointed, whichonly adds to a vet’s stress.

There are also challenges for a person ofcolor in the ranks and with the ranks them-

selves, says Isaac Ford, recruiting coordinatorfor the USC School of Social Work in San Diego.Ford, who served in the Marines for 25 yearsand has two sons currently in the military, says,“The higher you go as an officer or senior enlist-ed, you can’t talk to those above or below you inrank about what you’re going through withPTSD,” Ford says. “Certain things are like a scar-

let letter. They label you as weak.”Self-imposed expectations often affect a vet’s

mental transitioning process, as well. “There areelements of the male mentality and military men-tality that give a false impression of Supermancapabilities,” says Coll. “They can bear it all,withstand physical pain, but they don’t want todeal with the emotional because it is a sign ofweakness and there is still a stigma to gettingprofessional help.”

That is why social work training that specifi-cally focuses on the military culture is crucial.“If the clinician understands the culture of beingin the military, the client or vet will feel morecomfortable and trusting,” explains Coll.

Outreach efforts have truly to be far-reach-ing. In addition to sub-cultures, the “new” veter-ans that cannot be overlooked are women. Collpoints out that one of the first POWs in the Iraqwar was a woman. “Women in the military havealways played critical support roles, but now thatthey can see combat missions, they are trauma-tized, as well. In addition, they are not given therecognition they deserve,” says Coll. “In addi-tion, when they transition, they have to establisha different persona – perhaps as a mother or adaughter – while they still want to maintain theirmilitary persona. It changes the dynamics of thefamily structure.”

USC is also placing the Military Social Workstudents in internships throughout the commu-nity, such as at schools and rehabilitation facili-ties. Families have to be taken care of, too. “Forexample, there is a lot of loss and grief for kidsto deal with,” explains Ford. “Some have lostparents in war, some just miss them beingdeployed. Either way, they are parentless andoften feel alone.”

Even though all vets may suffer from the sametypes of ailments and transitional phases, eachwar has brought different demons. “Some vetscould have been in 20 years and never saw awar,” says Ford. “Those who fought in Iraq orAfghanistan – men or women – could have beenin four years and had multiple deployments, backto back. Then, the Vietnam War was a differentanimal entirely. Each war, each individual’s expe-riences and background, determine how somebounce back after what they’ve been exposed to.Most of us need to discuss what we have lived.”

Spiraling: The Consequences of IneffectiveTreatments and Services

If vets, active duty and their families don’t getthe attention they need by trained professionals,


Dr. José Coll, Marine vet, co-founder of USCprogram, director of Veteran Student Services,

St. Leo University

Isaac Ford, recruiting coordinator, USC Schoolof Social Work, San Diego, and former Marine

they can spiral out of control, says Coll. TheRAND Center’s study also showed that if thosewho suffer from PTSD, depression and traumaticbrain injury are not treated, cases of job loss,domestic violence, substance abuse and addic-tions, suicides and homelessness also increase.

“A lot of pathologies come to light after theyget out, especially at certain stages of theircareers,” says Ford. According to the Center fora New American Security, suicide rates of mili-tary vets and active duty personnel from theAfghanistan and Iraq wars have increased rapid-ly. And according to the Veterans Administration,there can be as many as one suicide every 80minutes. The United States Department ofVeteran’s Affairs website shows that the VA’s sui-cide hotline receives about 10,000 calls a monthfrom current and former service members.Since its launch in 2007, the Veterans Crisis Linehas answered more than 500,000 calls andmade more than 18,000 life-saving rescues.

But there’s more. “Over 50 percent of indi-viduals who committed suicide did not seecombat,” says Coll. “There could have beencounter-transference from drill sergeants inbasic training, or any other number of reasons,even though the military is selective about whogets in.”

According to the National Coalition forHomeless Veterans, the departments of Housingand Urban Development (HUD) and VeteransAffairs (VA) estimate that more than 67,000 vet-erans are homeless on any given night.America’s homeless veterans come from all wars– World War II, the Korean War, Cold War,Vietnam War, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon,Afghanistan and Iraq. Almost half of the home-less are Vietnam veterans, and of these, morethan 50 percent are African-American orHispanic.

Then there are some issues that affect veter-ans across the board. The new buzz phrase forPTSD symptom is “moral injury,” says D’Leon.“The moral injury is the dilemma faced in thosefirst two years of coming back. You had thegreatest ideals in the world: honor, bravery, con-viction. It’s tough to rationalize, let alone toughto live with, knowing you were a part of some-thing so against all the principles of spirituality.”

The transition home can be brutal. BecausePTSD has historically had a stigma of weaknessor betrayal associated with it, veterans have notwanted to seek professional help. Not much haschanged since Vietnam in treating military andtheir transition home, says D’Leon. “In that

place between military and civilian life, a warriorfalls off the radar. Hunting down those who falloff that radar is essential.”

Opening the Military Social Work programhas probably come at the right time and aims toreach those men and women. Enrollment hasincreased since it opened in 2009, going from47 students to 180 in 2011. An absolute benefitabout the program, says Coll, is that 70 percent

of the students have had some formal affiliationwith the military. “Some are retired, some arespouses, some are military children. There arecaptains sitting in a classroom with enlisted menand women. There are vets from different wars.And yet, they are all there with one thing in mind– they have to understand and approach the mil-itary culture differently because the militaryneeds us.”

Building on Military LeadershipAnother major component to the social work

military program, says Coll, who is now at St. LeoUniversity as director of Veteran Student Services,is to urge vets to use their GI bills and earn theirhigher education degrees. At St. Leo’s, approxi-mately 5,900 vets are enrolled each year. “Theyalready have leadership skills and disciplinetraining and can think critically,” he said. “With adegree, they can have voice and power and beable to change their lives politically, economicallyand socially instead of being stigmatized.”

This could be easier said than done. Many

vets do not feel like they fit in. They may be sit-ting in a classroom with other 23-year-olds, buthow many have been deployed to Afghanistanthree times? How many professors, staff oradministrators have been trained to be cognizantof a veteran’s needs, as well as his or her capa-bilities? “The community at large doesn’t under-stand where you’ve been as active duty,” saysColl. Not being able to relate could be a frustrat-ing challenge. “You’ll have to face this for therest of your life – but don’t let it get in your wayto success. Think of what you have done. Yougave that person sitting next to you the opportu-nity not to serve.”

For some, the best transition might be tostart at a community college. Often, however, anytransition is unbearable and takes time.

“Even if you can sit still, your mind is going amillion miles a minute,” says D’Leon. It tookhim nearly six years to earn his degree at SanDiego State University after returning fromVietnam. “It’s hard to focus when you’ve beentrained to move at a moment’s notice. You’reaware of every minute thing – shuffling ofpapers, a pencil that’s dropped, the inflections ofyour professor’s voice. Sometimes you have tobite your tongue. Sometimes it’s difficult to par-ticipate because you’ve been trained not to makemistakes – or else someone can die. That’s thementality of a combat vet coming back to theclassroom.”

Paying It ForwardColl realizes that a program like USC’s mili-

tary social work may take years to make a differ-ence, but the difference has begun. His biggestwish is that the Department of Defense woulddevelop a model in which men and women whoare recruited are at the same time prepared tostart thinking of life after the military. “Everyonehas to get out sooner or later, and the dialoguehas to be about the transition to school andcareer. The military has to take ownership of thiselement of transition.”

In the meantime, Coll knows USC is on theright track in addressing the military culturespecifically, and transitions to civilian life.“We’re not just lip service,” he says. “By devel-oping a relationship with our vets and their fami-lies, we can help them see their ability to dealwith what’s been dealt. They have to believe theycan be productive members of society.”



There is a consensus in America that encour-agement of STEM careers is critical to theUnited States’ ability to compete in the global

marketplace. This encouragement starts at theclassroom level. So, the question is – how do webest reach a greater population of students andteach science effectively to students, regardless oflocation. Today’s college classroom is changingfrom the nearly exclusive domain of recent highschool graduates to now include unemployedworkers seeking new career training, single parents and returning veter-ans who often depend on online courses to complete their studies.

Higher education has increasingly been moving online. A 2008 studyshows that more than 20 percent of all American college students took atleast one online course in 2007 and that the growth of online enrollment is12.9 percent annually, far above the 1.2 percent annual growth of the high-er education student population overall. However, lab science courses havenot frequently been part of the mix of online course offerings. All of thesenew groups as well as 18- to 22-year-olds should not be denied access tolab sciences if their only option is to receive that instruction online.

This book seeks to help schools and instructors deliver quality online labscience courses by not only crystallizing the obstacles to teaching lab sciencesonline, but also presenting plans to overcome those obstacles. One of themajor obstacles discussed by the authors is the reluctance of professors toteach online because they feel that computer simulations are not a valid sub-stitute for tactile laboratory experiences. Professors also doubt that studentscan duplicate a lab experience in a home setting. The authors point out thatstudents can duplicate the lab experience with specially prepared home labpacks to complete their experiments. They claim that online students actuallylearn as well as brick-and-mortar students and have an increased learningsatisfaction because they conduct these lab experience on their own.

Teaching Lab Science Courses Online has been created as a practicalresource for educators developing and teaching fully online lab sciencecourses. First, it provides guidance for using learning management systemsand other Web 2.0 technologies such as video presentations, discussionboards, Google apps, Skype, video/Web conferencing, and social media net-working. Moreover, it offers advice on giving students the hands-on “wetlaboratory” experience they need to learn science effectively, including theimplications of implementing lab experiences such as computer simula-tions, kitchen labs, and commercially assembled at-home lab kits.

Finally, the book reveals how to get administrators and faculty to agree tothe concept and execution of teaching science online. It is particularly help-ful in providing tips on how to negotiate internal politics and assess thebudget implications of online science instruction.

Co-author Peter Jeschofnig has Ph.D.s in adult science edu-cation and anthropology, is a double Fulbright Scholarand was named Colorado’s Distance Educator ofthe Year in 2001. Co-author Linda Jeschofnig isthe co-founder of Hands-On-Labs Inc. and theInstitute for Excellence in Distance Education.

Reviewed by Mary Ann Cooper

Teaching Lab ScienceCourses Onlineby Linda Jeschofnig and Peter Jeschofnig2011, 176 pages. ISBN: 978-0-470-60704-6. $29.00 paper. JohnWiley & Sons. www.Josseybass.com.

IInntteerreessttiinngg RReeaaddss

Between Light and Shadow: A Guatemalan Girl’sJourney Through Adoption

By Jacob R. Wheeler

In Between Light and Shadow, the author puts ahuman face on the Guatemalan adoption industry, whichaffects the lives of the Central American nation’s poorestchildren. Fourteen-year-old Ellie, abandoned at age 7 andadopted by a middle-class family from Michigan, is at thecenter of this story. The author chronicles Ellie’s aban-donment, adoption and Americanization as well as her search for herbirth mother and triumphant return to Guatemala to reunite with herteenage brothers.

2011. 280 pgs. ISBN: 978-0-803-2336-21. $24.95 cloth. University ofNebraska Press, (800) 755-1105. www.unp.unl.edu.

Diseased RelationsBy Heather McCrea

Historically, in the tropical region of Yucatan, Mexico,many diseases and epidemics have flourished due in part todiseases spread by shipping. However, there has been vio-lent resistance by various Mayan groups to state exploitationbrought on by elites who tried to impose public health cam-paigns of improved sanitation and food handling to make

clean citizens out of what some perceived as the filthy, the disorderly andthe rebellious. The author uses the story of this conflict to discusssocioeconomic change and the role that health care or lack of healthcare plays in human society.

2010. 288 pgs. ISBN: 978-0-863-4898-2. $27.95 paper. University ofNew Mexico Press, (800) 249-7737. www.unmpress.com.

Jungle LaboratoriesBy Gabriela Soto Laveaga

In the 1940s, chemists discovered that barbasco, awild yam indigenous to Mexico, could be used to mass-produce synthetic steroid hormones as well as the firstviable oral contraceptives. Jungle Laboratories recon-structs the story of how rural yam pickers learned thefinancial value of their crop and took on the international pharmaceuti-cal companies and the Mexican state to change how they were treatedby urban Mexicans.

2009. 352 pgs. ISBN: 978-0-8223-4605-0. $24.95 paper. DukeUniversity Press Books, (919) 688-5134. www.dukeupress.edu.

HHIIGGHH SSCCHHOOOOLL FFOORRUUMM

Successful High School Graduates Aren’t

Just Smart – They’re Healthier, Too!by Mary Ann Cooper

There are plenty of incentives for earninggood grades in high school. Good gradesare a gateway to college or career training

that will lead to a more secure economic future.But Pamela Herd, associate professor of publicaffairs, University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison,has released research that shows students whoperform well academically in high school enjoybetter health throughout their lifespan than stu-dents who fare less well academically.

In her report, published in the Journal ofHealth and Social Behavior, Herd explains,“Just as postsecondary schooling serves as adividing line between the advantaged and disad-vantaged on outcomes like income and maritalstatus, it also serves as a dividing line betweenthe healthy and unhealthy. Why are the bettereducated healthier? Human capital theory positsthat education makes one healthier via cognitive(skill improvements) and noncognitive psycho-logical resources (traits such as conscientious-ness and a sense of mastery).” Herd employedthe Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (1957-2005), a53-year survey of more than 10,000 graduates ofWisconsin’s high school class of 1957 that hadUW-Madison researchers interview the classmembers six times since they graduated, askingquestions about work, life, family and now, as theclass ages, health, to test the relative strength ofmeasures of cognitive human capital vs. noncog-nitive psychological human capital in explainingthe relationship between education and healthoutcomes among high school graduates.

Herd concludes, “I find little evidence thatnoncognitive psychological human capital is a sig-nificant mediator, but find a relatively significantrole for cognitive human capital, as measured byhigh school academic performance. It is not justhigher educational attainment; academic perfor-mance is strongly linked to health in later life.”

In her research, Herd explains that the betterthe students’ GPA, the healthier they werethroughout their lives. Why? That is an elusivemystery for researchers like Herd. She tested herown hypothesis that the personal trait of beingconscientious, which is important for academicsuccess, was the reason why students whoachieved higher grades were healthier. And she

looked for evidence that what she deemed “psy-chological human capital,” such as being anextrovert or being pleasant and agreeable, couldaccount for better health. As part of her conclu-sions, Herd posited that the academic skillslearned in school are what makes the differencein the health conditions of the students in the sur-vey. Herd concludes, “The findings support thehypothesis that cognitive human capital – whichincludes skills such as verbal, reading, writing,math, and science – helps explain the linkbetween educational attainment and health out-comes in early to mid late-life. High school acade-mic performance is related to changes in healthin mid- to late-life, both through a direct associa-tion and by mediating much of the relationshipbetween postsecondary schooling and health. Forhigh school graduates, it is not simply more yearsof schooling or a degree; academic performance(controlling for childhood IQ) helps determinewhether education is beneficial for health.”

At first blush, this might seem hard to under-stand, but the relationship between good healthand good grades can be explained in part by theeconomic and career choices a good educationcan provide to successful students. As Herdpoints out, “Occupation is linked to chronicconditions such as heart disease, hypertension,arthritis, ulcers, and chronic back pain. Generalself-reported health reflects mental well-beingand general physical disability, both of which areinfluenced by occupation. In turn, higherincome, gained via better jobs, influences healthvia decreased material deprivation and reduc-tions in chronic stress.”

And it isn’t just economic freedom and morelucrative careers that promote good health in theseformer students. Better-educated people makehealthier food choices, exercise more, and aremoderate drinkers. These choices stave off chronicconditions like diabetes, hypertension and heartdisease. More educated people also are moreresponsible about sticking to a drug regimen onceconfronted with a chronic illness, understand whattheir health advisers are telling them, and makesure they are well informed about their health.

If Herd’s hypothesis is valid, the reverse engi-neering of achieving healthier long-term life

starts with healthier students who are in a posi-tion to regularly attend school and aren’t plaguedwith chronic conditions that interrupt or discour-age learning. According to the Children’s DefenseLeague (CDL), Hispanic students are disadvan-taged when it comes to accessing the health careand preventive care that is a contributing factorto being academically successful. The CDL pointsout that more than three million Latino children(one out of every six) are uninsured. A largerpercentage of Latino children are uninsured thanthose of any other racial/ethnic group.

Almost 40 percent (3.1 million children) ofall uninsured children in America are Latino, andalmost one out of five Latino children is unin-sured. And these are children who are beingraised in families where one or both of their par-ents are working. Nine out of 10 uninsuredLatino children live in working families. Latinochildren in working families are 45 percent lesslikely than White children in working families tohave private health coverage. Latino children aretwo and a half times as likely to be uninsured asWhite children, and only about one-half as likelyto have private insurance. Latino children withdisabilities are more than twice as likely as Whitechildren with disabilities to lack health coverage.

The safety net for working poor is less reli-able for Hispanics than for other working poor.Roughly two-thirds of all uninsured Latino chil-dren are eligible for CHIP or Medicaid, accord-ing to their family income qualifications, yet arenot insured. And Hispanic children begin theirlives at a health disadvantage. Between 1989 and2006, the proportion of Latino births that werelow birth weight increased by 12.9 percent, andthe proportion of pre-term Latino birthsincreased by 9.9 percent.

More than one out of every five Latino 2-year-olds is not fully immunized.

Hispanic schoolchildren are also less likelyto have regular doctor visits for preventive andfollow up care. Latino children are 60 percentmore likely than White children to have gonemore than two years without seeing a health careprofessional and are two-thirds more likely tohave no regular place for health care. Latinochildren are 50 percent more likely than White


children to have an unmet medical need, 50 per-cent more likely to have an unmet dental need,and 30 percent more likely to have gone morethan two years without seeing a dentist.

There are many reasons for the disparity inhealth care for Hispanic students. The languagebarrier and a dearth of Hispanic health careworkers in some areas can contribute to thisproblem, but in most cases it’s just a matter ofmoney. Latino children are almost twice as likelyas White children to have an unmet medical

need because of cost. One in three Latino babiesis born into poverty, and three in 10 Latino chil-dren are poor. The number of poor Latino chil-dren increased by 1.5 million from 2000 to2008, to 5.0 million. Poor children are morelikely to face barriers to health coverage.

While only a small percentage of all childrenin America are in fair or poor health, Latinochildren are 50 percent more likely than Whitechildren to be in fair or poor health.

If, indeed, the higher the high school GPA, the

healthier the individual throughout life, promot-ing health care for students in high school isessential to close the achievement gap betweenWhite and non-White students. And promotinghealth care for students in high school will turnout more highly educated and healthy non-Whiteas well as White students, which will have thedomino effect of producing, in part, moreHispanic health care professionals to encourageHispanics to become more informed and involvedcaretakers of their own health. It’s all connected.


Theory into PracticeTheory into Practice

During the last three decades, the prevalence of obesity has tripled among persons aged 6 to 19 years. Multiple chronic disease risk factors, such ashigh blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and high blood glucose levels, are related to obesity. According to a study conducted by National Health andNutrition Examination Surveys, Hispanic children in the U.S. are at greater risk for obesity than other ethnic/racial groups. The Centers for Disease Control(CDC) says schools can play a huge role to help prevent obesity and promote physical activity and healthy eating through policies, practices, and supportiveenvironments and suggests these nine guidelines for schools to battle against obesity and for better student health.

Guideline 1. Coordinate Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Policies and Practices Through a School Health Council and SchoolHealth Coordinator. Each district should have a school health council to help ensure that schools implement developmentally appropriate and evidence-based health policies and practices. These councils should include representatives from different segments of the school and community, including healthand physical education teachers, nutrition service staff members, students, families, school administrators, school nurses and other health care providers,social service professionals, and religious and civic leaders.

Guideline 2. Establish School Environments that Support Healthy Eating and Physical Activity. The physical surroundings and psychosocialclimate of a school should encourage all students to make healthy eating choices and be physically active. The physical environment includes the entireschool building and the area surrounding it; facilities for physical activity, physical education, and food preparation and consumption; availability of foodand physical activity options; and conditions such as temperature, air quality, noise, lighting and safety.

Guideline 3. Provide a Quality School Meal Program and Ensure that Students Have Only Appealing, Healthy Food and BeverageChoices Offered Outside of the School Meal Program. Many schools provide students with access to foods and beverages in various venues acrossthe school campus, including meals served in the cafeteria as part of the federally reimbursable school meal program and competitive foods (i.e., foodsand beverages that are not part of the school meal program). Schools should model and reinforce healthy dietary behaviors by ensuring that only nutritiousand appealing foods and beverages are provided in all venues accessible to students.

Guideline 4. Implement a Comprehensive Physical Activity Program with Quality Physical Education as the Cornerstone. A substantialpercentage of recommended child and adolescent physical activity can be provided through a comprehensive school-based physical activity program. Acomprehensive program includes before, during, and after-school physical activity through recess and other physical activity breaks, intramurals and physi-cal activity clubs, interscholastic sports, walk- and bicycle-to-school initiatives, and quality physical education.

Guideline 5. Require Health Education from Pre-K Through Grade 12. Health education is integral to the primary mission of schools. In 2002,the Joint Committee on Health Education Terminology defined health education as ‘‘the development, delivery and evaluation of planned, sequential anddevelopmentally appropriate instruction, learning experiences, and other activities designed to protect, promote, and enhance the health literacy, attitudes,skills, and well-being of students, pre-kindergarten through grade 12.”

Guideline 6. Provide Students with Health, Mental Health and Social Services to Address Healthy Eating, Physical Activity and RelatedChronic Disease Prevention. School health, mental health and social services staff members can teach students the skills they need to live a healthy life;identify risky student behaviors and intervene when needed; identify and resolve health care needs that affect educational achievement; provide case manage-ment for health and mental health issues; address behavioral and psychological problems; and link students and families to community health resources.

Guideline 7. Partner with Families and Community Members in the Development and Implementation of Healthy Eating and PhysicalActivity Policies, Practices and Programs. Partnerships among schools, families and community members can enhance student learning, promoteconsistent messages about healthy behaviors, increase resources, and engage, guide and motivate students to eat healthfully and be active.

Guideline 8. Provide a School Employee Wellness Program that Includes Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Services for All SchoolStaff Members. Implementing and sustaining an employee wellness program has the potential to improve staff productivity, decrease employee absen-teeism, and decrease employee health care costs. Employee wellness programs also can increase employee morale and improve worker retention andrecruitment of new employees.

Guideline 9. Require the Hiring of Physical Education Teachers, Health Education Teachers and Nutrition Services Staff Members WhoAre Certified and Appropriately Prepared to Deliver Quality Instruction, Programs and Practices. Require the hiring of certified physical educa-tion teachers to teach physical education in grades K-12. Schools should develop and adopt policies that require certified physical education teachers, ratherthan teachers who are certified to teach other subject areas, to teach physical education in grades K-12 to ensure that students receive quality instruction.

Pew Hispanic Center Report Looksat Hispanics and Their Views ofIdentity

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Nearly four decades after the UnitedStates government mandated the use of theterms “Hispanic” or “Latino” to categorizeAmericans who trace their roots to Spanish-speaking countries, a new nationwide sur-vey of Hispanic adults finds that these termsstill haven’t been fully embraced byHispanics themselves. A majority (51 per-cent) say they most often identify themselvesby their family’s country of origin; just 24percent say they prefer a pan-ethnic label.Moreover, by a ratio of more than 2-to-1

(69 percent vs. 29 percent), survey respon-dents say that the more than 50 million

Latinos in the U.S. have many different cul-tures rather than a shared common culture.Respondents do, however, express a strong,shared connection to the Spanish language.More than eight in 10 (82 percent) Latinoadults say they speak Spanish, and nearly all(95 percent) say it is important for futuregenerations to continue to do so.According to the new report released by

the Pew Hispanic Center, Hispanics are alsodivided over how much of a common identi-ty they share with other Americans. Abouthalf (47 percent) say they consider them-selves to be very different from the typicalAmerican. And just one in five (21 percent)say they use the term “American” most oftento describe their identity. On these two mea-sures, U.S.-born Hispanics (who now makeup 48 percent of Hispanic adults in thecountry) express a stronger sense of affinity

with other Americans and America than doimmigrant Hispanics.The survey finds that, regardless of

where they were born, large majorities ofLatinos say that life in the U.S. is better thanin their family’s country of origin. Also,nearly nine in 10 (87 percent) say it isimportant for immigrant Hispanics to learnEnglish in order to succeed in the U.S.The report explores Latinos’ attitudes

about their identity, including race; theirlanguage-usage patterns; their core values;and their views about the U.S. and their fam-ilies’ country of origin.The report, When Labels Don’t Fit:

Hispanics and Their Views of Identity, isavailable on the Pew Hispanic Center’s web-site, www.pewhispanic.org.

Voters to Presidential Candidates:“Don’t Forget Ed!”

NEW YORK, N.Y.

A survey released two months ago by theCollege Board identifies education as thesleeper issue of Campaign 2012. Althougheducation hasn’t traditionally dominatedmedia coverage on the campaign trail,swing state voters clearly believe it shouldbe given more attention. With no party hold-ing a distinct advantage in reflecting voterpriorities on education, the issue is up forgrabs in swing presidential states and keySenate races.“The message voters are sending to can-

didates is clear: ‘Don’t Forget Ed,’” said

Gaston Caperton, president of the CollegeBoard. “People in every region of this coun-try and from all economic backgrounds feelthat education is getting short shrift in thiscampaign. They want the candidates to givemore time and attention to their plans forimproving educational opportunities inAmerica.”The College Board Swing State Education

Survey reveals that education is a top issuefor voters in this year’s elections, rankedonly behind jobs and the economy and onpar with government spending. In addition,70 percent of independent women in swingstates believe that “education is extremelyimportant” in this year’s elections for presi-dent and Congress. This call for a renewedfocus on education will be heard more fre-

quently thanks to a campaign announced inApril by the College Board.“Don’t Forget Ed,” the College Board’s

call to elevate education in the presidentialcampaign, launched in May and will contin-ue through Election Day in November. Thenational, grass-roots effort will provide stu-dents and others concerned about educa-tion a vehicle to press for education to be apriority during the political contest of 2012.Citing the fact that three out of four vot-

ers believe that postsecondary education isimportant to achieving success in the work-place, Caperton said, “Voters understandthat postsecondary education lies at theheart of the American Dream.”

The Hispanic Outlook In Higher Education www.hispanicoutlook.com June 04, 2012


International Graduate ApplicationsRise for Seventh Consecutive Year

WASHINGTON, D.C.

The number of applications fromprospective international students to U.S.graduate schools increased 9 percent in2012, following an 11 percent gain in 2011and matching the 9 percent growth seen in2010, according to a report that has beenissued by the Council of Graduate Schools(CGS).The initial snapshot of graduate applica-

tions for fall 2012 shows a seventh succes-sive year of double-digit growth in applica-tions from China, up 18 percent, comparedto a 21 percent increase in 2011.Applications from India increased 2 per-

cent, following an 8 percent increase in2011. South Korea’s 2 percent gain last yearwas followed by a decrease of 1 percent thisyear.This year, in addition to collecting data

for all international students, the reportalso looks at data for 10 specific countriesand regions, up from the four countriesand regions in previous years. The surveynow collects data on seven countries(China, India, South Korea, Taiwan,Canada, Mexico and Brazil) and threeregions (the Middle East, Africa andEurope). China, India, South Korea, Taiwanand Canada are the top five countries oforigin for international graduate students inthe United States. Altogether, the 10 coun-tries and regions highlighted in the CGSInternational Graduate Admissions Survey

account for the home countries of about 85percent of all international graduate stu-dents in the United States.Between 2011 and 2012, applications

from Mexico grew 17 percent; from Brazil,they increased 14 percent; and Canadianapplications rose 9 percent. Taiwan saw aslight decline of 2 percent. At the same time,applications from Africa decreased 5 percentwhile those from Europe grew 7 percent andthe Middle East increased 6 percent.The majority of institutions reported an

increase in applications over last year withan average increase of 11 percent at theseinstitutions. About four out of 10 respond-ing institutions reported a decrease, averag-ing 9 percent.The complete report is available at

www.cgsnet.org.

AAUP Releases Faculty SalaryReport

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Officially, the Great Recession endedalmost three years ago. Unfortunately formany, the improvements in the economicsof higher education are barely noticeable.This academic year is the third in a historiclow period for full-time faculty salaries,which failed to meet the rate of inflationagain this year. Some who work in part-timefaculty positions have justifiably criticizedthe lack of information about their situation,even as they have become the majority with-in the faculty. Students are facing escalatingtuition bills and student loan debt, and won-dering what’s driving those increases. Andthe “Occupy” movement has drawn a new

level of attention to the issue of incomeinequality, an issue the AmericanAssociation of University Professors’ (AAUP)annual economic status report has taken upfor many years in the context of collegesand universities.In addition to listing average salary by fac-

ulty rank and gender at 1,250 colleges anduniversities, AAUP’s report, A Very SlowRecovery: The Annual Report on theEconomic Status of the Profession, 2011-12, provides an important perspective on theeconomic challenges facing higher education.The overall average salary for full-time

faculty members rose 1.8 percent from2010-11, falling well short of the increase inthe cost of living during the year. At 2.9 per-cent, the average salary increase for facultymembers who remained employed at thesame institution barely kept pace with infla-

tion. And as has been the case for manyyears, salaries in the private sector generallyrose faster than those at public colleges anduniversities.This year’s analysis debunks the myth

that faculty salaries are driving tuition pricesupward.• Tuition prices have risen two, three, orfour times as fast as full-time faculty salaries• For public colleges and universities, amajor factor in tuition increases has beenthe withdrawal of state and local funding• The rise in tuition prices has coincidedwith rapid growth in part-time facultyappointments that pay incredibly low wagesand usually do not include benefitsThis year’s report, which also takes

another look at the compensation of collegeand university presidents, is available onAAUP’s website, www.aaup.org.

The Hispanic Outlook In Higher Education www.hispanicoutlook.com June 04, 2012



Salazar New Head of ArmstrongAtlantic State University HispanicInitiative

Dr. Veronikha Salazar has been hired tolead the new Hispanic Outreach and RetentionOffice at ArmstrongAtlantic State University(Ga.). She will beresponsible for provid-ing academic supportfor Latino studentsand supporting theEnrollment ServicesOffice and the HOLAProgram to facilitatecommunity development and outreach. Anaccomplished educator, she is a sought-afterspeaker on a range of issues related to diver-sity. Salazar has an M.Ed. and Ed.D. in adulteducation, with emphasis in multiculturaleducation and instructional technology, fromthe University of Arkansas.

Ortiz a Featured Speaker in NECCWhite Fund Lecture Series

Carmen Ortiz, first Hispanic and firstwoman to represent Massachusetts asU.S. attorney, was thefeatured speakerat Northern EssexCommunity College’sWhite Fund LectureSeries in February.During her presenta-tion, “A Morning withU.S. Attorney CarmenM. Ortiz: Top Prioritiesof a Federal Prosecutor,” Ortiz talked aboutthat role and shared her personal journey –with a message for young people about mak-ing the right choices at an early age.Nominated by President Barack Obama to hercurrent post, she was confirmed by the U.S.Senate in November 2009. Ortiz has a BBAfrom Adelphi University and a JD from GeorgeWashington University Law School.

FIU Honors AllendeAcclaimed Latin American author Isabel

Allende recently received a literary awardfrom the FloridaInternational University(FIU) Creative WritingProgram. Allende isthe person to receivethe Lawrence SandersAward, given by theCreative WritingProgram and theDepartment of Englishto recognize fiction writers whose work com-bines literary excellence with popular appeal.Past recipients are best-selling authors ScottTurow and Pat Conroy. With 19 books thathave sold more than 57 million copies in 35languages, Allende epitomizes the spirit of theaward. The Chilean author began her writingcareer as a journalist and has since collectedan array of literary awards from around theworld.

HHIISSPPAANNIICCSS OONN TTHHEE MMOOVVEEHHIISSPPAANNIICCSS OONN TTHHEE MMOOVVEE

THE HISPANIC OUTLOOK MAGAZINE...Serving the Hispanic Academic Community for 22 Years

Web Packages AvailableAsk about our Advertising Enhancements!

1-800-549-8280 ext. 102 or 106

Call us to see what we can do for you!Call us to see what we can do for you!


Central Arizona College is a dynamic and multifaceted institution of higher educationfeaturing 10 locations strategically located throughout Pinal County, for educating thediverse population of the region. The college offers more than 70 degree and certificateprograms and serves a county that is the second fastest growing county in the U.S andgeographically is nearly the size of the State of Connecticut. In addition to three majorcampuses, the district boasts seven centers to enhance accessibility to the institution.The district is currently in a $99 million expansion project building two complete newcampuses. Current center locations include two in Casa Grande - the Casa GrandeCenter located in the center of downtown, and the Corporate Center located at theFlorence Boulevard exit of I-10 - as well as the Coolidge, Florence, Maricopa,SaddleBrooke and San Tan centers.

Presidential SearchThe Board of Governors seeks an enthusiastic, ethical visionary who possessesmany of the following leadership qualifications, characteristics and the ability to:

• Convey an educational vision, develop consensus among community andcollege interests, and translate the vision into action.

• Show a personal employment history as an individual with integrity, ethics,principles and credibility, who is self-confident and respectful of others, andcan inspire personal trust and commitment through the empowerment ofsubordinate leadership.

• Demonstrate evidence of sensitivity and understanding of the diversebackgrounds, culture, age, academic preparation and socio-economic makeupof the modern community college.

• Document a pattern of success as an individual who is student centered willsupport an institutional atmosphere of student success and will lead thefaculty and staff as a compassionate student advocate.

• Articulate and show a record of individual commitment to technology in thesupport of leading edge and developing technologies.

• Show accomplishments in economic development activity that will assure acommitment of actively seeking community input assessing business needsand orchestrating a collaborative partnership that is flexible and responds toeducational and workforce development needs throughout our diverse communities.

• Demonstrate accomplishments as an experienced leader with a successfulrecord of educational or fiscal advocacy with governing boards andlegislative or congressional delegations.

• Document a record of commitment to a strategic investment in the humancapital of the organization.

• Articulate and demonstrate a solid business approach and the skills todevelop and manage a complex budgetary and resource allocation plan thatwill ensure the continued long-term fiscal stability of the District.

• Present a record of successful instruction with an energetic desire to supportinnovative educational programs and the faculty and staff thatmakes them successful.

• Demonstrate effective multidimensional communication skills, verbally andin written form, to a broad range of constituencies, and engage in an effectivedialogue respecting the honest opinions and expressions of all participants.

QUALIFICATIONS: EDUCATION: An earned doctorate in Education,Management, or related field from a regionally accredited institution of highereducation is required. EXPERIENCE: The ideal candidate will possess significantexperience in a senior leadership role in a multi-campus community college setting.

DEADLINE: The applicant is responsible for ensuring that all application materialsare delivered to the Office of the Presidential Search by 5:00 p.m. MST, July 9, 2012.The College does not accept fax and electronic application materials for this position.

APPLICATION INFORMATION: The application packet will consist of: letter ofinterest, current resume, completed Central Arizona College application and unofficialcopies of transcripts reflecting the required degree. Applications without requiredtranscripts will not be considered. To access a complete list of desired qualificationsand additional application information, go to www.centralaz.edu/presidentsearch or bycalling the Office of the Presidential Search at 520-494-5213. Send applicationmaterials and nominations for the position to:

Presidential Search, Room H106ATTN: Jim KimseyVice President for Human Resources8470 North Overfield RoadCoolidge, AZ 85128

Central Arizona College provides an equal opportunity in employmentand educational programs and activities. Discrimination based on race,

color, religion, sex, age, disability, national origin, military status or genetictest information is prohibited.


The Department of Mechanical Engineering atTexas Tech University is seeking candidates fortwo tenure-track positions at the Assistant orAssociate Professor level. Candidates shouldhave an established research expertise in eithernanotechnology or biomedical/bioengineering.We expect that one hire will be in the area ofDesign, and that the other will be in the area ofDynamics, Controls, and Vibrations. Candidatesat the Assistant Professor level must showstrong potential for securing external researchfunding. Candidates at the Associate Professorlevel must have a record of successfullyobtaining such funding.

A PhD in Mechanical Engineering or related fieldis required. Applicants should possess excellentwritten and oral communication skills, and theability to work with a diverse body of studentsand colleagues. Duties will include teaching anddeveloping undergraduate and graduate courses,establishing and maintaining an externally fundedresearch program, and performing service to thedepartment, college, and university.

Presently, the ME Department has 29 facultymembers and 1,100 undergraduate and 125graduate students. Texas Tech University, with anenrollment of 32,000 students, comprises 12academic colleges/schools and is a part of thestate-supported Texas Tech University System.The University shares its campus with the TTUHealth Sciences Center.

Texas Tech University is located in Lubbock, TX,a community of 230,000 people. The cost of livingin Lubbock has historically been low compared tonational norms. The city hosts frequent musical,theatrical, and sporting events. Many otherrecreational and cultural opportunities are easilyaccessible by car.

Applications must be submitted on-line athttp://jobs.texastech.edu. Candidates with ananotechnology emphasis should refer toRequisition No. 85579. Candidates with abiomedical or bioengineering emphasis shouldrefer to Requisition No. 85578. The completeapplication package should consist of 1) adetailed CV, 2) a letter of application that includesteaching and research philosophy, and 3) contactinformation for at least three references.Applications will be evaluated as they arereceived; review will continue until the position isfilled. Requests for further information should beaddressed to Ms. Linda Whitebread via e-mail [email protected].

Texas Tech University is an AffirmativeAction/Equal Opportunity Employer.We strongly encourage applicationsfrom women, minorities, persons with

disabilities, and veterans, and we considerthe needs of dual-career couples.

Faculty Positions inMechanical Engineering


CHANCELLORUniversity of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, California

The University of California invites nominations and applications for the position of Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley campus. The current incumbent, Robert J. Birgeneau, will step down effective December 31, 2012.

The University of California, Berkeley, a public land-grant university founded in 1868, is a member of the University of California system and the first of its ten campuses. Committed to a mission of teaching, research and public service, UC Berkeley is one of the world’s preeminent universities. Its distinguished full-time faculty totals approximately 1500, with 22 Nobel Prize recipients, including nine who are current faculty members, 32 MacArthur fellows and four Pulitzer Prize winners. Its 14 schools and colleges offer more than 350 academic programs supported by a stellar library collection and a system of world-class research museums, field stations, and performing and fine arts centers. With 450,000 living alumni, it currently enrolls 25,800 undergraduates who participate in over 1200 student organizations and compete in 27 men’s and women’s intercollegiate sports. It attracts a top echelon of graduate students from around the world and with 10,200 graduate students is the largest producer of Ph.D.’s in the country. The campus employs 24,000 people and has annual revenues of more than $2 billion. It is engaged in a landmark fundraising campaign led by the Chancellor to raise $3 billion and is on track to reach this goal by the end of 2013.

A major source for the discovery and creation of knowledge, UC Berkeley has become a catalyst of economic growth and social innovation: the place where vitamin E was discovered; a lost Scarlatti opera found; the flu virus identified; the accelerating expansion of the universe first documented; and the nation’s first no-fault divorce law drafted. In recognition of broad and deep excellence, respected sources have repeatedly ranked UC Berkeley among the world’s top programs in fields ranging from engineering and the physical and life sciences to the social sciences, arts, and humanities. It partners closely with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which is located near the campus.

UC Berkeley is an engine of social mobility that attracts students of exceptional talent from all socioeconomic backgrounds. The large majority of undergraduate students are Californians and 35 percent come from low-income families, with more Pell Grant recipients than all eight Ivy League universities combined. About one-third of UC Berkeley’s undergraduates are first-generation college students. Student graduation rates are over 90 percent.

The Chancellor is the chief executive officer of the UC Berkeley campus and reports to the President of the University of California. The Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost and six Vice Chancellors report to the Chancellor. Qualified candidates should have demonstrated leadership skills in a rigorous academic and research environment with a strong personal record of achievement in teaching, research, and service. Ideal candidates should be able to plan for and execute the continued growth of UC Berkeley as an academically preeminent global leader providing broad access to students from all socioeconomic levels. They should show an ability to engage the energy and vitality of the campus with creativity and innovation, and understand its ethos of public service. They must also demonstrate a collaborative style and an ability to work effectively in a complex environment. They must possess a clear vision of the future of higher education, particularly in a public setting, and how this vision can guide this particular campus. Qualified candidates should demonstrate a record of effective commitment to progress in equity and inclusion. Essential qualifications also include the ability to succeed in institutional fundraising and the capacities that create effective linkages with internal and external constituents and alumni.

Reviews of candidate materials will begin immediately and the position will remain open until filled. Salary will be commensurate with experience.

The University of California has retainedSpencer Stuart, a global executive search firm,

to assist with this search.Confidential inquiries, nominations, referrals

and resumes with cover letter should be sent in confidence to: Jennifer Bol and Kristine Johnson,

Spencer Stuart at the following email address: [email protected]

UC Berkeley is committed to equity and inclusion and it is expected that the successful candidate will further this commitment. The University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.

incumbent, Robert J. Birgeneau, will step down effective December 31, 2012.

BerkeleyCalifornia, of University TheUniversity the of member ais 1868,

mission ato Committed campuses. sworld’the ofoneis Berkeley UC

approximately totals faculty full-time faculty current are who nine including

14 Its winners. Prize Pulitzer four by supported programs academic

fimuseums, research world-class alumni, living 450,000 With centers.

student 1200 over in participate who sports. intercollegiate swomen’sand

world the around from students

ill step down effective December 31, 2012.

founded university land-grant public a,eyten its of first the andsystem California of y

service, public andresearch teaching, of ndistinguished Its universities. preeminent

recipients, Prize Nobel 22 with 1500, tely and fellows MacArthur 32 members, culty 3than more offer colleges and schools

system aand collection library stellar aarts fine and performing and stations, eld

undergraduates 25,800 enrolls currently it ,men’27 in compete andorganizations ent

graduate of echelon top aattracts It rts. the is students graduate 10,200 with and

2.

in en ce, ed ts, nd 50 of

rts es

sn’ate he

cthe in sPh.D.’sof producer largest tmore of revenues annualhasand

Chancellor the by led campaignfundraising reach this goal by the end of 2013.

adiscovery the for source major Aeconomic growth of a catalyst become

Scarlatti lost adiscovered; was Evitamin uthe of expansion accelerating the

In recognition drafted. no-fault divorce law first repeatedly have sources respected

engineering from ranging fields in programs and arts, sciences, social the to

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

graduate 10,200 people 24,000 employs campus The .country

landmark ain engaged is It billion. $2 than track on is andbillion $3 raise to hancellor

hBerkeley UC knowledge, of creation nd place where innovation: the and social owth

identified; virus flu the found; opera carlatti nation’the and documented; first universe

excellence, deep andof broad n recognition top sworld’the amongBerkeley UC ranked y

sciences life and physical the and gineering the with closely partners It humanities.

, which is located near the campus. atory

ple ark

to

as ere ed;

sn’ce, op eshe

msocial of engine an is Berkeley UC backgrounds. socioeconomic all from talent

percent 35 andCalifornians are students athan recipients Grant Pell more usBerkeley’sUC of one-third About

students. Student graduation rates are over 90 percent.

executive chief the is Chancellor TheUniversity the ofPresident the to reports Vsix andProvost andChancellor

have should candidates Qualified eresearch andacademicrigorous

research, teaching, in achievement ofthe execute andfor plan to able be

exceptional of students attracts that mobility undergraduate ofmajority large The grounds.

with families, low-income from come ercent combined. universities League Ivy eight ll

college first-generation are undergraduates s are over 90 percent.

and campus Berkeley UC the of officer ive ice VExecutive TheCalifornia. ofniversity

Chancellorthe to report Chancellors ice Vin skills leadership demonstrated ve

record personal strong awith environment should candidates Ideal service. andrch, as Berkeley UC of growth continued he

nal ate ith

ed. ge

nd ce

.ora

ord uld an the execute andfor plan to able be

leader global preeminent academically should They levels. socioeconomic all creativity with campus the ofvitality and

must They service. public of ethos cain effectively work to ability an

higher of future the ofvision clear this guide can vision this howand

eof record ademonstrate should qualifications Essential inclusion. and

cathe and fundraising institutional internal and external constituents and alumni.

wmaterials candidate of Reviews remain open until filled. Salary will be commensurate with experience.

as Berkeley UC of growth continued hefrom students to access broad providing der

energy the engage to ability anshow hould understand andinnovation, and eativity

and style collaborative ademonstrate also possess must They environment. complex

setting, public ain particularly education, rcandidates Qualified campus. particular s

equity in progress to commitment ffective succeed to ability the include also ions

with linkages effective create that pacities and alumni.

wposition the andimmediately begin will be commensurate with experience.

an om gyits nd

asng, es ity in

ith

will

Spencer Stuart, a global executive search firm,

Confidential inquiries, nominations, referrals and resumes with cover letter should be sent in

confidencSpencer Stuart at the following email address:

andequity to committed is Berkeley UC commitment. this further will candidate

.opportunity employer

The University of California has retaineder Stuart, a global executive search firm,

to assist with this search.fidential inquiries, nominations, referrals umes with cover letter should be sent in

ce to: Jennifer Bol and Kristine Johnson, er Stuart at the following email address:

[email protected]

successful the that expected is it andinclusion daction/equal affirmative anis University The nt.

edm,

ch.als

in on, ss: om

ful ual

SCHOOL OF MEDICINEThe University of California, Davis, School of Medicineis part of a nationally recognized, highly collaborativehealth system that excels in translating scientificdiscoveries and new technology into improved patient careand community health.

Based in Sacramento, CA, the UC Davis School ofMedicine is seeking talented faculty to join an innovativeenvironment infused with team learning, team researchand team patient care. Academic positions are available atall levels in clinical and basic science departments withresearch, teaching, and/or clinical responsibilities in fiveacademic series.

To learn more about the exciting opportunities UC Davishas to offer, please visithttp://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/academicpersonnel/

The University of California is an affirmativeaction/equal opportunity employer with a strong

commitment to achieving diversity in its faculty and staff.

TheWilliamAllenWhite School of Journalism andMass Communications at theUniversity of Kansas is looking for an outstanding colleague, scholar and teacherto join us as an assistant professor in strategic communication, tenure track.

An active research program, teaching experience and professional experiencewill distinguish applicants. Applicants should have research and teachingexpertise in at least one of the following areas: strategic campaigns,principles of strategic communication, message development, healthcommunication (in a mass or new media context), or social media marketing.

Research in issues related to diversity, experience in working with a diversepopulation, or success in receiving external research grants is preferred butnot required.

Special consideration will be given to applicants committed to excellence whocan contribute to the University’s innovative, collaborative, andmultidisciplinaryinitiatives to educate leaders, build healthy communities, and make discoveriesthat will change the world. See http://www.provost.ku.edu/planning/

For a complete position description and to apply, go to https://jobs.ku.eduand search for position #00209697. Direct questions [email protected]. Initial review begins September 1, 2012, and willcontinue until the position is filled. Start date is August 18, 2013. Salarycommensurate with experience.

EO/AA employer


The University of Michigan School of Dentistry (UMSD), one of the nation’s premier dental schools, isseeking applications and nominations for the position of Dean.

Established in 1875, the University of Michigan School of Dentistry was the first dental school to providegraduate dental education, among the first to admit women, and the first to establish a four-year dentalcurriculum. Today, UMSD faculty members are recognized worldwide for the caliber of their scholarshipand for the number of leaders in academic dentistry they have trained. The school has approximately 560outstanding faculty and staff, and 600 students enrolled in degree programs throughout its five departments.The UMSD is recognized internationally for the quality of clinical training and the excellence of its residencyprograms. In FY2011, the UMSD had an all-funds operating budget of $77.5 million, of which $11.2million was through research grants from the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research(NIDCR), making it the top dental school in the country in NIDCR funding. Awards from other institutesbrought the NIH grant total to $15.3 million.

The University of Michigan invites both nominations and applications for the position of Dean of theSchool of Dentistry. Candidates should be committed to scholarship and have the desire, ability, and visionto further the School of Dentistry’s mission in teaching, research, patient care, service, community outreachand major fundraising. Candidates will also need to possess administrative and managerial skills to lead aSchool of Dentistry in a highly interdisciplinary campus of a research intensive public university.

Candidates for this position will have a DDS/DMD and/or an advanced degree (e.g., PhD) in health relatedscience and a sustained record of academic accomplishment appropriate for a tenured appointment at therank of professor. As the chief academic, administrative and financial officer of the School of Dentistry, theDean reports directly to the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Nominations and applications will be reviewed beginning in June 2012. The University’s dedication toexcellence is complemented by its commitment to building a culturally diverse academic community.Individuals from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. Inquiries, nominations, and applicationsconsisting of a letter, curriculum vitae, and the names and contact information of three references, should besubmitted, preferably in electronic form, to:

Jacques E. Nör, DDS, PhD, ChairSchool of Dentistry Dean Search Advisory CommitteeDonald A Kerr Collegiate Professor of DentistryUniversity of Michigan3074 Fleming Administration BuildingAnn Arbor, MI [email protected]

or to Spencer Stuart, which has been retained by the University to assist in the search:Maitreya RichSpencer Stuart10900 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 800Los Angeles, CA 90024Tel: 310-209-0610Fax: [email protected]

For more information visit our website at http://www.dent.umich.edu/DeanSearch2012

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

DEAN, SCHOOL OF DENTISTRYWenzhou-Kean University

Anticipated Faculty Positions 2012-2013

Kean, a comprehensive New Jersey state University, isseeking faculty for its two-year program in Wenzhou,China, offered temporarily on the campus of and inpartnership with Wenzhou University. Wenzhou-KeanUniversity programs comprise four baccalaureate majors:English (writing option), Computer Science, Finance andAccounting (with emphasis on international standards andpractices). All instruction is in English for Chinese studentsof traditional college-entering age (18) who have studiedEnglish throughout their primary and secondary educationand who have scored high on the Chinese national exam forEnglish-language proficiency.All open faculty positions arefull-time, single or multi-year assignments, effectiveSeptember 1, 2012 at the rank of Lecturer, Assistant orAssociate Professor unless otherwise indicated. Multiplepositions are available in each area listed below.

English (Writing and Language Development)Experienced teachers and active scholars or writers toteach extended-hours first-year composition and relatedsupplemental courses in discipline-specific written andoral academic discourse in Computer Science, Finance,Accounting and professional writing in English.

Qualifications:ABDwith completion date by September 1,2013 required for faculty teaching composition. Doctoratein English, Writing, Rhetoric, Composition Studies,ESL/EFL or a related discipline preferred. Terminaldegree and/or related qualifications (MBA, CPA, etc.)in Computer Science, Finance andAccounting requiredfor faculty teaching supplemental courses focusing onthe literature, terminology and professional discourse ofthose majors. Doctorate degree preferred.

Computer ScienceActive scholars and dedicated faculty members to teachundergraduate courses (CS0/1/2 in Java, Android andAlice programming) and a General Education course(computer literacy and Microsoft Excel/Access).

Qualifications: ABD with completion date by September1, 2013 required. Doctorate degree preferred. Candidateshould demonstrate scholarly capability and an activeresearch agenda in one of several core areas of interestincluding, but not limited to, human-computerinteraction; computer vision; data mining; game designand development; graphics; machine-learning; softwareassurance; and software engineering.

Mathematics (To begin winter session, January 2013)Experienced teachers and active scholars or practitionersof math-intensive professions to teach first-year andsecond-year math courses for General Education and fordiscipline-specific requirements in Computer Science,Finance and Accounting.

Qualifications: ABD with completion date by September1, 2013 required. Doctorate degree in Math or a relateddiscipline preferred.

Application, Salary and Benefits Information on AllPositions

Review of applications will begin immediately andcontinue until positions are filled. Send letter of interestand resume including names and contact information forthree professional references by email to:Wenzhou-KeanUniversity Faculty Search Committee Chairperson, [email protected]. Official transcripts for all degrees andthree current letters of recommendation are requiredbefore appointment. Salary is competitive andcommensurate with qualifications and experience. Acomprehensive benefits package including travel andhousing allowances is available. Contingent onBudgetary Approval and Appropriated Funding.

Kean University is an EOE/AA Institution

Multicultural Affairs - Assistant Director

Bachelor’s degree preferably in a liberal arts or social science discipline, master’s preferred. Minimum two years ofexperience in: developing, implementing and evaluating of intercultural/diversity programs and academic programs toincrease diverse student access and retention in higher education; demonstrated experience working with students,faculty, staff, and community members; assist with providing administrative functions for the pre-college preparationand higher education retention programs; design and coordinate cultural programs and activities that foster an inclusivecampus. Demonstrated excellent interpersonal, presentation, written and verbal communication skills. Some weekendhours and extended weekday hours are required. For a full description and to apply online, go to www.gvsujobs.org.

Grand Valley State University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution.

OFFICE OFMULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS


Marketing Faculty Position

The Marketing Unit at Harvard Business School invites applications for a faculty position to start in July 2013. Marketing encompasses understanding consumer behavior, international marketing, business-to-business marketing, product management, new product development and marketing organization and systems. Applicants should have outstanding records in Ph.D. or DBA programs, strong potential and interest to do research at the forefront of their fields, and great enthusiasm for teaching. Position entails teaching in graduate and executive education programs and creative development of appropriate teaching materials.

Candidates should submit CV, copies of publications and working papers, and letters of recommendation at: www.hbs.edu/research/faculty-recruiting/.Closing date for applications is July 1, 2012. If there are materials that can only be sent in hard copy, you can send them to: Harvard Business School, Faculty Administration, Attn: Marketing Application, Morgan Hall T25, Soldiers Field Road, Boston, MA 02163.

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Women and minorities

are encouraged to apply.

NURSING FACULTY POSITIONS

Dover Business College, a growing multi campusinstitution with locations in Clifton and Dover,New Jersey, seeks full- and part-time faculty toteach various nursing specialty courses in itsPractical Nurse program. Positions available forthe upcoming Summer and Fall terms. Day,evening, and weekend classes available.

Candidate must possess a BSN (MSN preferred)and a valid, unencumbered New JerseyRegistered Nurse license. Three years’ clinicalexperience in one of the following specialtiesalso required: Medical-Surgical, Psychiatry,Obstetrics/Gynecology, Pediatrics, or any criticalcare setting. Prior teaching experience is a plus.

Interested candidates should [email protected] so that detailed instructionsfor the online application process can be sent.

Dover Business College is an Affirmative

Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

Hispanic Outlook....

There’s An AppFor That!

Download Your Free App At itunes


Introducing Our NewEarly Childhood Education Degree

You should expect an excellent education from your college, but that’sjust the beginning. Your college should provide career guidance if you’reuncertain. Your college should examine the job market and offer degreeprograms in growing industries. And, your college should provideinternships that give you on-the-job experience, and professors who areactive in the industries they teach about.

For over 75 years, Monroe College has been providing students with allthat, and more. Today, over 7,000 students attend Monroe College inAssociate, Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs. If you decide tojoin them, you too will receive an excellent education. But you’ll alsogrow as an individual, find the direction you need, and gain the realworld experience that will help you succeed.

AtMonroe,We Get You.

Master’s, Bachelor’s and Associate Degree Programs:AccountingBaking & PastryBusiness ManagementCriminal JusticeCulinary ArtsEarly Childhood EducationHealth Services Administration

Hospitality ManagementInformation TechnologyMedical AdministrationMedical AssistingPublic HealthRegistered Nurse

www.monroecollege.edu1.800.55.MONROE

Bronx 2501 Jerome AvenueNew Rochel le 434 Main Street

The Nursing Division of Dominican College in Rockland County, 20 miles north ofNYC, invites applications for the position of Coordinator of the RN-BSN Programcommencing in the Fall 2012.

We are seeking a dynamic leader for a program that educates 20 - 30 RN students per year.The Coordinator will supervise and assume responsibility for implementing curriculumthat is congruent with the philosophy and curriculum of the Department of Nursing;collaborate in preparing accreditation reports; screen, evaluate and advise potentialprogram candidates; and maintain records of admitted students. The Coordinator isresponsible for ongoing advisement and monitoring of students and the program; forrecruiting, selecting and assigning program faculty; and for overseeing clinicalplacements. This position also requires the teaching of 18 credits per academic year.

Dominican College is a private institution with approximately 2,000 students and 400faculty and staff. Committed to building its programs upon a strong liberal artsfoundation, the College offers an array of undergraduate and graduate degreeopportunities in the liberal arts and sciences, business, and the professions.

Requirements:Master’s degree in Nursing; a terminal degree orABD preferred. Licensednurse in the State of New York (New Jersey as well preferred). Three years experienceteaching in an accredited nursing program at the college level. Three years clinical and/ornursing practice experience as an educator in an accredited nursing program.

Qualified applicants are requested to forward their cover letter, curriculum vitae andthree letters of reference to [email protected]

Application deadline is Friday June 15th

AA/EOE

Coordinator, RN-BSN Program


COMMUNITY AND FAMILY HEALTH, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH, EPIDEMIOLOGY & BIOSTATISTICSGLOBAL HEALTH, HEALTH POLICY & MANAGEMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE

Be a change agent for health

P U B L I C H E A L T H , I T ’ S Y O U R H E A L T H

EHYLIMAFDNAYTINUMMOCAEHLABOLG

APUCCO&LATNEMNORIVNE,HTLAEMEGANAM&YCILOPHTLAEH,HTLA

&YGOLOIMEDIPE,HTLAEHLANOITAECITCARPHTLAEHCILBUP,TNEM

SCITSITATSOIB

POSITIONS

ARIZONA

Central Arizona College 33

CALIFORNIA

University of California, Berkeley 35

University of California, Davis 35

FLORIDA

University of South Florida 33

KANSAS

University of Kansas 35

MASSACHUSETTS

Harvard Business School 37

MICHIGAN

Grand Valley State University 36

University of Michigan 36

NEW JERSEY

Dover Business College 37

Kean University 36

NEW YORK

Dominican College 38

New York City College of Technology/CUNY 38

OHIO

Bowling Green State University 34

TEXAS

Sul Ross State University 33

Texas Tech University 34

University of Texas at Arlington 37

INSTITUTIONAL

Monroe College NY 38

University of South Florida FL 39

CONFERENCES

National Council of La Raza DC 2

*To see all our “Employment and other Opportunities,”

including all Web Postings, visit our website at www.HispanicOutlook.com

A D V E R T I S I N G I N D E X

H I S P A N I C O U T L O O K • 0 6 / 0 4 / 2 0 1 2

P.O. Box 68 Paramus, NJ 07652-0068

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

P obrecito. A common word in many Hispanic families, it used to mean“poor thing,” describing a pitiful person in a lamentable situation.“Your son has been suspended, Mrs. Flores,” the principal

announced on the phone. “He was fighting with another student at noon.He has to stay home for three days.”

“Pobrecito, mi’jito,” lamented the boy’s mother as she hung up andturned to her neighbor, visiting over coffee. “This boy at school bothershim, and my son has a hard time controlling himself when he gets angry.And that principal doesn’t like my son, either.”

Switch scenes to another Latino family, another time, another place.“Where’s Judy, Mom? We’re checking if she wants to go with us to

the mall.”“She’s at work, Linda. She is putting in extra hours so she can earn

as much as she can before she goes back to school.”“Pobrecita, having to work,” Linda replied as she turned and headed

out the door.Pobrecito. Pobrecita. Why do Latinos often insist on feeling sorry for

someone who must face natural and logical consequences for theirbehavior or put in the work to achieve success?

We should support corrective behavior or endorse honest effortinstead. It will help prepare Hispanic teens for higher education andbeyond.

“Pobrecito, mi’jito has a hard time reading, and then he’s shy,too” should instead be “I need to find someone to help him learn toread better.”

“Pobrecita mi’jita lost her job because she was out too late with herboyfriend” should be “My daughter is learning the hard way that she hasto pay attention to her responsibilities, not just her social life.”

Hispanic youth deserve adults to hold them accountable and supportthem as they make decisions. Though pobrecito may be a heartfelt,compassionate attempt to lessen a situation, Latino youngsters shouldnot be let off the hook too easily, yet we should not be excessively puni-tive with them, either.

Increasing independence shouldbe granted as increased responsibili-ty is shown. If a Latino teen makes abad decision, he should live by its consequence. And if he does well, hedeserves to enjoy the benefits success brings.

The pobrecito lament actually disempowers the Hispanic adolescent.If a teen does not have to take responsibility for his actions and live withthe consequences (especially if he is living with externally imposed con-sequences like incarceration while the perception at home may be thathe is a victim), then he also has no power to make things happen posi-tively, either. Left to the power of fate, life thereafter “just happens” tothe adolescent; the teen doesn’t steer his life as he sees fit.

With that mindset, why bother with school? Or saving money? Orgoing to work at a less-than-fun job? Pobrecitos are always victims, soany of those attempts to direct one’s own life would not work anyway.

Excusing someone’s untoward behavior may alleviate bad feelingstemporarily, but not in the long run. When a youngster is taken off thehook too easily by the parent, he doesn’t have to feel the pain of a baddecision, nor is he allowed to feel the joy of a good one, either.Unwittingly, Latino parents who ingratiate their children to excess mayfind their children rebelling more against limits or rules, perpetuatingthe cycle of unproductive, unacceptable behavior.

One Hispanic woman bemoaned her aggressive, alcoholic son’s con-dition. She bailed him out of jail, repaired his wrecked automobiles,paid his bills and got him out of innumerable scrapes. “I just don’t knowwhat else to do with him, pobrecito,” she lamented.

She was going to pobrecito him all the way to the penitentiary. Thosewho don’t know how to set or respect limits are forced to do so in anextreme setting like a prison. Add the social forces of attitude, the econ-omy and many other pressures that prime Latino youth in the wrongdirection, and we end up with a disproportionate number of incarcerat-ed Latinos.

With such a cycle, all of us can end up being pobrecitos. Must we?

POBRECITO LAMENT NOT HELPFUL TOLATINO TEENS

PPrriimmiinngg tthhee PPuummpp......

Miquela Rivera, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist withyears of clinical, early childhood and consultativeexperience. She lives in Albuquerque, N.M.

This article appearedonline only in the

06/04/12Issue

H I S P A N I C O U T L O O K • 0 6 / 0 4 / 2 0 1 2

by Gustavo A. Mellander

Back in the 1980s, there was a lot of hullabaloo about the Decade ofthe Hispanics. Time magazine had a cover story extolling the newera. Other media forces piped up to trumpet that a new day was

aborning. Opportunities would flourish, and Hispanics would finally arrive:educationally, politically and financially.

The joyful prognostications were based on sheer population growth.That, of course, is hardly a reason “to arrive.” It can actually be a deter-rent. Quality of education for any group early on is far more important.

Well, the decade came and went, and Hispanics had many successes,but they hardly had their “decade.”

Today, midway through the fateful year of 2012, Hispanics are thelargest minority group in America’s schools – more than one in five stu-dents overall. They face monumental challenges.

What are some of them? Hispanic students are more likely to attend ourlowest-performing schools, more likely to populate the largest classes, andmore likely to drop out at higher rates.

Fewer than half participate in early childhood education programs. Manymuddle along in their elementary years, but only about half graduate on timefrom high school. Of the few who make it to college, many often find them-selves underprepared for its rigors. Many drop out their very first year.

They are caught in a national trend. In just a single generation, Americahas fallen from first to ninth in college completion rates for all students. Itis not just a Hispanic situation; it is an American problem. It has to beaddressed and solved because if we allow the trend to continue, it won’tjust be one community that falls behind – all will fall behind.

Is college that important? Absolutely. An example: Unemployment ratesfor Americans who never went to college are almost double what they arefor those who attended. When most new jobs being created require somehigher education, when other countries are out-educating us today to out-compete us tomorrow – college is important.

Making sure that America offers everybody, regardless of race, a world-class education is more than a moral obligation. It is an economic impera-tive if we are to succeed in the 21st century and beyond.

Improving educational outcomes for the Hispanic community is criti-cal. As President Obama has stated, every student should “receive a com-plete and competitive education from cradle to career.”

His administration launched the “Race to the Top” program to encour-age states to transform their schools from the bottom up for all children. Itis similar to and builds upon initiatives launched by presidents Johnson,Clinton and the two Bushes.

They all succeeded in part and failed in part. Or maybe they really did-n’t fail; the problems simply kept shifting, kept growing. Further, someentrenched, fundamental issues can’t be fully resolved in a few years.

Presently, 48 states and D.C. have agreed to raise standards, improvecurricula, and turn around struggling schools. Steps are underway torecruit and train more outstanding teachers, including bilingual teachers.

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan challenged the states to identifyand turn around the nation’s 5,000 worst schools, many of which are theones that produce the most Hispanic dropouts.

Educating our children – all of them – so they can graduate ready forcollege, ready for a career, is essential.

Many are saying these improvements are not possible, that the reformswon’t work, that problems in our education system are too entrenched. Iknow change is hard. Change takes time. Fixing what is broken in our edu-cation system will not be easy. We won’t see results overnight. It may takeyears, even decades, for all these changes to be implemented.

But that’s no reason not to get started. That’s no reason not to strive forthese changes. That’s a reason for us, in fact, to start making them right now.Both political parties should unite and support an identical education agenda.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)Education for Hispanics

Let’s focus on a single segment that must be revitalized if America is toregain its worldwide competitiveness. We return to education.

It was boldly addressed by President George H. W. Bush and supportedby both parties in Congress. Referred to as STEM education, it is a key ele-ment for the United States to regain its leadership role. As PresidentObama said, we must “craft the industries of tomorrow and the jobs theywill create, we must continue to invest in educating the scientists, technol-ogists and engineers who will develop these breakthroughs.”

Twenty-first century jobs require more advanced skills and knowledge thanever before; a high school degree is not enough. Georgetown University predictsthat 62 percent of jobs in 2030 will require education beyond high school.

Obama has continued White House support for the so-called “hard sci-ences.” Professions in science, technology, engineering and mathematics(STEM) are critical and must be nurtured. Many wonderful opportunitieslie ahead for those who major in those fields. Enriched higher educationfunding and student aid has been approved by both the Bush and theObama administrations to support those goals.

The opportunities are there. The 10 highest-paying college majors and

TARGETING HIGHER EDUCATION

Hispanics andHealth Professions

Hispanics andHealth Professions

0 6 / 0 4 / 2 0 1 2 • H I S P A N I C O U T L O O K

fastest-growing occupations are STEM-related. Unfortunately, Hispanicssignificantly trail other groups when it comes to STEM majors and gradu-ates. More must be encouraged to pursue those specialties.

It will not be easy to recapture our worldwide leadership role. Todaythe United States languishes in the middle of the achievement bundle inmathematics and science education and careers worldwide. Our studentsfinish 21st among the 30 Organisation for Economic Co-operation andDevelopment (OECD) countries in science literacy.

An ambitious plan to recruit and train 100,000 new STEM teachers by2020 has been launched. The goal is to ensure that all students have quali-fied STEM-trained teachers in the classroom.

Research and development are not frills but essential elements for anyturnaround scenario. More than $1 billion for Hispanic-ServingInstitutions for STEM-focused initiatives over the next 10 years has beenplanned. The National Science Foundation will fund innovative efforts to“design, develop, implement and test new teacher-training programs.”

To bring undergraduates from historically underrepresented groups suchas Hispanics into STEM fields, there is a plan to double funding to $26 millionfor overarching, comprehensive science and technology workforce programs.

These programs will be developed in conjunction with a government-wide effort to improve the impact of federal investments in math and sci-ence education by ensuring that all programs supporting K-12 and under-graduate education adhere to consistent standards of effectiveness.

All these funds have not been approved and reductions are always possi-ble, but bipartisan leadership is clear. Washington has developed a road map.

I suggest that Hispanic professionals in education and elsewhere sup-port STEM education as a worthy goal, one that will facilitate significantcareers for Hispanics.

Health ProfessionsQuality STEM education beginning in grade school will also serve as a

portal for Hispanic youngsters to prepare for health professions. It is easi-er to come to those disciplines early in life than later on.

Most Hispanics attend local community colleges. The schools are low-costand invariably student-friendly. They are more flexible in accommodating tostudent realities. Students find they can work full or part time while studying.They provide the only real opportunity for many Hispanics to receive anexcellent education. Some transfer to four-year colleges after they graduate.

There many notice less diversity among the student body and faculty.That is one of the reasons many Hispanics choose to study at Hispanic-Serving Institutions. Those institutions have student bodies that are at least25 percent Hispanic. Their commitment to Hispanic students is wellknown. But Hispanics have succeeded in all types of institutions.

It is pleasant to report that since 1990 the percentage of Hispanic studentsgoing directly to college from high school has increased by nearly 70 percent,even though financial support is a challenge for most young Hispanics.

The biggest reason why Hispanics don’t go to college is financial. Yetthere is more assistance available now than ever before. Public, private andinstitutional resources exist. A plethora of federal, state and private compa-nies and organizations sponsor supportive programs. Several very presti-gious – and expensive – universities identify superior students with excellentstudy habits and fully fund their college years. It is yet another indication whyit is important to help and encourage more Hispanics to bloom early.

Hispanic students interested in nursing should explore Hispanic NursesAssociation grants and scholarships, the March of Dimes Scholarship pro-gram, the Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students program.

I always encourage Hispanics to aim for the top, in this case to train asmedical doctors. Nursing is a wonderful profession; being a medical doc-

tor is as well – however, the pay is better.The Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Health

Professions provides generous support to students and institutions that pro-vide degree programs targeting minorities seeking health care professions.

The Scholarship Fund Institute, in conjunction with the HispanicScholarship Fund, maintains an updated list of grants. It specificallyaddresses issues related to an undereducated group. It includes grants forstudents to return to college, for those in mid-college career, and for thosestudents completing two-year degrees as an incentive to continue on to afour-year program.

Corporate support exists as well. Corporations such as Xerox and AT&Trecognize the benefits of supporting the advanced education of minoritystudents. Their support of students provides them a resource pool of high-ly educated candidates.

Hispanic-Serving Colleges and UniversitiesIn 2002, the federal government, under President Bush, disbursed

$15 million to Hispanic-Serving Institutions for a variety of start-up pro-grams. Later, Democrats and Republicans in Congress approved another$70 million to support existing grant programs. Hispanic-ServingInstitutions are concentrated in California, Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico,New York and New Jersey.

One of them, the National Hispanic University in California, offers theSilicon Valley Scholarship. It is an example of support targeting Hispanicstudents pursuing a particular career path. In this instance, Hispanicsenrolled in engineering or computer science programs with a GPA of atleast 2.5 are eligible.

The Jose Marti Challenge Grant is offered by Florida’s Department ofEducation. It is awarded to financially underprivileged Latino students topursue a four-year undergraduate degree. Applications are due before highschool graduation, and the student must be academically superior.

Bottom LineAccording to the U.S. Department of Education, the more obstacles,

both financial and social, that an undergraduate-level student faces, theless likely he or she is to ever earn a four-year college degree.

To alleviate the financial obstacle, Hispanic students are eligible for alarge number of grants targeted to their specific needs. Specific assistanceis available for those in STEM programs, too.

I encourage students and those who want to help them to contact theCongressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI): www.chci.org/scholarships.

CHCI is committed. It provides financial assistance to increase gradua-tion rates among Latino students. Scholarships are given to students whohave a history of performing public service-oriented activities in their com-munities and who demonstrate a desire to continue their civic engagementin the future.

There is no GPA or academic major requirement. Students with excel-lent leadership potential are encouraged to apply.

It’s not easy, but many paths exist for ambitious Hispanic students.Those of us who have been down those paths should advise them of themany opportunities and help them along.

Dr. Mellander was a university dean for 15 years and a collegepresident for 20.

06/04/2012 hispanic center of excellence at utmb

Documents