The U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board are pleased to announce that Nina Wallerstein of The University of New Mexico has received a Fulbright Specialist Program award. Dr. Nina Wallerstein will complete a project at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil that aims to exchange knowledge and establish partnerships benefiting participants, institutions, and communities both in the U.S. and overseas through various educational and training activities within Public/Global Health.
Dr. Wallerstein will also be teaching from her new book, Participatory Research and Empowerment: Theories and Practice of Social Participation, (Pesquisa Participativa e Empoderamento: Teorias e Prácticas de Participação Social), in Portuguese, Hucitec Publishers, Sao Paulo.
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to build lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellowship, part of the National Academy of Science, has selected Dr. Robert Frank to receive a lifetime achievement award in October 2023. This award recognizes outstanding alumni for notable and sustained accomplishments in health policy as well as for demonstrable commitment to service to others in their public and personal lives. The recipient is selected by a committee composed of representatives from each decade that the RWJF Health Policy Fellows program has been in place.
Congratulations on this prestigious recognition, and for your many contributions to the field of health and health policy.
The SPR Board of Directors has elected Dr. Lorenda Belone to the SPR Board of Directors as member-at-large for the term of June 3, 2023 – May 29, 2026.
The SPR is an organization dedicated to advancing scientific investigation on the etiology and prevention of social, physical and mental health and academic problems and on the translation of that information to promote health and well-being. The multi-disciplinary membership of SPR is international and includes scientists, practitioners, advocates, administrators, and policymakers who value the conduct and dissemination of prevention science worldwide.
The National Institute of Health, All of Us Research Program, Division of Engagement and Outreach, Tribal Engagement team, welcomes Dr. Lorenda Belone as a member of the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) subject matter ad-hoc working group. Dr. Belone brings a valuable perspective and understanding to health research that is grounded in cultural knowledge and lived experiences, and those contributions are essential for helping make All of Us a research program live up to its name.
All of Us welcomes people from all communities, especially those that have been left out of research in the past, including American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people. When more communities take part in studies, researchers can close information gaps and find ways to improve health for all.
Dean Collins shared about a film screening she attended as a panelist, highlighting the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corp. that will broadcast on PBS. You can also watch on YoutTube. Shorter videos are also available at www.InvisibleCorps.com along with a curriculum guide to the show.
Lisa Cacari-Stone, PhD, MS, MA has agreed to serve (May 2023 - February 2026) on the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Council. The Council will advise, assist, consult with, and make recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Director of the Institute, on matters related to the activities carried out by and through the Institute and the policies respecting these activities.
Nominees were celebrated and acknowledged at the Women's History Month Reception (March 27, 2023) by the UNM Division for Equity & Inclusion, and the UNM Women's Resource Center. Thank you, Tammy, for all your efforts to help our UNM students and community.
Tracie Collins, MD, MHCDS, MPH
Distinguished Professor of Health Equity (DPHE)
Our very own Dr. Tracie Collins, distinguished professor and dean of the College of Population Health, will be presenting at the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIC) annual meeting along with a prestigious lineup of medical professionals from across the country. SGIM 2022 Presentation Schedule April 6-9, 2022
Lisa Cacari-Stone, PhD, MS, MA, Director and PI of the UNM Tree Center (Transdisciplinary Research, Equity and Engagement Center for Advancing Behavioral Health) is a recipient of the 2021 Excellence in Research Award from the National Latino Behavioral Health Association.
According to their website: “The Latino Behavioral Health Excellence Awards recognize individuals who, through practice, have demonstrated leadership, embraced inclusivity and diversity, and have exemplified dedication, integrity, and advocacy to create Latino behavioral health equity.”
Congratulations, Dr. Cacari-Stone! (As printed in HSC Communications, October 25, 2021)
Awarded by the HSC Office for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, the 2021 Los Primeros/Las Primeras recipients are selected for her service to the public health community.
These are trailblazers who have paved the path for our future generations, and who exemplify service to our community."
- Valerie Romero-Leggot, M. D., Vice President and Executive Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer
Nina Wallerstein, Dr.P.H, was named UNM Distinguished Professor of Public Health in 2021. As Director of the Center for Participatory Research within COPH, she received this recognition for her contributions to community-based participatory research (CBPR) and empowerment/Freirian interventions for the last 40 years.Among 170 publications, her book, Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) for Health: Advancing Social and Health Equity, 3rd edition, 2018, is viewed as a field-defining work
In 2016, she was awarded the inaugural Community-Engaged Research Lecture. Since 2006, she has had NIH-funding as Principal Investigator to identify best practices for community-engaged and CBPR projects that contribute to health equity outcomes, also providing a collective reflection/action toolkit to strengthen partnerships (https://engageforequity.org). She has worked with N.M. tribal partners for over 20 years with CDC & NIH funding to co-develop an evidence-based intergenerational culture-centered family program. She also works internationally, especially in Brazil, providing CBPR workshops and supporting a participatory research network. She has won over $25 million in funding, and currently has some $2.5 million in support. She oversees the annual UNM CBPR summer institute, which draws participants globally.
“I am grateful to my colleagues at the Department of Health and to the governor for her faith in me,” Collins said. “Our partnership has been the foundation of an incredibly successful vaccination drive. I’m proud of the work we’ve done to protect New Mexicans, especially with our emphasis on equity and reaching underserved populations. Although it’s time for me to return to my academic career, I look forward to continuing to work hand in hand with the governor and her administration to enhance public health throughout our state.”
The College of Population Health is proud to announce the promotion of two faculty members. Drs. Lisa Cacari Stone and Francisco Soto Mas have achieved the title of full Professor. Each of them has made critically important contributions to our college, to the state and to their prospective fields.
"Lisa is widely seen as the single greatest theorist and contributor to the field of equity and policy focused community engaged research in the U.S. and globally." - Dean's Letter of Promotion
Dr. Cacari Stone (purepecha/mestiza) is the founding Director of the Equity in Policy Institute and Principal Investigator of many funded projects including the Transdisciplinary Research, Equity and Engagement Center and Wide Assessment for COVID-19 Vaccine Equity (NIH/NIMHD). Her research and teaching
Drs. Wallerstein and Sanchez-Youngman of the College of Population Health have been spotlighted for their work anti-racism and rural communities. Look for them in The Pulse Magazine by the UNM Health Sciences Center.
