Are More Latinos Earning Degrees in Science & Technology?



The number of Latino students receiving bachelor’s degrees in the physical sciences and engineering is on the rise, according to a report from the American Institute of Physics (AIP) Statistical Research Center. In 2012, for the first time ever, the number of Latinos earning physical science and engineering degrees surpassed 10,000/year. Between 2002 to 2012, the number of Latinos earning bachelor’s degrees in the physical sciences and engineering rose by 78% and 64% respectively. "While those numbers are encouraging, Hispanics are still underrepresented in many fields, including astronomy and earth sciences," said Laura Merner, the research associate who authored the report. "More Hispanic students earning physical science degrees is a good thing, but it does not mean ...

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Tweet with #SaludTues 12/9: Latinos and Health Coverage—Issues + Solutions



Latinos need strong health care coverage, as this population struggles with high rates of obesity, diabetes, and certain cancers. But 1 of 4 of the U.S. uninsured population is Latino. How can this change? Let’s use #SaludTues to Tweet strategies and resources on how to increase health care coverage among Latinos through the Affordable Care Act (#ACA) during a Tweetchat at 1 p.m. ET Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014: WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Latinos and Health Coverage: Issues + Solutions” DATE: Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014 TIME: Noon-1 p.m. CT (1-2 p.m. ET) WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludToday CO-HOSTS: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (@HHSGov/@HHSLatino), Enroll America (@GetCoveredUS), and the Nation Council of La Raza ...

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Using the New Breast Cancer Education Toolkit for Latinas



Susan G. Komen for the Cure recently launched its Breast Cancer Education Toolkit for Hispanic/Latino Communities, a free, online resource that arms educators with Latino-culture specific communication resources, videos, and practical tools. But what affect can using the toolkit have? Yarazetd Mendoza-Camargo of the Consulate of Mexico in Philadelphia wrote a blog post to share how developing and utilizing the Toolkit empowered her and her colleagues to share information with local Latinas, and build a closer community relationship. "The tips it includes to approach our audience create an inviting atmosphere to share sensitive information," Mendoza-Camargo wrote. "For example, two women came into the Consulate for services and while they were waiting, they listened to the breast ...

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Eduardo Santiago-Rodriguez: An Èxito! Grad Gives His Time to Help Others



Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2014 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for the 2015 Èxito! program. Eduardo Santiago-Rodriguez Naranjito, Puerto Rico Despite growing up in poverty-stricken neighborhoods in Naranjito, Puerto Rico, Eduardo Santiago-Rodriguez was able to see the sincerity and beauty of the environments, people and culture—and he learned and important lesson: “Great things can be done to help others with only giving your time.” Motivated by his childhood experiences and family support, Santiago-Rodriguez earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Puerto Rico, Bayamón Campus, and a master’s degree public health in epidemiology from the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences ...

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What is Health Equity? (And 3 Main Ways to Achieve it)



What is health equity? The answer to this question, which has strong implications for Latino and other minority populations, is part of a new series of infographics from the Health Equity Institute at San Francisco State University. Infographic 1 defines health equity as "efforts to ensure that all people have full and equal access to opportunities that enable them to lead healthy lives" and identifies a framework to show how social, economic, and environmental conditions affect health and health equity in a number of ways. To achieve health equity, we must treat everyone equally and eliminate avoidable health inequities and health disparities. Health inequities (Infographic 2) are health differences "that are avoidable, unfair, and unjust." Health disparities (Infographic ...

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Latino Health in Focus: Taking Aim vs. Breast Cancer, Obesity, Disparities



Find the latest advances in Latino health—from cancer survival to solving park access to how to improve mental health—in the IHPR Noticias E-newsletter. IHPR Noticias has lots of info on the latest local and national health disparities-related news, resources and events: Story: Latinas—10 Years after Breast Cancer Survival (Pg. 1) Profile: Mentees Promote Healthier Lifestyles in San Antonio (Pg. 2) Story: Latino Researchers among Recipients of $8 Million in Grants to Study Cancer (Pg. 3) Scholarships: How to Fight Health Disparities in Your Area & Get a Scholarship for It! (Pg. 4) Story: How to Solve San Antonio’s Low Park Access Score (Pg. 6) Story: White Students Now a Minority in School; Hispanic Numbers Surge (Pg. 8) Resources: Tackling Mental Health, ...

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Apply Now for the 2015 Éxito! Research Training Program



Apply now for the 2015 Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Éxito!, a program of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, will select 20 master’s-level students and health professionals from across the nation to attend a five-day summer institute June 2015, in San Antonio, offering research information, tools, tips, role models and motivation to encourage participants to pursue a doctoral degree and a career studying how cancer affects Latinos differently. Master’s-degree students or master’s-trained health professionals are encouraged to apply. Since launching in 2011, Éxito! has had 78 participants. Nearly 40% of all program graduates have applied to doctoral programs and 27% are ...

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Racial Bias Diminishes Latinos’ Optimism over Time



SaludToday Guest Blogger: Barbara Ferrer Chief Strategy Officer, W.K. Kellogg Foundation Migration of Latino families to America is an inspiring story of men, women and children leaving their native countries, often searching for better opportunities and safety for their families. Yet, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s recent poll of Latino families also reveals that a different narrative develops - frustration from racism and discrimination is wearing down Latinos over time in the United States. The newest Latino immigrants are brimming with hope, as they pursue opportunities to better educate their children, improve personal finances and find affordable housing. Meanwhile, those who have travelled a similar path – Latinos with generations of family roots in the U.S., as ...

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Hispanic Students: Apply for Research Mentorship by 12/1/14



Are you interested in researching Hispanic health? The Hispanic Serving Health Professions Schools (HSHPS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the development of young researchers, is seeking undergraduate students and mentors who want to collaborate on research to improve Hispanic health. Their program is called the Student Mentorship Program for Hispanic Health Research (sMPH2r). This six-month, web-based program is the first formal mentorship program of its kind, which pairs mentees with three mentors from across the country including: Primary Mentor- who guides the mentee through a research project related to a Hispanic health issue; Secondary Mentor-who provides additional support and career guidance; and Tertiary Mentor-a doctoral student or resident who ...

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