Each year, the Office of Inclusive Excellence holds the Latino Excellence & Achievement Awards Dinner to acknowledge the contributions of “leaders, graduate students, staff and faculty who support and champion student success and research excellence in the Hispanic/Latinx community at UCI and in Orange County.”
UCI Public Health doctoral student, Celina Morales, was awarded the Graduate Student Excellence Award. As a first-generation American born to Salvadoran and Mexican immigrants, she has encountered several complexities of the United States healthcare system, recognizing the various barriers limiting access to quality care. She has used these experiences as her research focus, which highlights the delicate interaction between social-ecological and sociocultural factors in health behaviors and outcomes among underserved communities. She is a Eugene Cota-Robles Fellow, an Environmental Racism and Health Equity Fellow.
Over the past three years, she has explored how adults utilize formal and informal strategies to manage common chronic health conditions and has published articles and presentations on this topic. Driven by a commitment to effecting meaningful change, Celina hopes her research findings will inform the development of culturally sensitive interventions and policies urgently needed to address health disparities.
“I deeply appreciate all of the support I’ve received throughout my academic journey, and I am committed to giving back to my community and paying it forward,” Celina said. “I hope that future generations of scholars, with similar backgrounds as mine, can thrive in higher education.”
UCI Master of Public Health graduate student, Eva Sandoval, was awarded the Outstanding Community Builder Award for her work as the Health Equity Coordinator for Getting Residents Engaged in Empowering Neighborhoods – Madison Park Neighborhood Association’s project (GREEN-MPNA).
As the health equity coordinator for GREEN-MPNA and a current UCI MPH student, Eva, a Mexican American, strives to make a meaningful impact and foster healthier, happier communities. Together with her colleagues, Director Jose Rea, Program Managers Leonel Flores and Sarahi Gutierrez, and 12 Promotoras, they work on four pillars focused on improving the quality of life for all residents in the Madison Park Neighborhood and surrounding Southeast Santa Ana: youth initiatives, safe and clean environment, health equity, and community empowerment.
Eva’s collaboration with PRIME-LC at UCI, an organization where she worked closely with several physicians to share information about mental health, healthy cooking, and overall wellness, has been a rewarding aspect of her work with GREEN-MPNA. Additionally, GREEN-MPNA partners with various entities such as UCI researchers and community organizations like Abrazar, OCPSC and OCEJ.
“I hope that my contribution to GREEN-MPNA’s work, such as informing and educating residents about our research, events, and community service, will enhance their quality of life in their community,” said Eva.
