UT Austin Receives $7.6 Million to Study Latino Health

AUSTIN, Texas - With leadership in place and $7.6 million in grants acquired for research on health issues that disproportionately affect Latino communities, the 1-year-old Latino Research Initiative is hitting the ground running at The University of Texas at Austin. Housed in the College of Liberal Arts , the Latino Research Initiative was created to generate vital data, grants and research about Mexican American and Latino populations in Texas and the nation. Deborah Parra-Medina assumed the role as inaugural director at the start of the 2016 academic year, collaborating with leadership from the Center for Mexican American Studies and the Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies and landing the project's first three research grants. 'The Latino Research Initiative will serve as an invaluable scholarly resource for the analysis of public policies and issues facing one of the fastest-growing ethnic groups in Texas and in the United States,' said Randy Diehl, dean of the College of Liberal Arts. 'The LRI enhances the mission of the university to advance society through research and community service, and under the direction of Professor Parra-Medina, it is well-poised to make a tremendous impact on people's lives.' Moving forward, the initiative will work to create a community of scholars and provide the infrastructure to enable faculty members and students to tackle a research agenda in politics and public policy, health and social equity, immigration and the arts.