I have been at the University of Puerto Rico for 36 years. I was Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for one year. I was invited to teach after receiving my Masters degree and have been a full time Researcher in the area of Risk Behavior, from 2006 up to the present time. I teach Health Promotion, Health Education, Research and Human Sexuality. Currently, I am Principal Investigator and Director of the Hispanics Research Capability Endowment($18 Mil) for the development of infrastructure and mentoring and coaching for junior faculty. I love to teach and that is why I went into higher education after receiving my Masters. I found the study of Risk Behavior very interesting and have worked with the Center for Disease Control on the Zika Virus and how it relates to transmission through sexual contact.

I have a Doctorate, an Ed.D. from University of Puerto Rico-Curriculum Design- Dissertation on Sexual Education for Parents and youth and I have a Masters in Public Health from the University of Puerto Rico in Health Education. After my Doctorate was completed, I started working on Research with the Center for Disease Control.

The biggest challenge I have had to overcome is balancing my professional life with being a mother.

My greatest assets are my ability to design a project and create effective models and schedules and make people work as a team to accomplish a common goal.

Personally my greatest accomplishments are my son, who is a Neurologist practicing in the USA and my daughter, who is an attorney. Professionally, my greatest accomplishment is the ability to travel around the world for Health Promotion.

I would like to retire in 5/ 6 years. Now I am Vice President(Latin America) of the International Union of Health Promotion and Education and it will give me more of an opportunity to travel around the world and talk about Risk Behavior. All I need now is more time for research because at this time , I am also teaching and in the process of submitting a larger proposal to the National INstitute of Health(NIH) providing 4 times the amount for research and working with student researchers.

As a woman, I grew up with a woman who was my sole support as my father died when I was one. My 2 sisters and my grandmother taught me about the need to grow as a woman, to learn , to fight and to care for others and be happy and share what I can.

I want to be known as someone who works with everybody and always seems happy.

Health Educator Association Asthma Coalition Patient Advisory Committee Many others community organization for women's issues

University of Puerto Rico -Research Award President of Advisory COmmittee- Recognition by the Ombudsman for Patient Care and the Governor of Puerto Rico VP Developer of Health Promotion in Latin America(Argentina)- Award from the Community of Jujuy.

I work with several communities to integrate them and work for a better life including water to drink and healthy indoor environments.

I love to knit, read and cook.