Binational Enviromental Outreach and Education Efforts Honored

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Binational Enviromental Outreach and Education Efforts Honored

Denise Moreno

Monica Ramirez

UA researchers are invited to speak at National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Hispanic Heritage event.

By Rebecca Ruiz-McGill, University Communications
September 23, 2008

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has invited University of Arizona researchers Denise Moreno and Monica Ramirez to speak about their educational outreach to the Hispanic community.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Services, also known as NIEHS, provides federal research funding to universities for environmental health and science research projects.

Moreno and Ramirez are program coordinators for both the NIEHS Hazardous Waste Program and the U.S.-Mexico Binational Center for Environmental Sciences and Toxicology housed within the UA's College of Pharmacy. The Hazardous Waste Program conducts studies concerning hazardous environmental contaminants along the border region.

The Binational Center supports environmental science and toxicology training, research and policy development. In association with these two projects, Moreno and Ramirez conduct community outreach with a special focus on Spanish-speaking communities.

"The funding from NIEHS involves faculty members, staff and students from 5 UA colleges and 10 departments who are applying their expertise to hazardous waste issues," Ramirez said. "It is an interdisciplinary approach to environmental research and education with a central theme in detecting, assessing and ameliorating environmental pollution and determining the impact of environmental pollution on human health."

Their presentation will include discussion of their outreach efforts, including the training of community health advocates or promotoras, who advise businesses on how to minimize pollution, as well as conserve energy and water. They also will share their work on making hazardous mine tailings safer and will also discuss the development of a youth science program, which was offered in the summer of 2008 to students living along the Arizona-Mexico border.

"The program works to translate years of study into real world solutions and moves science projects and research from the laboratory to the field," Moreno added.

The NIEHS Diversity Council selected to feature Moreno and Ramirez's work as part of its 2008 Hispanic Heritage Celebration.