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Groundbreaking fund supports scholars advancing public health equity for Hispanic and Latino communities
New York, NY January 23 – The CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH) has announced an expansion and endowment of the Molina Health Equity Scholarship Fund as a groundbreaking and permanent source of support for students dedicated to advancing health equity in underserved Hispanic and Latino communities.
Established by Dr. Marilyn Aguirre-Molina, CUNY SPH professor emerita and CUNY SPH Foundation Board member, and distinguished academician Dr. Carlos W. Molina, the Molina Health Equity Scholarship Fund now becomes the first named and endowed master’s degree scholarship in the school’s history.
Twenty-one percent of CUNY SPH students hail from under-resourced Hispanic or Latino neighborhoods. To ensure the success of these and other scholars advancing public health equity for Hispanic and Latino communities, the Fund enables a robust experience of senior-level mentorship and collaboration. The Fund currently supports six scholars in pursuing their master’s degree and with this expansion will provide scholarship and mentorship support for additional students annually.
“As New York’s leading public school of public health, CUNY SPH is deeply committed to health equity for Hispanic and Latino communities, and to the students who choose to serve them,” said CUNY SPH Dean Ayman El-Mohandes. “We are honored that the Molina family has entrusted us with this profound goal and we intend to engage more students in achieving it.”
“CUNY SPH is a groundbreaking institution with a demonstrated commitment to the preparation of future generations of exceptional public health professionals in the field of health equity,” said Dr. Aguirre-Molina. “We believe there is no better place to prepare students to address and elevate the public health of our Hispanic/Latino communities. We are confident that these talented and passionate scholars will have a profound impact on the future of our city and are pleased to partner with CUNY SPH in this endeavor.”
CUNY SPH Distinguished Professor Luisa N. Borrell leads an annual Molina Health Equity Summit as part of the Fund. This event enables in-depth conversations for scholars with the Molinas and other thought leaders on strategic issues of importance for the communities they serve. Crucially, the event also nurtures a network of U.S. Hispanic/Latino-serving public health professionals.
“As part of CUNY SPH’s mission of civic justice for all, the Fund helps to build scholarship, leadership and community for bilingual Spanish and English-speaking students committed to health equity,” Dr. Borrell said. “The Fund will help produce career-ready and well-educated alumni who are immediately capable of entering and growing within the workforce.”
Molina scholars are also invited to participate in the CUNY SPH Career Skills Academy, CUNY SPH Foundation’s cornerstone student services program enabling students to hone their soft skills to secure new employment and thrive in the workplace. As a key element of the program, senior executives across industry and sectors share their own life experiences and connect them to students’ learnings and aspirations.
“Dr. Aguirre-Molina is a treasure of empathy and force for positive change at our graduate school and in the communities we serve,” said Adam M. Doyno, CUNY SPH Foundation executive director. “We are extraordinarily proud that she and Dr. Molina have chosen to partner with us in achieving their vision of public health equity.”
For media inquiries, contact:
Ariana Costakes
ariana.costakes@sph.cuny.edu
About CUNY SPH
The CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH) is committed to teaching, research, and service that creates a healthier New York City and helps promote equitable, efficient, and evidence-based solutions to pressing health problems facing cities around the world. Located in Harlem, CUNY SPH is the top-ranked public school of public health in New York City, New York State, and the tristate region. https://sph.cuny.edu/
About the CUNY SPH Foundation
The CUNY SPH Foundation’s mission is to advance the achievement of CUNY SPH’s mission, vision, and values as New York City’s public school of public health through fundraising, building strategic partnerships, and providing services as a champion for the school’s students as they embark on public health careers and its faculty as they work to educate the next generation of public health professionals. https://sph.cuny.edu/about/people/foundation/
