Award Finalist: Dr. Amelie Ramirez’s Latino Cancer Research Training Program

For the second year in a row, Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training has been named a finalist for Excelencia in Education’s “Examples of Excelencia” that spotlight evidence-based practices that support Latino students in higher education.

Éxito! and 15 other finalists were chosen from 166 applications.

Winning “Examples of Excelencia” in four categories—associate, baccalaureate, graduate, and community-based organizations—will be announced at Excelencia in Education’s annual Celebración de Excelencia on Oct. 24, 2019, in Washington, D.C.

Excelencia in Education is a national group that promotes Latinos in higher education.

Éxito! is led by Salud America! director Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio. The program recruits 25 Latino students and health professionals annually for a culturally tailored curriculum to promote pursuit of a doctoral degree and cancer research career.

“We’re excited by the recognition of our program as a finalist for the ‘Example of Excelencia,’ recognition,” Ramirez said. “We aim to help Latinos take the next steps from a master’s degree to get their doctoral degree and focus on careers in Latino cancer research and prevention.”

Éxito! has trained more than 175 students and professionals since 2011.

Éxito! recently conducted its 2019 five-day summer institute June 10-14, 2019, in San Antonio, Texas. The summer institute features Latino researchers to inform about the latest in Latino cancer, enhance career development, and provide motivation to apply for doctoral programs. Institute participants also join group discussions to foster networking, sharing of personal cultural experiences, and learning what it means to be a minority in an academic environment.

The program also offers paid internships for pilot research.

In 2018, Éxito! was named an innovative “Program to Watch” in a report by Excelencia in Education. The group also includes Éxito! as part of its “Growing What Works Database.”

Now Éxito! has made the group’s finalist list for the “Examples of Excelencia” for the second-straight year, also being named in 2018.

“Now, more than ever, higher education needs Examples of Excelencia, as this is the country’s only national effort to identify, honor and promote evidence-based practices that accelerate Latino student success in higher education,” according to an Excelencia news release. “Recent events highlight the void that currently exists and why this endeavor has relevance and national importance.”