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News Release

Last modified: Thursday, July 31, 2008

IU School of HPER partners with University of Puerto Rico

Partnership with University of Puerto Rico School of Public Health to facilitate a global initiative focused on the sexual health of Latin American communities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 31, 2008

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Faculty from Indiana University's School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) have established a partnership with the School of Public Health at the University of Puerto Rico to facilitate a range of research, teaching and service activities consistent with the mission of the two schools and reflective of the diverse interests within the institutions' academic units.

The relationship will begin with the Partnership for Sexual Health Promotion, a collaborative effort between the Center for Sexual Health Promotion, based in HPER's Department of Applied Health Science, and its new sister center at the University of Puerto Rico, the Latin American Center for Sexual Health Promotion.

Faculty from both institutions will have the opportunity to participate in ongoing and collaborative research, education and training projects related to sexual health, particularly focused on improving sexual health while attending to the cultural and geographical contexts of Latin American communities both in the U.S. and globally.

Additionally, this new agreement will facilitate the exchange of students between the two institutions in an effort to support their cultural growth through immersion in local public health programs, interactions with peers and both classroom and field-based education.

An agreement formalizing the partnership was signed by José F. Cordero, dean of the School of Public Health at the University of Puerto Rico, and Robert M. Goodman, dean of the School of HPER. Carlos Rodríguez-Díaz, professor at the University of Puerto Rico, and Michael Reece, director of HPER's Center for Sexual Health Promotion, were designated faculty leaders on this collaborative agreement.

Other faculty members leading this initiative include María del Carmen Santos-Ortiz and Carmen Milagros Vélez-Vega, from the University of Puerto Rico, and Debby Herbenick, Zobeida Bonilla-Vega and Brian Dodge, with HPER's Department of Applied Health Science and the Center for Sexual Health Promotion.

"This partnership is reflective of the global reach of the School of HPER and Indiana University and, combined with the expertise of faculty at both institutions, will support the ability of both institutions to have a significant impact on the health of Latin American communities," Goodman said.

For more information about the Partnership for Sexual Health Promotion, please contact Reece at 812-855-0068 and mireece@indiana.edu or Carlos Rodríguez Díaz at cerodriguez@rcm.upr.edu.

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