Fresno State has received a $1.2 million grant for students to conduct research on how tobacco and nicotine-related control issues affect the Latino community.
The grant comes from the University of California Office of the President.
The big picture: It is a four-year grant program where Fresno State will partner with the Latino Coordinating Center and UC Merced’s Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center.
- The program is currently in its second year, and the first cohort of two graduate and three undergraduate students will begin training and working this year.
- Students will work through the Bulldogs Involved in Tobacco Endgame Research (BITER) program in tobacco control and advocacy training.
- Students will enroll in a research methods class with psychology professor Rosa Toro and work with the Latino Coordinating Center on a number of projects, including research into second- and third-hand smoke in multiple housing units within the Latino community.
What they’re saying: Toro said that research within the Central Valley shows that Latinos are disproportionately at risk for the use of tobacco products.
- “When you think about the health risks associated with tobacco use then it becomes a public health issue and concern particularly with underserved communities,” Toro said. “Our students have an opportunity to engage in research and to be involved in applied research experiences. This really allows them to see themselves as an agent of change in their community.”
