Dr. Balacazar is a Tenured Professor and Chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health at University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, TX. He is also the Director of the Center for Cross- Cultural and Community Health Research, Institute for Public Health Research at UNT-HSC, Fort Worth. He holds a Ph.D. and M.S. degree in International Nutrition from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, and a B.S. degree in Nutrition and Food Science from Iberoamericana University, Mexico City.

Dr. Balcazar is an elected member of the expert panel On "DHHS Collection of Data on Race and Ethnicity" for the National Academy of Sciences Committee on National Statistics and a member of the Scientific Associates Group of the Texas/WHO Collaborating Center for Cross-Cultural Research and Training on Mental Health and Psychosocial Factors in Health, Mexico-US Border Health. He has served as the Ninth Annual Robert J. Schlegel Lecturer in Social Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, King/ Drew Medical Center. Los Angeles, California. He was the faculty mentor for special ASPH (Association of Schools of Public Health)/ HRSA Fellowship Program: "HRSA Field Office/Schools of Public Health Linkage Project".

Dr. Balcazar is the recipient of an NHLBI-NIH Award as Principal Investigator of the University of North Texas Salud Para Su Corazon Project that was selected as one of six National Heart, Lung, And Blood Institute's Cardiovascular Disease Enhanced Dissemination and Utilization Centers (EDUCs). He is also the recipient of Latino Caucus Leadership Award 1999 and Latino Caucus 1998 Chairperson's Award, in recognition for outstanding service to the Latino Caucus and the American Public Health Association (APHA). He was also selected by APHA Nominating Committee as a candidate for the office of Elective Member of the Executive Board of APHA. He was also a special invitee at the DHHS/ APHA Leadership Conference focusing on the elimination or racial and ethnic disparities in health, August 1998. He was also honored with a Special Recognition Award by Western Arizona Area Health Education Center (WAHEC), in recognition for continuing support and sponsorship

For more information about Dr. Balcazar please visit his website.

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Updated 04/23/02raj, 05/13/02raj minority_health@unc.edu