ÁNDALE Latino Research Training Program
The Advancing Nutrition Development through Alliance for Education and Leadership (ÁNDALE) Latino Research Training Program aimed to train fifty (50) underrepresented undergraduate students in Latino nutrition and disease prevention, enhanced their professional development, and engaged them in research with a faculty mentor in an effort to better prepare them to enter graduate school or the workforce.
Funder
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
Award #2020-67037-30663
Program Activities
The ÁNDALE Latino Research Training Program was a 10-week research and training program for undergraduate students to understand the contexts wherein nutrition and health-related decisions and behaviors occur by engaging in nutrition and health related research while receiving mentorship from faculty and staff. The program began with an intensive one-week orientation and training (See table below). The purpose of the training was to provide students with an understanding of the research process, specifically, community-based participatory research as it relates to nutrition and Latino health, responsible and ethical conduct of research, and professional development. For the remaining nine weeks, students conducted research for 10 hours per week with a faculty mentor and receive mentorship. At the end of the 10 weeks, students gave 10-minute presentations on their experience, including the research project, skills and knowledge gained, and future goals. Students also had the opportunity to submit an abstract and attend a professional conference with all expenses paid.
Training & Orientation Overview
| Day 1 | Introduction to Latino nutrition, nutrition-related chronic diseases affecting Latinos, leadership development |
| Day 2 | Effective research methods for working with Latinos including, CBPR, Promotores de Salud (community health workers), a biopsychosocial research approach, responsible & ethical conduct in research, professional etiquette, elevator speeches |
| Day 3 | Mixed methods research including quantitative and qualitative data, with an emphasis on focus groups, developing interventions and programs, career planning, graduate school |
| Day 4 | Culturally responsive nutrition education among Latinos including cultural and linguistic competence and appropriate services (CLAS), dietary and physical activity national goals and recommendations, resume, CV, cover letters |
| Day 5 | Understanding scientific literature, abstract and poster development, student and faculty research panel, goal setting, individual development plans |
Program Dates
| Training | August 9 –11 & 14 –15, 2023 |
| Research | August 28 – October 27, 2023 |
| Presentations | October 27th, 2023 |
Application Details
The complete application package must include:
- Complete online Qualtrics application (use Apply to the Program button below).
- Unofficial Transcripts from all schools attended.
- One (1) letter of recommendation from a former or current faculty or advisor (e.g. community college or CSULB instructor, student org advisor, research or program supervisor, church leader, etc.). Faculty/advisor should submit the letter directly using the Letter of Recommendation Submission button below.
- A Personal Statement (500 words)
- Tell us why you are interested in receiving training in Latino nutrition and disease prevention.
- Describe your interest in engaging in public health research. What do you expect to learn?
- How will participating in the ÁNDALE Latino Training Program help your future education and/or career goals?
- Resume (1 page) including college(s) attended, community service/volunteer and work experiences, and extracurricular activities.
Applications are now closed
- Over the age of 18
- Junior or senior standing
- Health science, nutrition, or kinesiology major
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA
- Able to commit to a 40 hour one-week training in August and 10 hours per week for 9 weeks during the semester
- Interested in Latino nutrition and disease prevention
Special consideration will be given to students who are first generation educated, have financial need, with disabilities, or from ethnic minority groups. Ten students will be selected each year.
Program Information
Long-term
- 100% of student participants will graduate with a degree in nutrition, health, or kinesiology.
- 100% of student participants will enter the workforce or pursue graduate studies immediately following graduation.
Intermediate
- 95% of student participants will be in good academic standing as measured by a 3.0 term GPA one semester after participation.
- 100% of student participants will be on track to graduate based on degree planners.
- 85% of student participants will report they are better prepared to apply for graduate school or enter the workforce.
Short-term
- 85% of student participants will demonstrate increased research knowledge, skills, and ability as measured by pre-and-post-test.
- 90% of student participants will demonstrate increased knowledge regarding Latino nutrition and chronic diseases as measured by pre-and-post-test.
- 90% of student participants will report increased knowledge of culturally and linguistically relevant nutrition education and interventions as measured by pre-and-post-test.
- 50% of student participants will continue research with faculty mentor beyond program funding.
ÁNDALE Leadership Team
Melawhy Garcia, Ph.D., MPH
Principal Investigator / Primary Mentor
Health Science
Melawhy.Garcia@csulb.edu
Natalia Gatdula, MPH
Program Manager
Center for Latino Community Health, Evaluation & Leadership Training
Natalia.Gatdula@csulb.edu
Manuel Antunez
Major: Health Science, Option in Community Health Education
Mentor: Natalia Gatdula
Ivy Cruz
Major: Health Science, Option in Community Health Education
Mentor: Iveris Martinez
Diana Dinh
Major: Dietetics and Food Administration, Option in Nutrition and Dietetics
Mentor: Michelle Barrack
Alexandra Duran
Major: Health Science, Option in Community Health Education
Mentor: Selena Nguyen-Rodriguez
Bryan Flores
Major: Healthcare Administration
Mentor: Melawhy Garcia
Kyle Hogg
Major: Kinesiology, Option in Exercise Science
Mentor: Jackie Dawson
Michelle Jordan
Major: Dietetics and Food Administration, Option in Nutrition and Dietetics
Mentor: Virginia Gray
Lisette Lamarque
Major: Kinesiology, Option in Exercise Science
Mentor: Kellie Walters
Clarissa Madrid
Major: Dietetics and Food Administration, Option in Nutrition and Dietetics
Mentor: Mayra Rasón
Zuleima Mojica
Major: Health Science, Option in Community Health Education
Mentor: Sandra Arevalo
Gisselle Moreno
Major: Nutritional Science
Mentor: Selena Nguyen-Rodriguez
Chinnipha Pengpring
Major: Health Science, Option in Community Health Education
Mentor: Selena Nguyen-Rodriguez
Alexandra Redins
Major: Health Science, Option in Community Health Education
Mentor: Melawhy Garcia
Rama Takwa
Major: Dietetics and Food Administration, Option in Nutrition and Dietetics
Mentor: Michelle Barrack
Megan Alfajora
Major: Health Science, Community Health
Mentor: Dr. Melawhy Garcia
Estevan Arroyo
Major: Kinesiology: Exercise Science
Mentor: Dr. Leilani Madrigal
Christina Cabading
Major: Health Science, Community Health
Mentor: Dr. Melawhy Garcia
Kevin Dang
Major: Kinesiology: Exercise Science
Mentor: Dr. Leilani Madrigal
Liza Escun
Major: Sociology
Mentor: Dr. Jana Fogaca
Fabian Garcia
Major: Nutrition and Dietetics
Mentor: Dr. Michelle Barrack
Evelyn Grijalva Martinez
Major: Nutrition and Dietetics
Mentor: Dr. Virginia Gray
Julia Guevara
Major: Kinesiology: Exercise Science
Mentor: Dr. Jana Fogaca
David Lemucchi
Major: Health Science, School Health Education
Mentor: Dr. Melawhy Garcia
Jesus Mendoza
Major: Kinesiology: Exercise Science
Mentor: Dr. Jackie Dawson
Vanessa Nguyen
Major: Health Science, Community Health Education
Mentor: Dr. Selena Nguyen-Rodriguez
Cindy Osegueda
Major: Health Science - Community Health Option & School Health Option
Mentor: Dr. Selena Nguyen-Rodriguez
Yesenia Sifuentes
Major: Health Science, Community Health
Mentor: Dr. Melawhy Garcia
Gabriel Velazquez
Major: Health Science, Community Health Education
Mentor: Dr. Melawhy Garcia
Cristina Zuniga
Major: Nutrition and Dietetics
Mentor: Dr. Virginia Gray
Brittny Brown
Major: Kinesiology
Mentor: Jackie Dawson
Monica Castro
Major: Health Science, Community Health Option & School Health Option
Mentor: Selena Nguyen-Rodriguez
Anthony Galeana
Major: Health Science, Community Health
Mentor: Melawhy Garcia
Giselle Garcia
Major: Health Science, Community Health
Mentor: Melawhy Garcia
Anakaren Gonzalez
Major: Health Science, Community Health
Mentor: Melawhy Garcia
Lizbeth Macedonio
Major: Kinesiology
Mentor: Jana Fogaca
Daniela Martinez
Major: Nutrition and Dietetics
Mentor: Michelle Barrack
Irene Ontiveros
Major: Health Science, Community Health
Mentor: Natalia Gatdula
Karely Rojas
Major: Health Science, Community Health
Mentor: Natalia Gatdula
Channel Ruiz
Major: Health Science, Community Health
Mentor: Melawhy Garcia
Alexis Pope
Major: Nutrition & Dietetics
Mentor: Natalia Gatdula
Andrea Rodriguez
Major: Health Science, Community Health
Mentor: Amber Johnson
Cindy Meyer
Major: Health Science
Mentor: Michelle Barrack
Giovanni Honore
Major: Kinesiology, Physical Education
Mentor: Leilani Madrigal
Jeremy Burrola-Woodard
Major: Health Science
Mentor: Sandra Arevalo
Marco Reyes
Major: Health Science
Mentor: Selena Nguyen Rodriguez
Marlene Rodriguez
Major: Nutrition & Dietetics
Mentor: Michelle Barrack
Quynh Sa
Major: Health Science
Mentor: Leilani Madrigal
Sebastian Dang
Major: Kinesiology
Mentor: Jana Fogaca
Stephanie Orjuela
Major: Kinesiology
Mentor: Jackie Dawson
Valerie Mendoza
Major: Healthcare Administration
Mentor: Selena Nguyen Rodriguez
Yadira Buenrostro
Major: Health Science
Mentor: Natalia Gatdula
Yeraldine Polo
Major: Nutrition & Dietetics
Mentor: Melawhy Garcia
Yanel Galindo
Major: Psychology
Mentor: Natalia Gatdula
Michelle Barrack
Associate Professor
Nutrition
Jackie Dawson
Assistant Professor
Physical Therapy
Jana Fogaca
Assistant Professor
Kinesiology
Melawhy Garcia
Assistant Professor
Health Science
Virginia Gray
Associate Professor
Nutrition
Leilani Madrigal
Assistant Professor
Kinesiology
Michelle Taylor
Assistant Professor
Family and Consumer Sciences
Selena Nguyen-Rodriguez
Associate Professor
Health Science
Kellie Walters
Assistant Professor
Kinesiology
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, students who would be in their last semester during the program can apply.
No, you do not need to identify a mentor. However, if you have a mentor in mind that you have an established relationship with, ask them if they would be willing to serve as a faculty mentor for the program. Refer them to our webpage for more information and they can complete a faculty interest form.
The program mentors are faculty from the fields of nutrition, health science, and kinesiology at CSULB. Many of our mentors have provided mentorship for several students across a few years and for other programs on campus as well. Each year we ask faculty to sign up to be a mentor if they have an active research project they could engage a student in and have them provide mentorship. Matching is done based on discipline and research interest.
You are required to complete 10 hours per week of research related activities with your faculty mentor. In addition, students are required to attend 3 workshops during the 9-week program and participate in check-in meetings with the program director.
Yes, however, this will warrant a discussion with your faculty mentor to ensure they have enough projects for you to work on.
Yes, the one-week training and orientation is crucial to the program. If you cannot participate in the training, unfortunately, you cannot participate in the program. Dates to the training are found on the main program page. The training takes place from Wednesday to Tuesday, excluding the weekend, to allow studets to process the information and rest.
A cohort of 10 students is selected each year.
No, this is a research and training experience therefore it is not paid; however, if accepted into the program a scholarship of $2835 is provided. The scholarship is processed through the Office of Financial Aid; therefore, it will affect your financial aid package. Reach out to the Office of Financial Aid to learn more on how it will affect your aid.
Students have up to $1500 to attend a professional or student conference in their field. We encourage students to submit an abstract with guidance from their faculty mentor to have the opportunity to present a research poster. Conferences can be attended during the Fall or Spring semester. Given travel restrictions, virtual conferences will also be supported.
The Center for Latino Community Health will abide by local and state health guidelines to ensure the safety of their students and staff. We have the capacity to provide the program virtually and offer a virtual research experience; however, if guidelines allow, the program will consider switching to in-person modality.
We always encourage students to talk with their mentor about the possibility of staying beyond the program dates. We have found that most students do continue on a volunteer basis.
