Ernesto Moralez
Ernesto Andres Moralez is an American professor and researcher known for his work in the field of public health.
Contents
Early life and education
Moralez was born and raised in New Mexico. He is the son of a Mexican immigrant.[1]
Moralez initially enrolled at Albuquerque Technical Institute (now Central New Mexico Community College) before transferring to Hunter College to study sociology. He then transferred to New Mexico State University, switching his major to community and public health. He graduated from New Mexico State University with a bachelor’s degree in Human and Community Services in 2007. He also earned a master’s degree in Public Health from New Mexico State University in 2009. While working on his master’s degree, he interned at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington.
In 2015, he attained his Ph.D. in Health and Behavioral Sciences from the University of Colorado Denver. His doctoral field work included clinical-based public health and he learned his approach to qualitative research while working in Ecuador.[2]
Career
Moralez is the former co-coordinator of the Public Health program at St. Lawrence University and has also worked as a faculty member at New Mexico State University,[3] the University of Colorado Denver,[4] and the Metropolitan State University of Denver.
As part of a National Cancer Institute Partnership between the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and New Mexico State University, Moralez co-developed the Health Disparities Field Experience (HDFE), which allowed NMSU students to observe community responses to health problems and get hands-on experience working with public health professionals.[5]
Moralez served on NMSU’s Diversity Council from 2015-2017. He also served on the College of Health and Social Services Dean’s Advisory Council from 2014-2017 and on its Student Appeal Committee from 2016-2017.[6]
Alongside two other authors, Moralez was hired to update the textbook Introduction to Public Health, originally by Mary-Jane Schneider.[7]
Research
Moralez’s research specialties include cancer research, social determinants of health, and depression/mental health.[8]
In 2020, Moralez was the lead author on a paper detailing a three-week field experience he facilitated with students from the UW School of Public Health and New Mexico State University as part of the HDFE. During the project, students visited sites such as the US-Mexico border and the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. The students were tasked with becoming active participants in health services and experiencing the conditions of resource-deprived areas and cultural contexts that can help mitigate illness and scarcity of healthcare resources. Findings from the study were presented at the American Public Health Association’s 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting and Expo.[9]
Moralez was also part of a research group that interviewed young child-rearing Latina cancer survivors in the US-Mexico border region, examining their challenges coping with cancer and raising children, as well as their access to resources such as social support. The findings from this study were published in the Journal of Cancer Therapy in 2021.[10]
Moralez also developed a health equity curriculum for family practice medical residents with the help of an interprofessional team. The curriculum was designed to address the influence of patients’ lived experience on their health issues, their barriers to following treatment plans, and the recommendations of medical providers. Moralez and the team also developed a rotation allowing residents to care for underserved populations outside of a medical setting. A paper on the curriculum was published in the book Anthropology in Medical Education in 2021.[11]
Personal life
Moralez has a dog named Luke.
Awards
- 2017 - Patricia Christmore Faculty Teaching Award - New Mexico State University
- 2018 - Donald C. Roush Award for Teaching Excellence - New Mexico State University
- 2021 - Owen D. Young Faculty Award - St. Lawrence University
Selected publications
- Moralez, E.A., Thompson, B., Englund, K., Drennan, M., Mandall, N., & Loest, H. (2020). The Health Disparities Field Experience: College students and community health workers in the field. Journal of Education and Health Promotion. 9:323. DOI: 10.4103/jhep.jhep_510_20
- Scott, M.A., Moralez, E.A., & Andazola, J. (2021). Integrating Health Equity Across a Family Medicine Residency Program: Anthropology as a Solution to a Stubborn Problem. In Anthropology in Medical Education: Sustaining Engagement and Impact. Springer Press.
- Kavanaugh, T.C., Tomaka, J., & Moralez, E.A. (2021). Professional Preparedness and Psychosocial Beliefs as Predictors of Quality Physical Education and Recreation Services to Students with Disabilities. Therapeutic Recreation Journal. 55 (4), 414-431. DOI:10.18666/TRJ-2021-V55-I4-11040
- Reyes, C.L., Palacios, R.L., Sondgeroth, K., & Moralez, E.A. (2021). Young Latina Survivors Living in the US-Mexico Border Region: A Qualitative Study. Journal of Cancer Therapy. 12 (3). 174-185. DOI: 10.4236/jct.2021.124018
- Moralez, E. A., Boren, R. L., Lebel, D. L., Drennan, M., Olvera, D. R., & Thompson, B. (2022). Teaching Strategies During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Tailoring Virtual Learning for Public Health and Cancer Health Disparities Education. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.845400
