UTEP School of Nursing

UTEP Health Representatives Visit Ecuador

Representatives from the UTEP School of Nursing and College of Health Sciences recently visited the Central University of Ecuador (UCE) in Quito, Ecuador to strength the university’s international ties.

The UTEP representative included School of Nursing Dean, Robert Anders, Ph.D., Community Affairs Assistant Dean Letty Paez and College of Health Science Associate Professor Rodrijo Armijos, Ph.D.

“The major purpose of the visit was to meet with officials of UCE as a possible international research training site for our students,” Armijos said.

The group met with UCE President Dr. Victor H. Olalla-Proaño, UCE Counsel General Dr. Alfonso Romero-Barberis and Director of the UCE Biomedical Research Center Dr. Edmundo Estevez-Montalvo to discuss potential research collaborations between the two institutions.

“One of the research opportunities is regarding an epidemiological study on the association of urban ambient relationship and the cardiovascular health of municipal traffic police in Quito,” Armijos said.

A survey about the community health implication caused by a commercial petroleum refinery in the Esmeraldas Province of Ecuador is another possible research topic the group considered.

“Ecuador provides an exciting opportunity for UTEP students to participate in research being conducted in the Andes and Amazon region. Our new cooperation with UCE will also provide other clinical educational opportunities for nursing and health science faculty and students” said Anders.

During their stay in Ecuador, the UTEP representatives also visited several UCE rural and urban health research stations in the towns of Pedro Vicente Maldonado, Puerto Quito and Santo Domingo de los Colorados

- César Ayala.