Rodriguez receives award from the Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation, Inc.

Assistant Professor Rachel Rodriguez, PhD, RN, can now add the title "champion" to her credentials. On May 1, 2004, she will be honored as one of the recipients of the Champions in Women's Health Award for her work in rural health with Latino/Hispanic migrant farmworker women. The award is bestowed by the Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation, Inc., and will be presented at the State Capitol at a special awards ceremony hosted by Sue Ann Thompson and Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson.

Rodriguez's research and teaching have been devoted to improving the quality of life for women who suffer and have survived domestic abuse. She has been particularly dedicated to working with, and on behalf of, Latino/Hispanic migrant farmworker women, and has published some of the first research on the problem of domestic violence among migrant farmworker women in the United States. Currently, she presents a monthly health segment on the local Madison community radio station, WORT, during the program "En Nuestro Patio" (In Our Backyard), in Spanish. These segments, as well as her research, have resulted in awareness in the Latino/Hispanic community regarding the issues surrounding domestic abuse and the rights that victims have, whether they are documented or not.

A Texas native and graduate of Texas Women’s University in Houston, Rodriguez has increased awareness in Wisconsin among service providers relating to the barriers that Latino/Hispanic victims face when trying to end their abusive situations. This increased awareness has been key in the formation and growth of the non-profit organization UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence. Rodriguez was one of the founding members of UNIDOS, working with a number of volunteers to create an organization that now works statewide to end domestic violence in the Hispanic/Latino community.

Rodriguez has given generously of her time and expertise to numerous rural health and domestic violence projects. She often serves as the "resident academic" and helps local grass-roots programs think through complex issues related to research, evaluation, theories of social change and primary prevention. Her work is always done within the context of larger social justice issues and addresses the intersection of health care, domestic violence, and the multiple oppressions that many women from marginalized communities face.

Since acceptance of the role of assistant professor at the UW-Madison School of Nursing in 2000, Rodriguez has researched and championed causes for social justice, bringing to the fore the needs of oppressed and underserved populations. Congratulations, Dr. Rodriguez, for your accomplishments and an award richly deserved.

Visit the Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation site at http://www.wwhf.org