In Memory of Dr. Patricia Juárez-Carrillo, Center for Inter-American and Border Studies at the University of Texas at El Paso
It is with a heavy heart that we acknowledge the passing of our dear friend and colleague, Dr. Patricia Juárez-Carrillo. Dr. Juárez was the coordinator of the Center for Inter-American and Border Studies at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). She worked for the Center for Environmental Resource Management for over 17 years, received the “Texas Environmental Excellence Award” in 2007 for the “Healthy Homes” project, and received the 2018 SOPHE (Society for Public Health Education) Paper of the Year Award.
We had the privilege of working with Patricia while bringing awareness of extreme heat and its impacts to public health in the Paso del Norte region of southern New Mexico and West Texas, including the major cities of Las Cruces, NM, El Paso, TX, and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, MX. Part of this work included a Haury-funded project, “Hot Spots for Heat Resilience in Border Cities,” in which we developed a training curriculum for promotoras (community health workers), certified by the Texas Department of State Health Services. The promotoras informed residents of U.S.-México border colonias about the symptoms of heat stress and exhaustion, what to do in a situation where you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms, and ways to improve your home and keep it cool during heatwaves. Download the curriculum and printable PDF versions of the information materials, it's free.
Dr. Juárez was, in all ways, a generous and caring person. She always strived to improve the world and help the people around her. It was always a pleasure to work with Dr. Júarez--she brought positive and cheerful energy to every situation. We will truly miss her, and we feel fortunate and privileged to have been her colleagues and friends.
Haury Hot Spots Project Team
Memorial Fund to raise funds to support scholarships, promotora development, and environmental justice work.