ASU faculty part of team awarded $285K to form Latino research support network

Anthony Peguero, Foundation Professor of sociology and criminology at Arizona State University, in collaboration with Professor Shirley Leyro of the City University of New York, has been awarded a $285,000 grant to form a new professional community—the Latina/o/xLatina/o/x is a gender-neutral term used to refer to people of Latin American descent, applied here to match the terminology used for the professional network. Researchers' Support Network (LRSN).

With funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated to health equity, the one-year grant will help Peguero, Leyro and program collaborators begin planning and forming the network.

The LSRN will serve as a space that fosters professional and emotional support for Latino researchers in many disciplines. One of its key aims is to drive real-world solutions and unique research approaches that promote health equity for the population it serves. The LRSN will offer resources and mentorship to its members, with a broader goal of establishing stronger Latino influence in health science knowledge.

The planning effort aligns with Arizona State University’s charter as a comprehensive public research university, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed. By supporting Latino scholars and their work on health equity, Peguero’s work with the LSRN reflects ASU’s commitment to addressing the social, economic, and overall well-being of the communities it serves.

Peguero, who has won countless awards and titles for his research on youth violence, socialization and marginalization, is a leader in the fields of sociology and criminology. As director of the Laboratory for the Study of Youth Inequality and Justice, Peguero’s involvement in the LRSN is a natural extension of his work advancing equity and justice through research.

The planning phase will involve research and consultations to identify the challenges faced by Latino researchers and determine the best ways to build a sustainable network that improves professional capacities. Ultimately, the goal is to create a space that empowers researchers and promotes long-term health equity for Latino communities.