Curriculum Vitae
PILAR-ALICIA PARRA
ADDRESS
Office: Division of Nutritional Sciences Home: 957 East State St.
CornellUniversity Ithaca, NY14850
309 Savage HallPhone: (607) 272 6283
Ithaca, NY14853-4401
E-Mail:
Phone: (607) 255 0063
Fax: (607) 255 1033
EDUCATION
1989Ph.D Sociology. University of Wisconsin-Madison
1984M.S. Sociology. University of Wisconsin-Madison
1974M.A. Intercultural Education. University of the Americas
Cholula, Puebla, México
1971B.A. Psychology. Autonomous University of Puebla
Puebla, Puebla, México
EMPLOYMENT
July 1993 -presentResearch Associate and Senior Lecturer. Division of Nutritional Sciences. CornellUniversity
July 1992-1993Research Associate. Joint appointment at the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, RutgersUniversity and the Department of Environmental and Community Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
June 1989-1992Rutgers-Princeton Program in Mental Health Research,Postdoctoral Traineeship. Institute for Health, Health Care Policyand Aging Research.
Feb. 1984-1988Research Assistant with Professor Doris P. Slesinger.
Sept. 1972-June 1981Counselor. AmericanHigh School. Puebla
April 1974-July 1981Professor, Department of Psychology, Autonomous University of Puebla.
Jan. 1975-June 1976Lecturer in the Department of Humanities, University of the Americas. Puebla.
FELLOWSHIPS / AWARDS/ GRANTS (Selected)
October 1, 2008-11Community Response to Immigrant Settlement in Upstate New York. Co-PI. CUAES CSREES NYC-159441.
October 1, 2005-08 Methods of Assessing Access to Health Care by Undocumented Rural Residents. Co-PI. CUAES Hatch (159473).
October 1, 2001-05Integrating the Needs of Immigrant Workers and Rural Communities. USDA-FRA
October 1, 2001-04Immigrant Assimilation in Rural Communities. USDA CSREES. Hatch
October 1, 2000-02Food patterns, diet and health among migrant farm workers in North Central New York. Hatch. Federal Formula Funds Allocation. USDA.
October 1, 1999Family and Social Support for Elderly Puerto Ricans. Cornell Applied Gerontology Research Institute (CGRI). NIH-NIA
June 30, 1998Changing Family and Community Structures: The Impact of Social Support on Elderly Puerto Ricans in Rochester, New York. Cornell Applied Gerontology Research Institute (CGRI). NIH-NIA
May 1, 1997A Partnership for Health: Strengthening Community Nutrition Through Traditional Foods. (USDA CSREES. Integration of Nutrition Goals and Food Systems.)
April 1, 1996The Lost Knowledge: Breastfeeding Among Puerto Rican Women. Social Science Research Council. Latina Junior Faculty Research and Mentoring Grants.
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March 1996Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development. "Development Communication and Continuing Education in Honduras" with Roy Colle.
July 1992- 1994Minority Investigator Supplement Award. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health.
June 1989-June 1992Postdoctoral Traineeship in Mental Health Services Research. National Institute of Mental Health.
PUBLICATIONS (Selected)
2011Parra Pilar A. Farmworkers Health. In: Encyclopedia of Immigrant Health. Sana Lou and Martha Sajotovic (editors). Springer. Heidelber. Germany. Forthcoming
2011 de Lima Philomena, Pilar Alicia Parra and Max J. Pfeffer. Conceptualizing Contemporary Immigrant Integration in the Rural United Statesand United Kingdom. In: Rural Transformations and Rural Policies in the United Kingdom and the United States. Shucksmith and Brown (editors). Routgers Series on Development and Society. United Kingdom. Forthcoming
2009Pfeffer M.J. and Parra P. Strong Ties, Weak Ties, and Human Capital: Latino Immigrant Employment Outside the Enclave. Rural Sociology. Issue 74(2):241-269.
2009Pfeffer, M.J., Parra, P.A. “Upstate and Downstate Differ in Response to Needs of Immigrant Community.”NYSAC News 30(9):23-24.
2008Pfeffer M.J. and Pilar A. Parra. Community Response to Immigrants in New Destinations. Research and Policy Briefs. Community and Rural Development Institute (CARDI). Department of Development Sociology. CornellUniversity. November.
2006Parra Pilar A. and Max J. Pfeffer. New Immigrants in Rural Communities: The Challenges of Integration. In: The Border Next Door: New York Migraciones.SocialText88, Vol 24, No. 3,pp. 81-98.
2005Pfeffer Max J. and Pilar A. Parra. Immigrants and the Community: Community Perspectives. CornellUniversity. 1500 GPP Report #4, October 2005. DevelopmentSociology. Division of Nutritional Sciences.
2005Pfeffer Max J. and Pilar A. Parra. Immigrants and the Community: Former Farmworkers. Cornell University. 1500 GPP 060047. Report #3, September 2005. Development Sociology. Division of Nutritional Sciences
2005Parra Pilar A. and Max J. Pfeffer. Immigrants and the Community: Farmworkers with Families.CornellUniversity. 1500 GPP 050357. Report #2, April 2005. Development Sociology. Division of Nutritional Sciences
2004Pfeffer Max J. and Pilar A. Parra. Immigrants and the Community. CornellUniversity.1500GPP 11607. Report #1,November 2004. Development Sociology. Division of Nutritional Sciences
2000Book Review: The Worm in the Wheat. Rosalie Evans and Agrarian Struggle in the Puebla-Tlaxcala Valley of Mexico, 1906-1927, by Timothy J. Anderson, Durham and London: Duke University Press, 1998. In: Rural Sociology, Vol. 65. No.3.
1999Rodriguez E. and P. Parra A Review of New York’s Health and Health Care Status: The
Challenges Ahead for 2000. In: New York in the 21st Century. Hirschl T. & Heaton T. (eds.) Praeger Publishers. Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. 1999:272-284.
1999“The Lost Knowledge: Breastfeeding Among Puerto Rican Women.” In: Proceedings of the International Workshop in Dietary Assessment Methodologies. Diva M. Sanjur and Mauro Valencia. Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo (C.I.A.D). Camino a la Victoria Km. 6. Sonora, Mexico. Division of Nutritional Sciences-Cornell University. Ithaca NY. pp.153-168.
1998Parra Pilar A. and P. Guarnaccia. Ethnicity, Culture, and Resiliency in Caregivers of a Seriously Mentally Ill Family Member. In:Resiliency in Ethnic Minority Families: Native and Immigrant American Families. McCubbin H., Thompson E., Thompson A., and Fromer J. Sage. Newberry Park, CA. pp. 431-450.
1997Cerdá Magdalena & Parra Pilar. “El Taller: Una Guia Para Extensionistas.” (The Workshop: Guidelines for Agricultural and Health Workers). Divison of Nutritional Sciences and Cornell International Institute for Food Agriculture and Development.
1996Guarnaccia Peter, Pilar A. Parra. Ethnicity, Social Status and Families Experiences of Caring for a Mentally Ill Family Member.Community Mental Health Journal. Vol. 32(3):243-260
1995Aguirre-Molina M. and Pilar A. Parra. Latino Youth and Familie as Active Participants in Planning Change: A Community-University Partnership Pp. 130-153. In Latino Families: Developing a Paradigm for Practice, Policy and Research. Zambrana Ruth (ed.) Sage. Newberry ParkCA.
1993Parra, Pilar A. Midwives in the Mexican Health System. Social Science and Medicine. Vol.37. (11): 1321-1329.
1992Guarnaccia Peter, Pilar A. Parra, Aura Deschamps, G. Milstein, N. Argiles. Si Dios Quiere: Hispanic Families' Experiences of Caring for a Seriously Mentally Ill Family Member. Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry. Vol 16:187-215.
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1991Parra Pilar A. La Mujer Rural, las Comadronas y el Sistema Mexicano de Salud. Revista Estudios Demográficos y Urbanos. El Colegio de México. Vol.6(1):69-88.
BOOKS
2008Immigration and Ethnic Economies. Polity Press, Co-author with Max J. Pfeffer (under contract)
UNIVERSITY SERVICE
1999 –presentMember of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Diversity Catalyst Team.
2000 –presentFaculty Fellow. LatinoLivingCenter.
2003 –presentFaculty Advisor for Lambda Pi Chi Latinas working for the community.
2005 –presentFaculty Advisor Biology and Society
2006 –presentBoard member Latino Studies Program
2006 – presentBoard member and ChairFaculty Steering Committee Cornell Farmworker Program
2007 –presentAdvisory Committee Member. Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs).
2007 –presentFaculty Advisor. Student Organization. Ithaca Free Clinic Initiative
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
American Public Health Association -member
American Sociological Association -member
LANGUAGES
Fluent in English and Spanish. Some knowledge in reading and speaking German.
TEACHING
1995- presentSociology of Health and Ethnic Minorities
Description of the course and general objectives
This course is an introduction to the study of the sociology of health by examining the health status of ethnic minorities. The primary goal of this course is to understand the determinants in the health status and access to health care of Latino and other ethnic/race groups in the U.S. We will cover the following topics: 1) Basic concepts in epidemiology and data collection; 2) the distribution of illness by social and demographic factors, and the social forces affecting inter-group differences; 3) ethnicity, culture, and environment as contributors to health risks, and/or protective behaviors; 4) the access to and utilization of health care services by ethnic minorities and special populations; 5) the organization of the health system and the allocation of resources in the health services.
Students will develop analytical skills to assess how ethnicity/race, social class, gender, and most broadly, power affect both the health system and the well-being of special populations. Students will learn to critique health reports and journal articles on minorities. Students will also learn about health professions, research, and services aimed to Latino and other ethnic populations.
PRESENTATIONS AND PAPERS
(Selected)
2010Pfeffer J. Max and Pilar Alicia Parra. Impacts of U.S. Immigration Policies: A Look at Local Communities’ Responses. Washington Policy Briefing. House of Representatives and Senate. September 23, 2010.
2010Mental Health Disparities Among Ethnic Minorities. Science Organization of Latinos. Rockefeller Hall. April 28th.
2010Pfeffer J. Max and Pilar Alicia Parra. Partisan Alignment on Immigration. Cornell Population Program Spring Seminars. 153 MVR Hall. April 9, 2010
2010Pfeffer J. Max and Pilar Alicia Parra. Civic Engagement, the Church and Community Response to Immigration. Development Sociology. Reaching Out domestically and Internationally. January 29.
2009National debates, local responses and partisan alignment. Cornell Migration Interest Group. Polson Institute for Global Development. January 30th (with Max J. Pfeffer).
2008Changing worlds, changing foodways: Strategies for a healthy living for immigrant children and their families. ACT for Youth Professional Development Day. May 20. Albany, NY.
2007Politicas de Inmigracion y Acceso a la Salud en los Estados Unidos. Congreso Latinoamericano y del Caribe (FLACSO). Quito, Ecuador. October 29-31.
2007Immigrants and the Communities: The Challenges of Prevention. Second Annual Local Health Department Meeting. Achieving the Elimination of Childhood Lead Poisoning in New York. The Desmond, AlbanyNY.June 19-20
2007Immigration Reform: Implications for Farmers, Farm Workers, and Communities.
Sponsor:University of CaliforniaDavis. WashingtonDC. June 12-14
2007The Impact of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)Policies on Latino Immigrants in New YorkState. Somos el Futuro. 20th Annual Legislative Conference. New YorkState Assembly. Puerto Rican/HispanicTask Force. Albany, April 27-29.
2006Immigrant Integration to Rural Communities. The New Pluralism Meeting. FisherCommunity Center. Marshalltown, Iowa. August 19-20.
2006Great Divides, Transgressing Boundaries. Conceptualizing Immigrant Integration Outside Metropolises. American Association of Sociology Annual Conference., Palais des congres. Montreal. August 13
2006Community Integration of farmworkers and former farmworkers in New York. Immigration and Agriculture Conference. UC-DCCenter, 1608 Rhode Island Ave.WashingtonD.C. June 14-15
2006Overview of Hispanic Immigrants in Rural Communities. Hispanic Immigrants in RuralNew York Communities. NY State Assembly. Hearing. Room C. EmpireStatePlazaAlbany, NY.June 13
2006Cultural Perspectives of NewYork’s State Agricultural Workers. Planning for the Unique and Growing Health Care Needs of CNY’s Agricultural Workers. The Rural HealthNetworks of Central New York and The Finger Lakes Migrant Health Projects, Inc. Orchard Valley Golf Course, La Fayette, NY. May 23
2006EmpireState Fruit and Vegetable EXPO and Becker Forum. Growing for the Health of New York. Convention Center. Syracuse, NY. February 14.
2006Immigrant Integration outside Metropolises. State, Population,Environment, and Community. Development Sociology. February 12.
2005Finger Lakes Migrant Health Care Project. 4th Annual Voucher Site Conference. Holiday Inn, Rochester, NY. December 8th
2005National Council of la Raza. A History of Service, A Future of Impact. Pennsylvannia Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA. July 17th
2005Economic Growth in Rural Communities and the New Immigrants. Rural Newy York at a Crossroads: Research, Outreach and Policy. A Symposium for Central NY’s Federal and State Legislative representatives. Statler Hotel. CornellUniversity. June 3rd
2005Immigrants in Rural Communities: An Asset or Burden. Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE). North East Region. Hilton Garden Inn, Albany, NY. Feb. 24
2005Who are the farmworkers? A demographic profile. Good Agricultural Practices. Research and Extension Conference. Renaissance Hotel, Orlando FL. January 12
2004Identifying the Needs of Immigrants in Rural Communites. Catholic Diocesis, Rochester, NY November 11.
2004Immigrants and the Communities. Five New York Rural Communities. The Cornell Cooperative Extension Catalyst Team. The Strength of Diversity Conference. Windham Syracuse Hotel. November 10.
2004Immigrants and the Communities. Multi-Cultural ResourceCenter Task Force. Geneva, NY October 23.
2004Mexican Immigrants in New YorkState and the Communities of Origin. Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales. Puebla, Mexico. August 10.
2004Immigrant Agriculture Workers in New York. Health Needs of the Agricultural Workforce Conference. Lafayette, NY. July 15.
2004Immigrants and the Communities. AlbanyLegislativeOfficeBuilding. 3rdFloor Terrace, June 8.
2004Sodus, NY. Presentations Project “Integrating the Needs of Immigrant Workers and Rural Communities” findings: March 22, April 25, November 1.
2004Middletown, NY.Presentation of project findings “Integrating the Needs of Immigrant Workers and Rural Communities” in selected participating communities. May 19, June 5
2004In-migration of Minorities and Foreign-born Persons into Rural New York Communities. Rural New York Initiatives. Polson Institute for Global Development, March 16.
2003Latino Health. IthacaCollege. School of Health Sciences and Human Performance. February 5.
2003Climate Assessment Preliminary Report. Cornell Cooperative Extension. Executive Leadership Conference. Clarion Hotel. Ithaca, NY. March 12.
2003Changing Agriculture and Changing Rural Life. Rural Opportunities, Inc. Board Meeting. Harrisburg, PA. July17.
2003Social Capital and Immigrant Integration in Rural Communities. Annual Meeting of the Rural Sociological Association. Montreal, July 27-30,
2003Integrating the Needs of Immigrant Workers and Rural Communities. Preliminary Results. Middletown, NY. Rural Opportunities Inc., October 30.
2003Integrating the Needs of Immigrant Workers and Rural Communities. Preliminary results. Sodus United MethodistChurch. November 3.
2003New Immigrants: Burden or Asset in Rural Communities. Semana Chicana. Mecha. Cornell. November 5.
2003Immigrants as a Catalyst for Economic and Community Development. Annual Meeting of Northeast Section of Regional Science Association. BinghamtonUniversity. November 7.
2003Rural Communities and the New Immigrants. 102nd Annual Meeting American Anthropological Association.Chicago, Ill., November 19-23.
2001“Ability and Disability Among White, Black, and Latino Sub-groups, 60 years and Older, 1990. Rural Sociological Association, Albuquerque, NM. August 14-18, 2001.
2000“Changing family and community structures: The impact of social and family support on elderly Puerto Rican.” 128th American Public Health Association. November 14, 2000. Boston, MA.
2000“Traditional midwives’ changing patterns of service: A survival strategy in modern times” Discussant. VII Annual Meeting of the Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA). June 24-25. San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
2000“Uma parceira para a saude: Atendendo familias ruralis em Honduras. Seminario dos Perspectivas Comparadas sobre Populacao e Sustentabilidade Rural. August 7, 2000. University of Campinas. Brazil.
WORK IN PROGRESS
Book
Immigrants and Ethnic Economies
The Limits of Social Capital for Immigrant Integration in Rural Communities
Papers
Community Response to Immigrants in New Destinations
National Debates, Local Responses, and Partisan Alignment on Immigration
ONGOING RESEARCH
Immigration: The challenges of integration
Nutrition, diet and chronic disease among new immigrants
Health Status of minorities (culture, immigration)
Aging minorities in the U.S.
SHORT RESEARCH BIO:
Dr. Parra’s research examines the role of immigration, acculturation and poverty in the health status of minority populations. The focus of her research is one of disease and risk prevention, with special emphasis on applied research to design and test interventions to achieve long-term health behavior change. She has been awarded grants from the National Institute for Mental Health, the US Department of Agriculture, the Social Science Research Council, and has published on health related issues.
LINKS TO REPORTS:
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