UA News

Patricia Rodríguez will oversee outreach efforts in Maricopa County as well as the Med-Start summer program.

The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix in partnership with Arizona State University has named Patricia Rodríguez to the position of associate director of the Office of Outreach and Multicultural Affairs – Phoenix.

Rodríguez has served as interim associate director since March. The position oversees the College of Medicine’s outreach efforts in Maricopa County and its programs.

Rodríguez will oversee the long-standing Med-Start summer program for high school juniors.

Med-Start encourages Arizona students who are underrepresented, come from diverse backgrounds, rural areas or are economically disadvantaged to pursue health care careers. The intensive academic program helps students interested in careers in health professions prepare for college life, introduces them to health career opportunities and informs the students about educational pathways.

Prior to serving as interim associate director, Rodríguez was a senior research specialist at the College of Medicine nearly five years. She also served as a research and teacher’s assistant in the UA's Mexican American Studies and Research Center. Rodríguez also has served as program manager for the Volunteer Center of Tucson, in the City Clerk’s Office in Tucson and with the American Association of University Women in Washington, D.C.

Rodríguez holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Catholic University and a master’s degree in Mexican American studies and history from the UA.

“We are thrilled to add Patricia to our team,” said Dr. Ana Maria Lopez, associate dean of the Office of Outreach and Multicultural Affairs. “She brings a wealth of experience in education and the Phoenix area to help us connect with the community and help us find the next generation’s physicians and health care professionals.”

“Patricia will play a critical role in our evolution of a campus as we reach out to the community at large,” said Dr. Stuart Flynn, interim dean of the College of Medicine – Phoenix. “She is a great asset and important part of our team going forward in our growth in greater Phoenix.”

The College of Medicine’s Office of Outreach and Multicultural Affairs, based in Tucson, is charged with fostering cultural equity and sensitivity within the state’s educational and health care systems by increasing the diversity of the health care workforce and by promoting the critical relationship between culture and health.