Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing PhD candidate Roxana Chicas, BSN, RN, is a recipient of the Aguilar–Cuellar–Toben (ACT) PhD Dissertation Grant Award from the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN). Her dissertation research focuses on targeted-heat interventions for agricultural workers.

The purpose of the ACT research grant is to provide funding to a Latinx PhD student who is a member of NAHN conducting either quantitative or qualitative research to improve health care outcomes of the Latinx population. The criteria for the grant is based on the quality of the proposed research and the future promise of the applicant as a Latinx researcher.

Chicas graduated with a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Emory in 2016 before becoming a clinical instructor in the School of Nursing. Using bilingual skills and bicultural sensitivity in her scholarship, her research focuses on environmental exposures and occupational health hazards among immigrant agricultural workers. In partnership with the Farmworker Association of Florida, she designed a pilot study to examine cooling interventions to keep agricultural workers safe while working in hot and humid environments.

The NAHN is the nation’s leading professional society for Latinx nurses, representing the voice of Latinx nurses in our country. The organization is devoted to promoting safe, quality health care delivery to Latinx communities and individuals, along with recognizing excellence among Latinx nurses.