Associate Professor of Public Health
Associate Professor and Chair of Public Health at Mercyhurst University, Dr. Torres has 23 years of experience teaching nationally and internationally, both undergraduate and graduate students (Argentina, Ohio, New Hampshire and Minnesota) in various interdisciplinary programs including Public Health. Eighteen of those years were spent teaching in the Liberal Arts context, which emphasizes lifelong learning, service, and social justice. She specializes in Health Communication, Community Health Promotion and Health Disparities using CBPAR (Community Based Participatory Action Research). In the past 11 years, Dr. Torres has been working in several community based participatory action research projects developing entertainment education media and Health intervention strategies to promote the health of Latino, Hmong and Somali immigrants in Minnesota.
- Ph.D., Cross-culture & Health Communication, Ohio University, 2004
- Master’s in Public Health, Community Health Promotion with a concentration in Health Disparities, University of Minnesota, 2016
- M.A., Organizational Communication, Ohio University, 2001
- B.A. in Journalism, Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Argentina, 1986
- PUBH 101: Foundations of Public Health
- PUBH 205: Public Health Policy
- PUBH 280 Mental Health and Psychiatric Epidemiology
- PUBH 290: Social Determinants of Health
- PUBH 300: Special topics: Sexual and Reproductive Health
- PUBH 395: Public Health Program Evaluation
- PUBH 490: Senior Research Practicum
- PUBH 475: Public Health Field Experience
- Community Health Promotion (former Community Health Education)
- Health Disparities
- Community based Participatory Action Research
- STI prevention and Sexual Health
- Social Determinants of Health
- Immigrant and Refugee Health
- Health Communication Campaigns
- Program Evaluation
- Health Disparities/Health Equity
- Sexual Health
- Community Health Promotion/Education
- Diverse Communities
- Community Based Participatory Action Research
- Xiong, S. & Torres, M. B. (2023). Using a Community Based Approach to design implementation plans. Lessons from implementing a culturally tailored HPV educational website for Hmong parents and adolescents. Story Slam Session presented at the Accelerating Health Equity Conference, from the American Hospital Association, Minneapolis, MN May 16th 2023.
- Lee, H., Xiong, S., Sur, A., Khang, T., Vue, B., Culhane-Pera, K.A., Pergament, S., Torres, M. B., Koopmeiners, J.S., & Desai, J. (2022). Evaluating Hmong HPV eheallth to promote Hmong adolescent HPV vaccinations: a pilot feasibility study. JMIR Formative Research in press.
- Xiong, S., Kasouaher, M. Y., Vue, B., Culhane-Pera, K.A., Pergament, S.L., Desai, J., Torres, M.B. & Lee, H. Y. (2021). “We will do whatever it takes”: Understanding socioecological level influences on Hmong-American adolescents and parents’ perceptions of the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine. Journal of Cancer Education, (online). http://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-021-02057-4
- West, W., Torres, B., Mitteldorf D., Capistrant, B.D., Konety, B.R, Polter, E., Rosser, B.R.S. (2021). The challenge of coming out to providers by gay and bisexual men with prostate cancer. Qualitative results from the Restore 1 study. International Journal of Sexual Health, in press.
- Pörhölä, M. Cvancara, K., Kaal, E., Juntu, K., Tampere, K. & Torres, M.B. (2019). Bullying in university between peers and by personnel: cultural variation in prevalence, forms, and gender differences in four countries.Social Psychology of Education International Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-019-09523-4
- Board Member, Nonwestern Pennsylvania Area Health Education
- Executive Board Member, Somali, Latino and Hmong Partnership for Health and Wellness
- Community Advisory Board Member, SRU MPH program
- Frontiers in Health Communication, Reviewer
- Marion and Jasper Whiting Foundation for Higher Education
- CONICOR (Research Council of Córdoba)/Fulbright
- CONACYT Mexico (National Council of Science and Technology)
- Ohio University, Outstanding doctoral student