Cincinnati Enquirer highlights UC Latino faculty group
Members of UC's Latino Faculty Association discuss reducing isolation, speaking up and fighting for human rights
After organizing internally for two years, the 85-member Latino Faculty Association at the University of Cincinnati is beginning to reach into the broader community.
Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Mark Curnutte spoke to founding members J. Mauricio Espinoza, assistant professor of Spanish and Latin American literature/culture, and Maria Espinola, assistant professor of clinical psychiatry, about their work with the growing group.
Goals include greater representation of UC Latino faculty, publicizing UC Latino faculty success, changing narrative about Latino immigrants and recruiting more Latino students to the university.
Members are working with Cincinnati Public Schools to establish a mentoring program in which a Latino UC student is paired with a Latino student at Dater High School in Lower Price Hill. The program then would likely expand to Princeton High School, which also has a large and growing Latino student population.
"Latino professors can play a fundamental role in changing the biases that exist against Latinos by serving as role models for students, educating the public on issues that impact marginalized communities and promoting human rights for all," said Espinola.
Featued image at top: J. Mauricio Espinoza and Maria Espinola are two of the co-founders of the Latino Faculty Association at the University of Cincinnati. Photo/The Enquirer/Amanda Rossmann
Related Stories
'My health is priceless'
April 7, 2026
Weight loss drugs, including Ozempic and Wegovy, are changing more than waistlines — they're quietly transforming how people spend money, what they prioritize and who can afford better health. As Local 12/WKRC-TV recently reported, for some patients, the medications are life-changing. For others, the cost can be overwhelming.
What is the 'cicada' COVID variant?
April 6, 2026
A formerly rare strain of COVID, BA.3.2, now is showing up in Ohio and 24 other states. Experts say so far it hasn't caused illness any more severe than other strains, but it might be somewhat more resistant to vaccines, as 91.7 WVXU News recently reported. Scientists have nicknamed the variant "cicada" due to its former low profile and current resurgence.
UC opens zebrafish research facility to study infertility
April 6, 2026
The University of Cincinnati is launching a state-of-the-art zebrafish research facility that scientists say could help explain how environmental toxins affect fertility, as WKRC-TV/Local 12 and WLWT-TV/Ch. 5 recently reported.