UT Austin Researcher Receives Grant to Study Mental Health of Latina College Students

AUSTIN, Texas – Dr. M. Teresa Granillo, an assistant professor at The University of Texas at Austin, has received a $17,500 grant from the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health to research mental health service utilization by Latina college students.

Her proposal was selected from a pool of 44 applicants from universities across Texas. In total, 10 tenure-track assistant professors in Texas were awarded a sum of $174,627 by the Hogg Foundation to advance innovative academic research in mental health.

Dr. Granillo will examine the influence that mental health and mental health service utilization has on Latina college students’ academic performance. She has identified Latinas, an underserved demographic, for her study due to their noted underutilization of mental health services and their high rate of college incompletion.

“Findings from this study will provide important information for educators and mental health providers working with this at-risk and understudied population. With the growing rate of Latina youth enrolling in college, it is essential that college campuses are prepared to provide these students with the emotional and academic support they need to succeed,” Dr. Granillo said.

Dr. Granillo has previously studied Latina mental health and dedicated her dissertation to the topic. Her work funded by the Hogg Foundation will build on her commitment to serving Latina youth by improving their well-being and opportunities for success.

“The work that these grantees produce will advance our knowledge in critical areas of mental health. The grant initiative will also help these researchers build upon their budding careers,” said Dr. Octavio N. Martinez, Jr., executive director of the foundation.

The Hogg Foundation advances recovery and wellness in Texas by supporting mental health services, policy analysis, research and public education. The foundation was created in 1940 by the children of former Texas Gov. James S. Hogg and is part of the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement at The University of Texas at Austin.