GALVESTON, Texas - The Community Outreach and Education Core of the Sealy Center for Environmental Health and Medicine and NIEHS Center in Environmental Toxicology at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston will present the Houston-Galveston Environmental Research and Outreach (HERO) Awards during their annual stakeholders meeting in Galveston. The presentation will be made Friday, Aug. 7, at the Moody Gardens Hotel.
The HERO award honors individuals whose work has improved the environment in their communities This year's recipients - Suzie Canales (Corpus Christi), Hilton Kelley (Port Arthur) and Juan Parras (Houston) - have served their communities and the Texas Gulf Coast region as tireless environmental educators, advocates for environmental justice and role models of commitment and perseverance. "They have moved their communities beyond protest toward informed advocacy and collaborative engagement in our regional dialogue on environmental health," said Albert Chavarria, a coordinator in the Sealy Center for Environmental Health and Medicine. Houston Mayor Bill White received the 2008 HERO award and was honored for the leadership he provided in working to improve air quality - work expected to have long-term benefits for the health and well-being of the greater Houston area. The HERO award recipients will be invited back to UTMB during the 2009-2010 NIEHS seminar series to participate in a moderated panel discussion on improving environmental health through community-based research.