Maria Theresa Pacho

Maria Theresa Pacho is a Professor in the Department of Chicano and Latino Studies at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), where she has taught since 1999. She holds a full-time auditing role at the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and has worked with Latino non-profits like AltaMed Health Services. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on Latino health disparities, acculturation impacts on health behaviors, and healthcare access for undocumented populations.

Education: B.A. in Mexican American Studies (CSULB), M.P.H. in Health Administration and Community Health Promotion/Education (Loma Linda University School of Public Health).

Research highlights include studies on prenatal care among Mexican women, Proposition 187’s impact on Latinos, and cancer screening for Latina women. She authored Preserving Your Inner Beauty (2022), addressing emotional intelligence for young women in professional settings. Her advocacy includes securing Getty funding for the Siqueiros Mural restoration and founding the Gloria Pacho Memorial Scholarship.

Award-winning mentor, she guides students toward medicine, public health, and healthcare administration. Active in Ballet Folklorico and community health initiatives, she emphasizes cultural competency in healthcare education.