Ruth Zambrana

Dr. Ruth Zambrana is a Distinguished University Professor at the Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of Maryland, with a secondary appointment as Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Medicine. She directs the Consortium on Race, Gender and Ethnicity and is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM).

Education:

• PhD, Sociology, Boston University (1977)
• MSW, University of Pennsylvania (1971)
• BA, Queens College of the City University of New York (1969)

Her research applies an intersectional framework to structural inequities in population health and higher education, focusing on racial, ethnic, and gender disparities. Key areas include maternal/child health, socioeconomic determinants of well-being in underrepresented minorities, and systemic barriers in academic institutions. Her work bridges medical sociology, public health, and critical race theory to analyze life-course impacts of discrimination.

Recent publications (2022-2024) emphasize health disparities in Latino communities, institutional challenges facing minority faculty, and data equity in reproductive health. Trends show consistent focus on structural determinants of inequity, with methodological diversity spanning qualitative studies, community interventions, and policy analysis.

Awards and Honors:

• 2021-22: Distinguished Research Fellow, Latino Research Institute (UT Austin)
• 2021: APHA Lyndon Haviland Public Health Mentoring Award
• 2013: APHA Latino Caucus Founding Member Award for Vision and Leadership
• 2011: Julian Samora Distinguished Career Award (American Sociological Association)
• Elected to National Academy of Medicine