Meet Geraldine

Geraldine Puerto (she/her/ella) is a doctoral student in Community Health Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences. Mentored by Dr. Kathryn P. Derose, she is actively engaged in various research projects that focus on promoting health equity for marginalized communities. Geraldine’s passion lies in working closely with community members and organizations to design research that directly addresses locally identified public health priorities and enhances community capacity building. She is especially enthusiastic about partnering with young people, supporting their voices and priorities, and incorporating creative, arts-based methods into the research process. Outside of her academic work, Geraldine loves spending time outdoors with her partner and their dog, as well as unwinding with a good book and a warm cup of tea.