Ana Lucia Rodriguez de la Rosa

Ana Lucia Rodriguez de la Rosa always knew she wanted to serve others and make a difference.

Obtaining two master’s degrees, one in Development and Culture and the other in Sociology prior to joining FIU, Ana Lucia knew she wanted to continue her education. In 2014, she was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and had to undergo several surgeries. But this did not deter her. She eventually came to FIU to begin pursuing her Ph.D. in psychology.  

Under the mentorship of Dionne Stephens, Ana Lucia conducted research on how social networks and social interactions influence, and are influenced by, mental health and cultural dynamics. She’s published three articles in academic journals and presented her work at 13 conferences.

As a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Global Health Equity pre-doctoral fellow, Ana Lucia had the opportunity to live and conduct research in a rural Afro-Colombian village in Colombia and examined how adolescents experienced violence in their community, with friends and in intimate relationships. Her work received the FIU Provost Award for Student Engagement.

Ana Lucia also received the Young Scholar Researcher Bridge Grant from the Society of Complex Systems, as well as an American Psychological Association Research Award.

This fall, Ana Lucia will begin her post-doctoral research at Yale University. She hopes to create academic spaces where diversity is valued, especially for other Latinas, people with disabilities, and historically underrepresented groups.

Nathalie Medina
Junior Account Manager
College of Arts, Sciences & Education