The UCF Office of Civil Discourse and Engagement‘s Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration Reception honored Olga Molina, associate professor at the School of Social Work, for her contributions to research and clinical experience focused on Latino/a/x mental healthcare for over thirty years. During the event, Molina also participated in a panel moderated by UCF’s Latino Faculty and Staff Association where they discussed the importance of Hispanic heritage at UCF and beyond.
Molina’s seminal work surrounds her extensive group therapy with survivors of the Pulse Massacre. The impact, experiences and resilience of the Latino/a/x survivors documented by Molina and her team were published in a peer-reviewed article and was one of the first scholarly articles exploring the Pulse Massacre.
“It was an honor to be recognized by UCF for my work as a social worker and researcher. To have people acknowledge the importance of having culturally competent social workers in our communities further drives me to use my expertise and serve that need by teaching my students to do the same,” said Molina.
