Biography

Fernando I. Rivera, Ph.D. received his doctoral degree in Sociology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2003. Before assuming his duties as assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Central Florida, Dr. Rivera was a post doctoral fellow at the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of mental health, family, and health, with a special emphasis on Latino groups. Currently he is involved in several projects analyzing Latino mental health issues including: the link between physical and mental health among a national sample of Mexican adults, and the effects of several socio-cultural factors (such as family support, perceived discrimination, gender, and education) on depression levels among Latino children and adults.