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This is part two of a five-part series recognizing Virginia Wesleyan faculty members who are currently doing work with the aid of development grants received during the summer of 2006.
by Christina Foster '07
Associate Professor of Health and Human Services Dr. Ben Dobrin and Dr. Diana Risk, associate professor of Spanish, traveled outside the United States in the summers of 2005 and 2006 after receiving summer development grants.
Dobrin visited Armenia in the summer of 2005 to research the smoking habits of Armenian men. He found that 77 percent of Armenian men smoke cigarettes, which is the highest in the world.
"They have a much lower life expectancy rate over there, probably due to smoking," he said.
Dobrin's findings in Armenia led him to Richmond, Va., in the summer of 2006. Although "Armenians are a very, very small minority in this country," Richmond holds a large Armenian church called the St. James Armenian Church.
Dobrin has always been interested in the topic of smoking and knew Armenians were known for their heavy smoking habits, so he combined the two ideas. He collected a list of church attendants from the St. James Armenian Church in Richmond and sent surveys in the mail to 120 families.
Dobrin is still compiling survey replies and will present his research from the summer 2005 Armenia trip this month.
"In November, I'll be presenting my research to the American Public Health Association in Boston," said Dobrin. "They are the premier public health organization in the world."
Dobrin will present his Richmond findings next year.
Risk visited Nuevo Laredo, Mexico and Laredo, Texas, to research many aspects of Mexico, including the political state of Mexico, observations on what Mexicans were buying from the United States and the traffic on the bridges between Mexico and Texas. The media tend to over exaggerate and only report on the bad incidents that occur in Mexico, like drugs, violence and gangs.
"I thought it was going to be a state of alert," said Risk. But she actually found that it was a fairly safe environment.
Risk was interested in the bicultural experience between Mexico and America. This bicultural experience includes her findings that Mexicans purchase many electronic products from the United States and the amount of Mexicans who cross the border every day.
"I was surprised that Cubans were also coming into America," said Risk. She found the 500 Cubans crossed the border in July alone.
In February, Risk will present her research at a two-part lecture series at Old Dominion University. She will discuss the entire history of Mexico as well as her recent findings.
She is also using what she learned to benefit her students.
"Everything I do ties back into my classes," said Risk.