Dr. Eduardo A. Lugo Hernández, professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez Campus (RUM), became the first Puerto Rican to receive the Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award Trust, which is granted to professors who have inspired their students to make a difference in their communities. 

"This award represents a great satisfaction, since the nomination came directly from my own students, who were part of Impacto Juventud and who affirmed that participation in the organization was significant for their development. In addition, it validates the importance of working with youth and demonstrates that these collaborations are part of the transformation of the country. I think that Impacto Juventud as a project developed from the RUM integrates a different educational vision and uses political and community work as a teaching-learning strategy with great benefits for society," said the Executive Director of the collective. 

The organization Impacto Juventud emerged in 2018 as an initiative of the students of the course Psychology of Adolescence, taught by Dr. Lugo Hernández at RUM, with the aim of promoting civic and political participation of youth and eradicating child poverty in the country. The organization shares information based on research and addresses social issues of interest.  

 For Lugo Hernández, the award nomination took him by surprise, as he was unaware that his students had selected him and found out last January when he received the notification. Aula en la Montaña is another of the community outreach initiatives in which the professor is engaged, which he considers an important achievement for the country. 

"The Aula en la Montaña project is one of our great initiatives. It was developed in collaboration with the community of the Quebradilla sector of the Rucio neighborhood in Peñuelas. It integrates students and professionals from RUM and other universities in the educational and socioemotional support of children. In addition, I'm a member of the commission for the eradication of child poverty of the government of Puerto Rico," said the professor. 

Dr. Agustín Rullán Toro, rector of the UPR Mayagüezano campus, congratulated the professor for this achievement, as it reflects the academic commitment of the faculty. 

"It's admirable this distinction for Dr. Lugo Hernández, since it was the students themselves who nominated him as a sign of gratitude for his community work. This is one of the many recognitions he has received for his dedication in favor of disadvantaged communities. It's important to continue the message of empowerment from our campus to those in need," he said. 

 The award was created by Gail McKnight Beckman, son of Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman, who worked as an educator and was one of the pioneers in the field of psychology, with the purpose of remembering his progenitor's feat and benefiting educators who create, together with their students, an organization that benefits the close members of their community.

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