CURRICULUM VITAE
ALICE CEPEDA
University of Houston
Department of Sociology &
Center for Drug and Social Policy Research
468 Philip G. Hoffman Hall
Houston, TX 77204-3012
1-713-743-3950 (PGH Office)
1-713-743-8248 (CDSPR Office)
1-713-743-3943 (fax)
acepeda2@uh.edu
EDUCATION
2004
Ph.D.
Sociology, City University of New York Graduate Center,
New York, New York
1999
MS
Sociology, The University of Texas at San Antonio,
San Antonio, Texas
1995
BA
Sociology, The University of Texas at San Antonio,
San Antonio, Texas
POSITIONS
2006-Present
Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Houston
2008-Present
Associate Director, Center for Drug and Social Policy Research,
University of Houston
2005-2006
Visiting Scholar, Center for Mexican American Studies, University of
Houston
2001–2007
Office for Drug and Social Policy Research,
Graduate School of Social Work, University of Houston
Senior Researcher
1999-2000
Center for Urban Research,
City University of New York Graduate Center, NY
Field Interviewer
1994–2001
Center for Drug and Social Policy Research
(Formerly Hispanic Research Center),
University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
Research Associate II
RESEARCH GRANT EXPERIENCE:
Principal Investigator, 2009 - 2013, “HIV, HPV and other STI Infection Risks: Latina Immigrants
in Risk Environments,” National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), University of Houston (UH),
$2,862,410. [PENDING]
Principal Investigator, 2008 - 2011, “At Risk Hispanic Gangs: Long Term Consequences for HIV,
Hepatitis and STI,” National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA),1R01 DA023857-01A2, University
of Houston (UH), $2,937,663.
Principal Investigator, 2008-2009, "High Risk Drug and Related Risk Behaviors Among Hispanic
Immigrant Workers in New Orleans" National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) $71, 725 [1R01
DA021852-03].
Co-Investigator, 2009. “Advanced Research Practicum”. QEP Curriculum Development Grant
Program, Department of Sociology, University of Houston, $8,200.
Project Director, 2007 – 20012, “Social Networks and Aging Mexican American Injecting Heroin
Users,” University of Houston Drug Abuse Research Development Program, National Institute on
Drug Abuse (NIDA), 1R24DA019798-01A1, University of Houston (UH).
Co- Investigator, 2006 - 2009, “Substance Use and Other Health Consequences among Hurricane
Katrina Evacuees in Houston,” National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), 1 R01 DA021852,
University of Houston (UH), $1,210,064.
NCMHD Scholar, 2009-20011, “Substance Use and Other Health Consequences among Katrina
Evacuees”. National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities,
Loan
Repayment
Program, National Institutes of Health.
NCMHD Scholar, 2007-2009, “Substance Use and Other Health Consequences among Katrina
Evacuees”. National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities,
Loan
Repayment
Program, National Institutes of Health.
NCMHD Scholar, 2005-2007, “Mexican American Non-Injecting Heroin Users, HIV and
Transitioning” National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Loan Repayment
Program, National Institutes of Health.
Principal Investigator, 2006, Center for Mexican American Studies (CMAS) 2006 Summer
Research Grant Program, University of Houston (UH), $3,000.
Project Director, 2002-2007, "Hispanic Heroin Users, Transitions to Injecting and HIV,” National
Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), UH.
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Research Associate, 2002-2007, “Proyecto SAFE: San Antonio Family Enhancement,” Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse
Treatment (CSAT), UH.
Research Associate, 2000-2003, "Drug Treatment for Gang Affiliated Hispanic Adolescents,"
SAMHSA, CSAT, UH.
Research Associate, 1999-2000, "Childhood Trauma, Family Stress And Depression Among
Mexican American Gang Non-Injecting Heroin Users," Hogg Foundation, University of Texas at
San Antonio (UTSA).
Research Associate, 1998-2001, "Sexual and Intimate Violence Among High-Risk Mexican
American Females," Centers for Disease Control (CDC), UTSA.
Project Coordinator, 1997-1998, "Injecting Drug Use and High-Risk Sexual Behavior: The
U.S./Mexico Border (Laredo and Nuevo Laredo),NIDA, UTSA.
Project Coordinator, 1998-1999, "Injecting Drug Use and High-Risk Sexual Behavior: The
U.S./Mexico Border (El Paso and Ciudad Juarez), NIDA, UTSA.
Research Assistant, 1995-1998, "Drug Related Gang Violence in South Texas," NIDA, UTSA.
Research Assistant, 1997-1998, "Psychopathy and Aggression in Mexican American High Risk
Youth," Hogg Foundation, UTSA.
TEACHING INTERESTS
Deviance, Criminology, Sociological Research Methods, Drugs and Alcohol, Community Health
ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS
Refereed Journals:
1.
Valdez, A., Kaplan, C., Zenong, Y., & Cepeda, A. (1998). “The legal importation of prescription
drugs from Mexico into United States,” Substance Use and Misuse, 33(12), 2485-2497.
2.
Valdez, A., Kaplan, C., & Cepeda, A. (Spring 2000). “The Process of Paradoxical Autonomy and
Survival in the Heroin Careers of Mexican American Women,” Contemporary Drug Problems, 189213.
3.
Cepeda, A. & Valdez, A., (2002). “Sex Work, High-Risk Sexual Behavior and Injecting Drug Use
on the U.S. – Mexico Border: Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas,” Journal of Border Health, (7)1, 84-94.
4.
Mata, A., Valdez, A., Alvarado, J., Cepeda, A., Cervantes, R., Kaplan, C.D. (2002). “Drug Related
Violence Among Mexican American Youth in Laredo, Texas: Preliminary Findings, Free Inquiry in
Creative Sociology, 30(1), 25-38.
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5.
Cepeda, A. & Valdez, A., (2003). "Risk Behaviors among Young Mexican American Gang
Associated Females: Sexual Relations, Partying, Substance Use and Crime," Journal of Adolescent
Research, 18 (1), 91-107.
6.
Valdez, A., Kaplan, C., Cepeda, A. & Mata, A.G. (2005). “Precocious Transitions and Substance
Use Patterns among Mexican American Gang Members: A Correlation Analysis,” Free Inquiry in
Creative Sociology, 33(1), 51-62.
7.
Valdez, A., Mikow, J. & Cepeda, A. (2006). “The Role of Stress, Family Coping, Ethnic Identity
and Mother-Daughter Relationships on Substance Use among Gang Affiliated Hispanic Females,”
Journal of Social Work Addictions, 6(4), 31-54.
8.
Valdez, A., Kaplan, C., & Cepeda, A. (2006). “The Drugs-Violence Nexus among Mexican
American Gang Members,” Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 38(2), 109-121.
9.
Valdez, A., Neaigus, A., Cepeda, A. (2007). “Potential Risk Factors for Transitioning to Injecting
among Mexican American Non-Injecting Heroin Users,” Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 6(2),
49-73.
10.
Valdez, A., Cepeda, A., Neaigus, A., & Russell, A. (2008). “Heroin Transition Risk among Daily
and Non-Daily Marijuana Users who are Non-Injectors of Heroin”, International Journal of Drug
Policy, 19, 442-449.
11.
Hazen, J. M., Kaplan, C. D., Valdez, A., Cepeda, A., Lund, S., & Millard, A. (2008). Risk and
resilience: Understanding the potential for violence. In E. G. Berman, K. Krause, E. LeBrun & G.
McDonald (Eds.), Small Arms Survey 2008: Risk and Resilience (pp. 244-273). Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
12.
Valdez, A., Cepeda, A. & Kaplan, C. (2009). “Homicidal Events among Mexican American Street
Gangs: A Situational Analysis.” Homicide Studies. 13(3),288-306.
13.
Cepeda, A., Valdez, A., Kaplan, C.D., & Hill, L. “Even Though It Ain’t New Orleans, It’s Still
Hard,” Patterns of Substance Use among Hurricane Katrina Evacuees in Houston” Disasters: The
Journal of Disaster Studies, Policy and Management. In Press.
14.
Cepeda, A., & Valdez, A. “Ethnographic Strategies in the Tracking and Retention of Street
Recruited Community- Based Samples of Substance Using Hidden Populations in Longitudinal
Studies”, Journal of Substance Use and Misuse. In Press.
15.
Cepeda, A., Drug Smugglers on Drug Smuggling: Lessons from the Inside, by Scott H. Decker
and Margaret Townsend Chapman. Contemporary Sociology. In Press.
16.
Valdez, A., Cepeda, A., Negi, N., & Kaplan, C. “Fumando La Piedra: Emerging Patterns of Crack
Use
among Latino Immigrant Day Laborers in New Orleans” Journal of Immigrant and Minority
Health. In
Press.
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17.
Cepeda, A., Kaplan, C., Saint Onge, J.M., and Valdez, A. “The Association between DisasterRelated Factors and Mental Health Outcomes among Drug Using African American Hurricane
Katrina Evacuees.” Community Health Journal. (Under Review)
Book Chapters
Valdez, A., & Cepeda, A. 2008. “The Relationship of Ecological Containment and Heroin Practices” In
Y. Thomas, D. Richardson, and I. Cheung (Eds), Geography and Drug Addiction, Springer Press, 159173pp.
Valdez, A., Cepeda, A., & Neaigus, A. 2007. “Potential Risk Factors for Transitioning to Injecting among
Mexican American Non-Injecting Heroin Users,” In Myers, P. L. (ed), 21st Century Research on Drugs
and Ethnicity: Studies Supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Haworth Press.
Cepeda, A. “Sex Work In Ciudad Juarez: A Descriptive Portrait,” In A. G. Mata (Ed), High
Risk Youth, High Risk Families and High Risk communities: Implications for Prevention, Intervention and
Treatment. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press Publication. (In Press).
Works In Progress
Cepeda, A. “A Comparison of Injecting and Non-Injecting Mexican Female Sex Workers on the U.S. –
Mexico Border: Bi-National HIV Implications.” In Preparation for Journal of Drug Issues.
Cepeda, A. “In the Business: Alcohol and Drug Use Demands, Negotiations & Dependency Sexoservidoras
on the U.S./Mexico Border.” In preparation for Social Problems.
Cepeda, A., Valdez, A., Kaplan, C. and Villarreal, Y. Prevalence and Correlates of Hepatitis C among
Mexican-American Non-Injecting Heroin Users. “ In Preparation for Journal of Urban Health.
Dissertation
Cepeda, A. “A Paradox of Autonomy and Risk: Mexican Sexoservidoras (Sex Workers) on
the U.S. – Mexico Border.” City University of New York Graduate Center, New York. 2004.
RESEARCH REPORTS
2001
“Sex Work, High Risk Sexual Behavior and Injecting Drug Use along the U.S. –
Mexico Border: Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas” (with Avelardo Valdez. Final Report
to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Center for Drug and Social Policy
Research, University of Texas at San Antonio.
2002
“Sex Work, High Risk Sexual Behavior and Injecting Drug Use along the U.S. –
Mexico Border: Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua” (with Avelardo Valdez). Final Report
to the National Institutes on Drug Abuse, Center for Drug and Social Policy
Research, University of Texas at San Antonio.
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2003
“Risk Behaviors among Young Mexican American Gang Associated Females:
Sexual Relations, Partying, Substance use, and Crime,“ in Sexual and Intimate Partner
Violence among Gang Affiliated Mexican American Female Adolescents. (with Avelardo
Valdez) Final Report to the Centers for Disease Control, Office for Drug and
Social Policy Research, University of Houston.
2003
“Prevalence of Childhood Trauma among Mexican American High Risk Female
Adolescents,“ (with Avelardo Valdez and Charles D. Kaplan) in Sexual and Intimate
Partner Violence among Gang Affiliated Mexican American Female Adolescents. Final
Report to the Centers for Disease Control, Office for Drug and Social Policy
Research, University of Houston.
2009
Substance Use and Other Health Consequences among Hurricane Katrina
Evacuees in Houston,” (with Avelardo Valdez, Alexandra Canga, Kathryn
Nowotny & Jarron Saint Onge). Final Report to the National Institute on Drug
Abuse, Center for Drug and Social Policy Research, University of Houston.
PRESENTATIONS
1996
“The Legal Importation of Prescription Drugs into the United States from Mexico:
A Study of Customs Declarations.” National Association for Chicano And
Chicana Studies. Chicago, Illinois. March 20-23.
1996
“The Legal Importation of Prescription Drugs into the United States from Mexico:
A Study of Customs Declarations.” Poster presentation at the Society For
Prevention Research. San Juan, Puerto Rico. June.
1997
“Gender Issues Among Mexican American Gangs.” American
Association. Toronto, Canada. August 9-13.
1998
“Gangs on the Southwest Border Region.” National Association for Chicano and
Chicana Studies. Mexico City, June 24-27.
1998
“Exploring the Relationship between Male Gang Violence and Females.”
American Sociological Association. San Francisco, California, August 21-25.
1999
“Psychopathy and Childhood Trauma among Mexican American High-Risk Male
Youth .” American Sociological Association. Chicago, Illinois, August.
2000
“Childhood Trauma Among Violent Mexican American Male Gang Members.”
American Sociological Association. Washington, DC, August 15-18.
2000
“Drugs, Gangs, and Homicide in South Texas.” American Society of Criminology.
San Francisco, California, November, 15-18.
2001
“Injecting Drug Use and High Risk Sexual Behavior on the U.S. – Mexico Border.”
Pan American Health Organization. Las Cruces, New Mexico, May 29.
Sociological
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2001
2002
“Sex Work and Violence on the U.S. – Mexico Border.” Society for the Study of
Social Problems. Anaheim, California.
“Inyección de Drogas y Conducta Sexual de Alto Riesgo: La Frontera Mexico/
Estados Unidos Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua.” 8 Congreso Nacional Sobre
VIH/SIDS e Infecciones de Transmisión Sexual. Veracruz, Ver. Mexico.
December 4-6.
2003
“Snorting Brown: The New Cohort of Chicano Heroin Users in South Texas.”
American Sociological Association. Atlanta, GA, August 16-19.
2003
“Snorting Brown: Contextual Factors and the Process of Addiction among
Chicano Non-Injecting Heroin Users.” 3rd Annual National Hispanic Science
Network on Drug Abuse Conference, Miami, FL, October 1-4.
2003
“A Changing Drug Market: The Impact on Patterns of Heroin Use.” American
Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, Denver, Co, November 19-22.
2004
“Potential Risk Factors Associated with the Transition to Injecting among Mexican
American Non-Injecting Heroin Users: A Comparison of Never and Former
Injectors.” Society for the Study of Social Problems Annual Meeting, San
Francisco, CA, August 13 –15.
2004
“Context of Marijuana Use among Mexican American Polydrug Users”
“American Sociological Association. San Francisco, CA, August 14 -17.
2004
“Potential Risk Factors Associated with the Transition to Injecting among Mexican
American Non-Injecting Heroin Users: A Comparison of Never and Former
Injectors ” 2nd Caribbean Basin and Hispanic Addiction Technology Transfer
Center National Conference, Universidad Central del Caribe, San Juan Puerto Rico,
August 18 – 24,.
2004
“Changing Heroin Market Dynamics: The Impact on Patterns of Non-injecting
Use in South Texas.” Drug Abuse: A Workshop on Behavioral and Economic
Research, National Institute on Drug Abuse. Bethesda, Maryland, October 18-20.
2004
“Public Health Issues Among Mexican Sexoservidoras (Sex Workers) On The U.S. –
Mexico Border.” Third International Conference on Urban Health. Boston,
October 20-22.
2005
“HCV Risk Factors Among Mexican American Non-Injecting Heroin Using
Networks.”
Society for the Study of Social Problems Annual Meeting,
Philadelphia, PA. August 12 –14.
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2005
“Informal Social Control Processes on Adolescent Delinquent Behavior among
Two Types of Mexican American Gangs.” American Society of Criminology,
Toronto, CA. November 16-19.
2005
“Brief Strategic Family therapy: Drug Using Gang Affiliated Adolescents
and Their Families.” National Association of Social Workers – Texas Chapter,
Galveston, TX. November 10-12.
2006
“A Paradox of Autonomy and Risk: Substance Use Demands, Negotiations and
Dependency Among Mexican Sexoservidoras” Sex Work
Matters:
Beyond
Divides, A Conference at The New School and CUNY Graduate Center, March
30.
2006
Panelist, “Trafficking Women: A Forum on the Role of Houston in the
International Trafficking of Women.” The James A. Baker III Institute for
Public Policy, Rice University, April 12.
2006
“Livelihood and Migration Experiences of Sex Workers on the U.S./Mexico
Border.” Internationales Promotionsprogramm Gesellschaftswissenschaften,
Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universitat Frankfurt am Main, May 8 – 12.
2006
“In the Business: Substance Use Demands, Negotiations and Dependency on the
U.S./Mexico Border” American Sociological Association, Montreal, CA. August
11-14.
2006
“The Influence of Personal/Behavioral Susceptibility and Community Norms:
Understanding Qualitatively the Risk of Transitioning to Injecting Among Mexican
American NIUs” American Sociological Association, Montreal, CA. August 11-14.
2006
“Ethnographic Strategies in the Tracking and Retention of a Community Based
Sample of Mexican American Heroin Sniffers” Society for the Study of Social
Problems Annual Meeting, Montreal, CA. August 10 –12.
2006
Co-Presider. “Town Hall meeting with the NIDA Director.” Sixth Annual
National Hispanic Science Network on Drug Abuse Conference, Scottsdale,
Arizona, September 12 – 16.
2006
Panelist. “Houston and Human Trafficking.” Baylor College of Medicine, Baylor
World Health and Human Rights Organization, November 9.
2006
Participant. “Disasters and Substance Abuse.” National Institute of Health,
National Institute on Drug Abuse, Division of Epidemiology, Services and
Prevention Research, Bethesda, Maryland. December 7 – 8.
2007
“A Paradox of Autonomy and Risk: Mexican Sexoservidoras (Sex Workers) on the
U.S. – Mexico Border,” Texas A&M University Sociology Department Colloquium,
College Station, Texas, Feb 23. [National]
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2007
“Community Based Research in Practice,” National Hispanic Science Network on
Drug Abuse- Summer Research Training Institute, Houston, TX, June 4 – 12.
[Local]
2007
“Substance Use and Other Health Consequences among Hurricane Katrina
Evacuees in Houston,” Society for the Study of Social Problems Annual Meeting,
New York City, August 10 –12. [National]
2007
Heroin Transition Risk Among Daily and Non-Daily Marijuana Users,” National
Hispanic Science Network on Drug Abuse, Seventh Annual International Conference
Drug Use & Adaptation to Rapidly Changing Environments, Miami, September 26 – 28.
[National]
2007
Interuniversity Institute for Research Seminar on Gangs, Armed Violence, Urban
Transformation and Governance
Port-au-Prince, Haiti. October 24 – 27.
[International]
2007
Participant “Substance Use Patterns among Hurricane Katrina Evacuees Living in
High Crime Neighborhoods in Houston,” American Society of Criminology,
Atlanta, GA, November 14 - 17. [National]
2008
“A Family Based Intervention for Gang Affiliated Adolescent Drug Users”
American Sociological Association, Boston, MA, August 1-4, 2008. [National]
2008
“High Risk Drug Use by Hispanic Immigrants in New Orleans” Society for the
Study of Social Problems Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, July 31 – August 2.
[National]
2008
“Community Based Participatory Research in Practice,” National Hispanic Science
Network on Drug Abuse- Summer Research Training Institute, Houston, TX, June
10-16. [Local]
2008
“Your Name Carries Weight”: The Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Drug Use
Behaviors among Evacuees in Houston” International Conference on Urban
Health, Vancouver, BC, October 29-31. [International]
2008
"Your Name Carries Weight": Katrina evacuee's adjustment to Houston's criminal
networks”, American Society of Criminology, St. Louis, MO, November 12 -15.
[National]
2009
“Contextual and Cultural Influences of Substance Use among U.S. Hispanics”.
Montgomery County United Way. Conroe, TX. May 26. [Local]
2009
“Fumando La Piedra: Patterns of Crack Use among Latino Immigrant Day Laborers
in New Orleans”. Society for the Study of Social Problems Annual Meeting, San
Francisco, August 7 – 9. [National]
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2009
“Transitions to Injecting Drug Use among Mexican American Noninjecting Heroin
Users”. American Sociological Association, San Francisco. August 9 - 11.
[National]
2009
“Health Consequences of Latino Immigrant Day Laborers in New Orleans: New
Patterns of Settlement and Destination”. Social Science Research on Immigration:
The Role of Transnational Migration, Communities and Policy, Arizona State
University; School of Justice and Social Inquiry. Tempe, AZ. September 10 – 11.
[National]
AWARDS RECEIVED
1998
“Exploring the Relationship between Violence and Females Associated with Male
Gangs.” Graduate Student Small Grants Program. University of Texas at San
Antonio, College of Behavioral Sciences.
2001
“Somos El Futuro Foundation Fellowship.” Center for Latin American, Caribbean
and Latino Studies, City University of New York Graduate Center.
1999-2002
Dean K. Harrison Fellowship. City University of New York Graduate Center.
2002
National Hispanic Science Network on Drug Abuse (NHSN), “National Award of
Excellence in Research by a Student.” Los Angeles, California.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS MEMBERSHIP
1995–Present American Sociological Association
2000-Present American Society of Criminology
2003-Present Society for the Study of Social Problems
2001-Present Member, National Hispanic Science Network on Drug Abuse, National Institute
on Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse
2009-Present Racial Democracy, Crime and Justice-Network
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS PARTICIPATION
2006 – Present Society for the Study of Social Problems, Drinking and Drug Section, Student
Paper Award Committee
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2005 - Present National Hispanic Science Network on Drug Abuse, Summer Research Training
Institute Subcommittee
2006 - 2008
ASA Council Member, Section of Alcohol, Drugs and Tobacco.
2008
Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowship Program Predoctoral Sociology Panel
Review, Washington, D.C. March 6 - 8
2009
Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowship Program Sociology Panel Review,
Washington, D.C. March 19 – 21.
2009
Racial Democracy, Crime and Justice-Network Summer Workshop, The Ohio
State University, Criminal Justice Research Center. Ohio State University, July 2324, 2009.
STUDENT COMMITTEES
Thesis Committee Chair. Gianncarlo Muschi, “Approach to the Expectations Held by Professional
Immigrants and their Evolution through the Migration Experience: The Case of the Latin Americans
Working as Bilingual Teachers in the Houston Independent School District” Department of Sociology.
(Current)
Dissertation Committee Member. Sonia Vasan, “Women’s Participation in
the
Subculture” College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology. (Current)
Death
Metal
Thesis Committee Member. Simay Ozlu Diniz, “Turkish Community Based Organizations in Houston:
Replicating Home Country Tensions” Department of Sociology. May 2009
Senior Thesis Committee Member. Ginni van Katwijk, “Prison Gang Influence on Youth Street Gangs”
Department of Sociology. May 2009
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