Hernandez receives Beasley Award in recognition of her innovative research in sexual assault and violence prevention
Her work with military populations addresses a growing need for awareness and education
Recognizing her extensive and impactful work in creating sexual assault and suicide prevention programs, UTHealth Houston has awarded Belinda Hernandez, PhD, the 2025 R. Palmer Beasley Award for Innovation.
R. Palmer Beasley, MD, was an internationally recognized researcher and dean of UTHealth Houston School of Public Health for almost 30 years, who created the award to acknowledge faculty members who advance public health through innovative research.
During her 12 years as an assistant professor at the school’s San Antonio location, Hernandez’s research has focused on designing, building and implementing a variety of programs aimed at preventing violence and sexual assault, and promoting sexual health. Just a few of the programs she has developed or co-developed include iCHAMPPS, a system to help schools choose and implement evidence-based sexual health education; Me and You, a program to help address teen dating violence; and X-CoRe, an engaging and informative training program to help members of the U.S. Air Force identify and prevent sexual assault.
“Receiving the R. Palmer Beasley Faculty Award for Innovation is a tremendous honor for me,” Hernandez said. “It reflects not only the value of innovative thinking in public health research, but also the importance of addressing the unique needs of military populations. I am humbled to be recognized among colleagues who do amazing and impactful research.”
Hernandez is a graduate of UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, where she earned both her master’s and doctorate in health promotion and behavioral sciences. She said her research has focused on military populations because her family has a long history of serving in the military, and her husband is currently an active-duty Army JAG officer.
“I have seen firsthand the unique stressors that service members and their families experience, and the need for rigorous research and interventions to support their well-being and resilience,” Hernandez said.
Despite mounting evidence that sexual assault has become a major problem in the military, Hernandez said few evidence-based interventions have been developed to address these harmful patterns.
“Research among military populations is critical to public health because they represent a significant segment of society that faces elevated risks for interpersonal violence, suicide, and psychological trauma,” Hernandez said. “By developing innovative, tailored, and scalable interventions, we can reduce harm, improve mental health, and build resilience among our service members and their families.