Five Questions with Our New Participant Recruitment Services Specialist
Lexington, Ky. (Sept. 27, 2022) – The Center for Clinical and Translational Science is excited to welcome Richard Sanchez as a Senior Specialist for Participant Recruitment Services. He will be working in C-343 Monday through Friday.
Richard grew up in Lima, Peru. He studied digital arts and electronic media at Kentucky State University, and communications science (with a focus on video & audio production and photography) at the University of the Americas in Puebla, Mexico.
For the last 19 years, Richard has worked with underrepresented populations and communities in Lexington and surrounding areas, while also documenting many live events and experiences through photography. His photographs can be seen every year at the Latino Blend Exposition at local galleries in Lexington.
We're thrilled that Richard's has chosen to bring his creativity and community commitment to help us engage everyone in research participation!
1. What types of community-based work have you done in the past?
I’ve been involved with the Lexington community for close to 20 years helping to inform, connect, educate, and advocate for families in need through my work and volunteering. I have worked at the Lexington Public Library, as a freelance medical and social services Interpreter, a soccer coach, and with the Kentucky Migrant Education Program.
2. Why were you drawn to work in research participant recruitment?
In the last 20 years, I have worked with communities in Central KY to provide programming and services that improve quality of life, health, and education. I have been fortunate to be able to document much of this work through film and photography. My position with the CCTS allows me to use all these experiences to better inform medical research and improve the quality of life for our community.
3. What are you looking forward to about your new position as senior specialist for participant recruitment services?
I am looking forward to using my professional and life experiences in ways that will benefit CCTS and research participants. I am excited to help create ways to expand research participation and be part of contributions to science and the common good.
4. How did you get into photography?
I got into photography at a young age while growing up in Lima, Peru. I started documenting sports (skateboarding and surfing), and making portraits with an old school camera that my father bought me. It all started as a hobby. Then I started getting more serious about it when I went to college in Mexico and started learning more about the technical part, so I combined photography with filmmaking and felt in love with it.
5. What was your favorite experience in studying digital arts, media, and communication science?
That’s a difficult question to answer—I had so many good experiences—but the one I would say was the most rewarding was the freedom of imagining, creating, and developing a unique form of communication.
Media Contact: Mallory Profeta, mallory.profeta@uky.edu
