Shary Pérez Torres, Community Health & Research Program Director
Community Health & Research Program Director
Shary Pérez Torres, DrPH, is the Community Health and Research Program Director at the United Community Center (UCC) in Milwaukee. Established in 1970, UCC is one of the largest Latino-serving nonprofit organizations in the region, providing comprehensive educational, health, and social services to the Milwaukee Latino community.
Within UCC’s Community & Health Research Department, Dr. Pérez Torres serves as the primary liaison between UCC and partnering research universities. She leads the development and stewardship of community–academic partnerships to advance equitable, community-engaged research. Her responsibilities include grant development and submission, as well as the administration and oversight of research projects conducted on behalf of UCC. Through this work, she facilitates research initiatives and programs that promote the physical and mental well-being of Hispanic/Latino populations and other community residents, with a focus on reducing health inequities.
Dr. Pérez Torres also serves as a field placement supervisor for public health interns from local universities and mentors public health and medical students engaged in community-based research and practice. She has co-authored several peer-reviewed publications and scholarly works focused on community health, Latino health equity, and community-engaged research. In 2026, she received the 40 under 40 Milwaukee Business Journal Award.
She is a member of the Wisconsin Public Health Council and the Milwaukee Latino Health Coalition (MLHC), where she serves as Co-Chair of the Research Action Committee. Additionally, she contributes as a community advisory board member on multiple research projects.
Dr. Pérez Torres holds a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) from the Medical College of Wisconsin, a Master of Public Health from the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras Campus.