Alberto J Diaz, President, MD, MPH

Physician in Private Practice in the Baltimore area since 1971, Dr. Díaz is a graduate of the University of Santo Domingo. He completed his medical education in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Diseases in Baltimore and obtained a Master in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University in the field of International Health. He did extensive work in health manpower in Chile under the auspices of Johns Hopkins and the Agency for International Development (AID), and field work in Nicaragua. His interest in social and educational issues have motivated him to participate in the activities of the Susana De Moya Foundation as its first President.

Ligia Peralta, MD., Vice-president

Dr. Peralta is the Chief of the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine and the Director of the Adolescent HIV Program of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She is a distinguished faculty in the Departments of Pediatrics and Epidemiology and has displayed strong leadership in the areas of clinical care, research,education, administration and public service.

Dr. Peralta is a successful researcher with several projects funded by the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Health Resources and Service Administration. Her major areas of research include HIV infection in adolescents; models of health care; treatment; primary, secondary and tertiary prevention; reproductive health and health disparity. Her extraordinary research activity and leadership in the fields of Adolescent Medicine, STDs and HIV/AIDS allows her to provide significant guidance and consultation to national and international health programs. She is a member of the Society for Pediatric Research and serves as the Society of Adolescent Medicine representative to the American Medical Association’s Adolescent Committee. She is a member of the Executive Committee of the Association of Academic Minority Physicians and of the Advisory Board of the National Hispanic Medical Association.

Dr. Peralta is a distinguished teacher and has collaborated with multiple training and mentoring initiatives including programs designed to attract high-school students to careers in science. Her community service and Advocacy activities include providing testimony to United StatesCongressional briefings in the areas of HIV, Youth Care as well as African-American and Latino Health. Dr. Peralta serves as Vice-President of the Foundation.

Rita M. Diaz, Treasurer

Rita M. Diaz was born in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, and has a degree in Law from the Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra.

She worked in the Royal Bank of Canada in Santiago de los Caballeros, then moved to Santo Domingo where she accepted a position in the cabinet of Dr. Salvador Jorge Blanco. She was appointed Consul of the Dominican Republic in Baltimore and received her “patent letters” from President George W. Bush, where she worked quite intensely with the Dominican community in the state of Maryland.

Currently, she is a member of the Board of Group of Dominican Professionals (GDP-Wash), and Susana de Moya Foundation. She also volunteers at her children’s chools, and in the Nativity Church. She is married and has two beautiful children. She was Susana de Moya’s very close friend for many years, and has been always interest in working to improve education for children.

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