Faculty & Staff

Administration, Research & Staff Employees

Ercilia Calcano, MPH

Ercilia Calcano, MPH,

Program Director, Institute for Translational Research Education in Adolescent Substance Use

Phone: 813-974-8578
Office: MHC 2404

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Ercilia Calcano is a public health professional with over two decades of experience leading or supporting collaborative efforts, advocacy, research, and training efforts aimed at addressing real-world needs. She currently serves as Program Director of the Institute for Translational Research Education in Adolescent Substance Use at the 哔咔漫画 (USF), where she also earned her Master of Public Health. Her academic background includes degrees in Business, Anthropology, and Project Management, and she is a USF certified Contract Administrator.

Since 1998, Ercilia has worked across academic, health, and community sectors to support youth development, behavioral health, and school-community collaboration. Her early advocacy contributed to legislation aimed at reducing youth access to tobacco and protecting families from second-hand smoke. She has led youth empowerment initiatives that have influenced local policy and community practices in Hillsborough County, Florida.

Ercilia has successfully directed the development and implementation of state and federal grant proposals, securing and distributing critical funding to enhance school and community health systems. Her leadership has earned her a statewide prevention award, appointments to key coalitions, and recognition as a subject matter expert in building successful community partnerships by the Florida Department of Health. She has also represented Florida in national workgroups convened by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Her international work includes leading community-academic partnerships between USF and institutions in Latin America. These collaborations have supported:

  •  哔咔漫画 student engagement in global health education and research
  • Prevention training for behavioral health professionals from Latin America
  • Implementation of youth risk behavior surveillance in resource-limited settings
  • The development of a domestic violence shelter and multi-agency partnership in the Dominican Republic.

In addition to her program leadership, Ercilia has taught public health courses both in the U.S. and abroad, including a Spanish-language community health course at the University of Carabobo in Venezuela and a service-learning course on community engagement at USF鈥檚 College of Public Health. Her work reflects a strong commitment to practical, collaborative approaches that strengthen public health practice.