UNPHU in the Diaspora: Education and Services in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania
Dear members, professionals, and friends of AHPSI:
The Hispanic Health Professionals Association (AHPSI) is honored to present the historic document titled “The Legacy of UNPHU in the Tri-State Area: Contributions and Services to the Community,” prepared to preserve and honor a transformative chapter in Dominican higher education in the United States.
In 2026, the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU) celebrates sixty years of fruitful academic work. Founded in 1966 as the first private university established in Santo Domingo, UNPHU has trained generations of professionals committed to excellence, research, humanism, and service to society.
Its presence in the diaspora meant far more than the opening of a university extension. It meant bringing higher education within reach of hundreds of Dominican and Latin American immigrants who, while working, supporting their families, and adapting to a new society, held onto the dream of continuing their studies and advancing professionally.
For roughly two decades, UNPHU offered master’s degree programs, specializations, diplomas, and continuing education courses in New York, Camden, New Jersey, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its classrooms became spaces of growth, professional mobility, community integration, and hope.
In New York, the extension began its activities at the offices of the Association of Progressive Dominicans (ACDP). It later operated at George Washington High School and, in its final stage, at the Escuela Gregorio Luperón, in Washington Heights.
This valuable work was made possible by the vision, dedication, and trust of the academics and collaborators who understood the educational needs of our community.
We extend a very special acknowledgment to Dr. Carlos Nicolás Di Nubila Sobrado, who placed his trust in AHPSI and in Dr. Aritmedes Restituyo, enabling them to contribute to the administration and strengthening of the academic programs during the extension’s final stage.
We are deeply grateful to Dra. Leonor Francisca Tavárez, who coordinated the Master’s in Clinical Psychology together with AHPSI, helping prepare professionals capable of responding with sensitivity, knowledge, and ethics to the mental health needs of our communities.
We recognize Dr. Dante Sánchez, professor and coordinator of various programs related to Clinical Counseling, for his teaching dedication, academic leadership, and commitment to the training of students.
Likewise, we honor Dra. Marleny Sarante and Dr. Diógenes Fermín, who played a decisive role in the early days of UNPHU-NY. Their support, vision, and willingness to serve were fundamental in turning this academic aspiration into a concrete initiative.
We also highlight the valuable contributions of Professor Francesca Peña and Lic. Ignacio Peña to the development of the master’s programs in Psychological Counseling. Their dedication strengthened the preparation of professionals called to guide and support individuals, students, families, and communities.
We further recognize Dr. César Tavera, who contributed to the development of master’s and diploma programs in education and the humanities in the city of Camden, under the guidance and support of Dr. Carlos Di Nubila.
To every professor, coordinator, administrator, student, and collaborator who was part of this history, we express our gratitude. Their names and contributions belong to the educational heritage of our diaspora.
Having a Dominican university — or any accredited, committed institution of higher learning — offering services in our communities means bringing opportunity within reach of those who face economic, linguistic, family, or immigration-related barriers. It means preventing trained professionals from abandoning their dreams for lack of guidance. It means forming educators, psychologists, counselors, and leaders capable of multiplying their knowledge for the benefit of society as a whole.
For this reason, we make a respectful and firm appeal to our elected and appointed officials, government representatives, community leaders, business owners, and professional organizations to support, in an organized and sustainable way, the establishment of new university programs serving the Dominican and Latino diaspora.
That support must translate into accessible educational spaces, institutional agreements, scholarships, technological resources, professional guidance, and financial backing. It is not enough to publicly acknowledge the importance of education; it is necessary to protect the initiatives that already exist and to create the conditions for them to endure.
The closing of the UNPHU extension in 2019, tied to high rental costs and a lack of sufficient institutional support, should serve as a lesson to us. A community cannot allow programs that contribute to its preparation and development to disappear in silence.
We invite our members to read and share this document. In its pages you will find the memory of an extraordinary academic experience — and also a call to recover and carry forward its legacy.
To our students and professionals we say: keep studying. Do not let age, language, distance, or daily responsibilities extinguish your aspirations. Every course completed, every diploma earned, and every piece of knowledge put to the service of others represents a victory for you, your families, and future generations.
Thank you to the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña for the trust placed in AHPSI and in Dr. Aritmedes Restituyo. Sixty years after its founding, its legacy reminds us that to educate is to open paths, transform lives, and build stronger communities.
With respect and gratitude,
Dr. Aritmedes Restituyo Hispanic Health Professionals Association — AHPSI Phone: 732-277-9640 Email: info@ahpsi.org
UNPHU en la diáspora: educación y servicios en Nueva York, New Jersey y Pennsylvania