Policy program to recruit minorities

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation said it will spend $18.5 million to launch a health-policy center aimed at boosting minority involvement in the field. The center, expected to open this fall at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, will recruit and support minority students -- particularly Hispanic and American Indian students -- with an interest in health policy who are pursuing doctorates in social science. About 30% of the university’s 32,000 students are Hispanic and 12% are American Indian. The donation, the university’s largest private gift, includes an $8 million endowment and $10.5 million for operations, a university spokeswoman said. -- by Melanie Evans