In memoriam: Haiti victim with U-M ties

January 15, 2010
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  • umichnews@umich.edu

sERGIO BALISTRA
It is with great sadness that the university campus acknowledges the loss of Sergio Balistra, 44, a member of the University of Michigan 2009 Haiti Violence Assessment study. Balistra, although not a student or member of U-M staff or faculty, was an integral member of the research team conducting a nationwide study of health and harm in Haiti.

Balistra received his university training in social science at the State University of Haiti in Port-au-Prince; held advanced degrees in sociology and statistics; and spoke fluent English, French, and Spanish, in addition to his native language, Haitian Creole. Balistra died while attempting to rescue his mother from debris from the earthquake. He was a well-known figure in his community and was considered a gifted researcher who loved music and his family, including his wife, Lucia, and their seven children (ages, 4 months to 17 years), all of whom are currently reported to have survived the earthquake’s devastation.