TWU to co-host conference for improving Hispanic success in STEM fields

 

Feb. 8, 2018 - DENTON – Texas Woman’s University is among a coalition of eight higher education institutions hosting “Consejos Colectivos: Improving STEM Success at HSIs” Feb. 27-28 at El Centro College in Dallas.

The Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station partnered with TWU and six other institutions to present the conference, which is funded through a $99,000 National Science Foundation grant — one of the first awards issued through its new Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program.

The conference is designed for faculty, staff, students, administrators, employers and community members who wish to increase their understanding of opportunities and barriers for Hispanic student recruitment, retention and advancement in STEM fields. In addition to breakout sessions, there will be opportunities to present posters, share personal experiences and discuss recruitment, retention, and career placement of Hispanic students in STEM fields. Conversations at the conference will help inform the NSF’s new HSI Program as it explores ways to bolster the quality of undergraduate STEM education.

Conference organizers include TWU, TEES, Angelo State University, Del Mar College, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, West Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University and El Centro College.

“TWU is dedicated to the success of its Latino and Latina students, and we see this conference as a valuable opportunity to promote institutional changes that will increase access to STEM programs,” said Claire Sahlin, Ph.D., associate dean of the TWU College of Arts and Sciences and co-principal investigator for the grant. “We are excited to be collaborating with TEES and these six other colleges and universities, and we look forward to discussions that will inspire positive changes in all of our communities.”

Sahlin and the chair of TWU’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Richard Sheardy, Ph.D., will co-chair two of the conference sessions. Keynote speakers include Raymund Paredes, Ph.D., Texas Commissioner of Higher Education; Monica Mendez-Grant, Ed.D., Vice President of Student Life at TWU; and Eyra A. Pérez, Chief Executive Officer of Partners for Educational Engagement at Excelencia in Education.

Registration for Consejos Colectivos: Improving STEM Success at HSIs is now open. Conference organizers are accepting travel grant applications and poster presentation proposals. For more details or to register, visit bit.ly/ConsejosColectivos.

About Texas Woman’s University

Texas Woman’s University is the nation’s largest public university primarily for women, with more than 15,000 students at its three locations in Denton, Dallas and Houston. The university is tied for fifth in U.S. News & World Report’s diversity ranking. TWU is a Hispanic-serving institution, as determined by the U.S. Department of Education.

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Page last updated 4:03 PM, February 3, 2020