HETS is pleased to announced its keynote speaker for the 2023 Best Practices Showcase (BPS), to be hold in a hybrid modality on February 2 and 3, 2023, at the Universidad Ana. Méndez, Carolina Campus. This year, the event will be featuring Dr. Stella Porto, Learning Specialist at the Interamerican Development Bank (IDB) in Washington, DC, as its keynote speaker for the opening plenary.
Dr. Porto will be addressing the state of accessibility of higher education opportunities for students, including incentives to utilize instructional technology in the classroom, technology for teaching and learning, online courses and programs, and how this new modality support student success. Also, she will address what she considers are the current challenges for students’ degree attainment and areas where institutions, including Hispanic Serving Institutions, should prioritize to support them.
“We are delighted to have Dr. Porto as our keynote speaker for this event. Her experience will provide a very insightful glimpse at the scope of Higher Education for the years to come”, expressed Dr. Yubelkys Montalvo, HETS Executive Director.
Dr. Porto currently collaborates with the IDB’s Knowledge and Learning division managing the design, development, and delivery of e-learning products to the Latin American and Caribbean regions. Prior to the IDB, Dr. Porto was the director of the Masters of Distance Education and E-learning (MDE) at the University of Maryland Global Campus. Prior to that, she was a Professor of Computer Science for around 9 years in her native country, Brazil.
HETS Best Practices Showcase highlights and celebrates the outstanding work of HETS member institutions in meaningfully and strategically using technology to achieve Hispanic student success. Faculty and administrators from institutions and organizations of Higher Education in Puerto Rico and the United States will be showcasing their expertise and innovative use in the integration of technology in teaching and learning.
In addition, HETS aims at providing, for the first time, a forum for talented students to also showcase the innovative projects they have been working within the academia.
To learn more about all presentations from faculty, administrators and students, access the HETS BPS Program at https://hets.org/proposed-schedule/. Spaces are limited, so early registration is encouraged to reserve your space. Participants can attend in-person or virtually. For more information on registration fees, visit https://hets.org/registration2023/.