Updated Oct. 9, 2013

NJRevilla-Garcia

U.S. Department of State to speak on international collaborations during Hispanic higher education conference, Chicago, Oct. 26-28

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) 27th Annual Conference will feature the International Plenary: Successful International Education Partnerships in Latin America, Monday, Oct. 28, 2013, 9 - 10:15 a.m. at the Hilton Chicago, as part of conference events taking place Oct. 26-28.

The plenary will feature remarks by a representative from the U.S. Department of State, followed by a discussion with panelists representing views from U.S. higher education and the Federation of Mexican Private Universities. The plenary topic will focus on successful public-private strategies in Latin America including U.S. partnerships with universities and corporations in Latin America that promote student and faculty exchanges, and other efforts geared at shaping a shared vision on educational collaboration between the U.S. and Latin America.

Speakers and panelists will include the following:

Speaker Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, special advisor for the U.S. Department of State on President Obama’s 100,000 Strong in the Americas initiative. She served as deputy assistant attorney general of the United States before becoming Maryland’s first woman lieutenant governor, as well as serving as an educator in foreign policy. She has served on, founded and chaired numerous panels, groups and organizations covering a wide range of issues facing our nation.

Panelist Rodrigo Guerra Botello, general secretary of the Federation of Mexican Private Universities (FIMPES), previously served as president of Universidad Regiomontana in Monterrey, Mexico, from 2001to 2012. Guerra began his career with IBM, rising to CEO and president of IBM Mexico and later president and CEO of AT&T Latin America and Caribbean. He has served on boards, trusts, chambers, and associations for organizations such as Banamex, IBM Mexico, AGA de Mexico, ROLM, Tecnológico de Monterrey, and ORT University, among others.

Panelist Salme H. Steinberg, Ph.D., is a historian, writer, professor, and leader in higher education specializing in U.S. economic and social history and served as president of Northeastern Illinois University from 1995 to 2007. Steinberg has decades of involvement with HACU, serving as chair of the HACU Governing Board from 2002-2003, in various leadership roles from 2001 to 2006 on the Governing Board, member of HACU’s Commission on International Education from 2005-2013 and  numerous programs and initiatives that advance HACU's mission.

The plenary moderator will be:

Sue Henderson, Ph.D., has served as president of New Jersey City University (NJCU) since August 2012, and was previously chief operating officer at Queens College, City University of New York (CUNY). She is a member of HACU's Commission on International Education, and serves on numerous task forces and boards for national and international organizations. Henderson has worked for expanding international education, resulting in internships, exchanges and research opportunities for faculty and students, and she is currently spearheading a major international initiative at NJCU. Trained and educated as a mathematician, Henderson presents and publishes on the collegiate mathematics classroom, organizational change, and strategic planning.

Additional information and conference agenda are available online. Onsite registration to the annual conference will be available.    

The HACU conference is made possible thanks to the generous support of its 27th Annual Conference Sponsors.