HSI Conference: Accelerating the Impact of HSI STEM Education and Research on Innovation Ecosystems

美国国家科学基金会(NSF)亲爱的同事信NSF 17-092：改善西班牙裔服务机构(HSI)的本科生STEM教育呼吁开展项目，以支持会议，这些会议将确定HSI本科生科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)教育方面最关键的挑战和机会，以及符合NSF的使命、政策和实践的潜在可行解决方案。为响应这一号召，波多黎各-马亚格斯大学(UPRM)将主办HSI会议：加快HSI STEM教育和研究对创新生态系统的影响，与波多黎各的其他HSI以及商业经济合作伙伴合作。会议将于2018年10月或11月举行，旨在通过将这些学生与来自商业和知识经济的导师联系起来，寻求扩大HSIS本科生的积极学习机会。融入本科生体验式学习是激励HSIS学生成为创业和技术领域的“实干家”的重要组成部分，并将有助于提高学生对HSIS四年制学位的坚持性。这些新的协作网络还将增加HSI对创新生态系统的影响。这次会议是必要的，因为(1)波多黎各有70所高等学府，学生总数超过150,000人，(2)有必要将UPRM的创业和创新努力扩大到所有机构，特别是考虑到该岛目前的经济状况。为期两天的会议，除了会议前和会议后的会议外，将有大约150名与会者参加，其中包括HSI教育和研究领导人、现有和潜在的企业家、企业和行业代表、大学管理者、特邀演讲者、本科生和NSF代表，以反思和讨论鼓励大学和行业之间联系的新的有效战略。与本科生参与的重要组成部分。这些活动将提供充分的机会，让所有背景和水平的参与者--包括特邀本科生--在海报会议、小组讨论和特邀演讲期间进行互动。这种互动对于充分理解在大学和产业之间建立伙伴关系的挑战，以及创新生态系统如何改善高等专科学校的STEM教育至关重要。会议成果将是在HSIS发展创新生态系统的蓝图，并为这一倡议建立一个区域枢纽。

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Dear Colleague Letter NSF 17-092: Improving Undergraduate STEM Education in Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) calls for projects to support conferences that will identify the most critical challenges and opportunities regarding undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education at HSIs, and potential actionable solutions that fall within NSF's mission, policies, and practices. In response to this call, the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez (UPRM) will host the HSI Conference: Accelerating the Impact of HSI STEM Education and Research on Innovation Ecosystems, in cooperation with other HSIs in Puerto Rico, as well as partners in the commercial economy. The conference will be held in October or November of 2018 and will to seek to expand active learning opportunities for undergraduate populations at HSIs by linking these students with mentors from both the commercial and knowledge economies. The incorporation of undergraduate experiential learning is an essential part of motivating students at HSIs to become "do-ers" in the realm of entrepreneurship and technology, and will contribute to increased persistence of students toward 4-year degrees at HSIs. These new networks of collaboration will also increase the impact of HSIs on innovation ecosystems. This conference is necessary due to (1) the density of HSIs in Puerto Rico, which is home to 70 institutions with over 150,000 total students, and (2) the need to expand the entrepreneurship and innovation efforts at UPRM to all institutions, especially given the current economic circumstances of the island.The 2-day conference, in addition to pre- and post-conference meet-ups, will bring together an estimated 150 participants that include HSI education and research leaders, current and potential entrepreneurs, corporate and industry representatives, university administrators, invited guest speakers, undergraduate students, and NSF representatives to reflect on and discuss emerging effective strategies for encouraging links between university and industry, with the important component of undergraduate involvement. The activities will provide ample opportunity for interaction among participants of all backgrounds and levels--including invited undergraduate students--during poster sessions, panel discussions, and invited presentations. This interaction is essential to fully understand the challenges of establishing partnerships between university and industry, and how innovation ecosystems can improve STEM education at HSIs. The conference outcome will be a blueprint for developing innovation ecosystems at HSIs and the establishment of a regional hub for this initiative.