In April, Hostos Associate Professor of Chemistry and Unit Coordinator-Natural Sciences Department, Nelson Nuñez-Rodríguez, embarked on a three-month world tour, lecturing on best teaching practices at the National University of Costa Rica, the National University of Bogotá, and the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.

In Costa Rica, Nuñez-Rodríguez will be the keynote speaker at the IV Forum for Academic Innovators: "Making Teaching Relevant to the Demands of the 21st Century." There, he will deliver a presentation titled, "Classroom Management Today: Challenges and Opportunities." He will also moderate a panel and facilitate a full-day faculty development workshop on “Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for faculty in STEM disciplines.”

In May and June, he will present faculty development workshops at the National University of Colombia and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.

At the National University of Bogotá, Nuñez-Rodríguez will facilitate a workshop for 100 faculty members on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for faculty in all disciplines and also teach a science class for 1,000 non-science major students. The trip is a follow-up collaboration from a 2014 visit, when he presented a similar workshop for faculty and science students.

While in Spain at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Nuñez-Rodríguez, will also present a four-hour workshop on “Students as Co-creators in the Pedagogical Process.” He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Havana University, Cuba, and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from National University of Cordoba, Argentina. He received post-doctoral training at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York. He is also the Director of Center for Teaching and Learning at Hostos Community College.
 
“I look forward to presenting in universities at different countries. Teaching is a lifetime learning experience,” Nuñez-Rodríguez said. “At this moment of my career, I enrich my teaching by listening to other voices, learning from different experiences. Every new course brings new challenges as our student learning styles remain evolving. We have to embrace this ongoing dynamic.”

About Hostos Community College
Eugenio María de Hostos Community College is an educational agent for change that has been transforming and improving the quality of life in the South Bronx and neighboring communities since 1968. It serves as a gateway to intellectual growth and socioeconomic mobility, as well as a point of departure for lifelong learning, success in professional careers, and transfer to advanced higher education programs. The College’s unique "Student Success Coaching Unit" provides students with individualized guidance and exemplifies its emphasis on student support services.
 
Recently named one of the top 10 finalists for the 2015 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, Hostos offers 27 associate degree programs and two certificate programs that facilitate easy transfer to The City University of New York’s (CUNY) four-year colleges or baccalaureate studies at other institutions. The College has an award-winning Division of Continuing Education & Workforce Development that offers professional development courses and certificate-bearing workforce training programs. Hostos is part of CUNY, the nation’s leading urban public university, which serves more than 500,000 students at 24 colleges.