The Dominican Studies Association’s 9th Biennial DSA2020 Virtually@Hostos conference, “Crisis of Truth, State of Emergency, and Social Responses: The Urgency of Dominican and Ethnic Studies in the Present Hour,” held on December 4 and 5, was a resounding success.
 
The two-day conference attracted over 500 attendees representing 13 Countries, 92 Universities, and 28 cultural centers and professional institutions. Across 17 sessions and 41 panels, participants enjoyed timely and profound discussion on the state of education, literature, diasporic issues impacting the Dominican community in the United States and beyond.
 
DSA2020 Virtually@Hostos welcomed luminaries such as Julia Álvarez, Elizabeth Acevedo, Rhina P. Espaillat, Scherezada “Chiqui” Vicioso, CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez; U.S. Congressman (NY-13th District) Adriano Espaillat; Assemblyman (NY- District 86), Victor Pichardo; CUNY Trustee Mayra Linares; EVP of The Fund for the City of New York, Aldrin Bonilla; President of the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation, Guillermo Linares; President Milagros Peña, SUNY- Purchase; President Shirley M. Collado, Ithaca College; Professor Silvio Torres-Saillant, Syracuse University; Franklin García Fermín, Ministro de Educación Superior, Ciencia y Tecnología; Vice Rector del Instituto Superior Pedro Francisco Bonó, Pablo Mella Febles; Comisionada de la Cultura Dominicana en EUA, Lourdes Batista; New York State Supreme Court Justice Llinét M. Beltré Rosado, Bronx County; Rolando T. Acosta, Presiding Justice, New York State Supreme Court’s Appellate Division; Manuel J. Méndez, Associate Justice, New York State Supreme Court’s Appellate Division; Rita Mella, Judge, Manhattan Surrogate Court; Lourdes Ventura, Justice, New York State Supreme Court, 11th Judicial District; and many more.
 
Interim President Daisy Cocco De Filippis said, “The Dominican Studies Association’s 9th Biennial Conference was not only successful, captivating, and moving, it demonstrated how important it is to engage with our communities. Together we learn and enrich our sense of identity. It is forums like these that empower us and affirm that education must be our compass towards a better society. I am extremely proud of all my colleagues that made this grand event a reality.”
 
Attendees were actively engaged in conversations with expert panelists from around the globe. For Co-Chairs Professor Silvio Torres-Saillant and Associate Dean of Community Relations Ana I. García Reyes, “The efforts and hard work of the DSA Board and Hostos colleagues were worth every minute. We will continue to produce and present events until we meet again for the 10th Biennial Conference to mark the 20th Anniversary. Although we live in uncertain times, it is certain that the Dominican community cares for its people, its diaspora, and its advancement, and we are committed to continuing our work.”
 
To learn more about the conference, please visit: http://dominicanstudiesassociation.org
 
For more information, please email:dominicanstudiesassociation@gmail.com
 
About the Dominican Studies Association
The Dominican Studies Association supports the diffusion of intellectual production by providing Dominican Studies scholars the opportunity to create supportive networks, cultivate alternative agendas beyond their respective institutions and address polemic issues impacting the homeland, local, and global Dominican diasporic communities.