Center for Public Service & Community Research Hosts Inaugural Commerce Colloquium
“A Superintendent Roundtable” March 1
By Sheryl E. Taylor
Superintendents from five Greater Houston area school districts (Aldine, Houston, Spring, Spring Branch and Tomball) will join the Center for Public Service & Community Research’s inaugural presentation of its Commerce Colloquium with “A Superintendent Roundtable”, 6 – 8 p.m., Tuesday, March 1 at the College of Public Service, Room C100 and via Zoom.
The in-person and virtual event will feature special guest, Beatriz Ceja Williams, Division Director of the Hispanic-Service Institutions Division for the Houston Independent School District in the Office of Post-Secondary Education (U.S. Department of Education).
Moderated by UHD Urban Education student Monica Rodriguez, the roundtable will discuss the issues facing education, specifically in relation to the field of teaching. This Colloquium will also look at the factors, trends and other external forces beyond the classroom that decision-makers and thought leaders wrestle with when shaping educational policy and practice. Roundtable guests include: Dr. LaTonya Goffney, Aldine ISD; Dr. Ric Cruz, Houston ISD; Dr. Lupita Hinojosa, Spring ISD; Dr. Jennifer Blaine, Spring Branch ISD; and Dr. Martha Salazar-Zamora, Tomball ISD.
“With this event we hope to provide our students as well as the community with a larger perspective of the intricacies involved in creating quality school that meet the distinct needs of our community,” said Steven Villano, Director, Center for Public Service & Community Research. “We see this as a responsibility not only to our students, but to the community as well.”
To attend this event live or via Zoom, register online.
The University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) is the second-largest university in Houston and has served the educational needs of the nation’s fourth-largest city since 1974. As one of four distinct public universities in the University of Houston System, UHD is a comprehensive, four-year university led by President Loren J. Blanchard. Annually, UHD educates approximately 14,000 students, boasts more than 66,000 alumni, and offers 45 bachelor’s degrees, 12 master’s degrees, and 19 online programs within four colleges: Marilyn Davies College of Business, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Public Service, and College of Sciences and Technology. UHD has one of the lowest tuition rates in Texas.
U.S. News and World Report ranked UHD among the nation’s Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Applied Administration and Best Online Master’s Programs in Criminal Justice, as well as a Top Performer in Social Mobility. The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse ranked UHD one of the best colleges in the U.S. for its 2024 rankings, with notable distinctions: No. 1 for diversity (tied) and No. 3 for student experience. The University is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a Minority-Serving Institution, and a Military Friendly School. For more information on the University of Houston-Downtown, visit uhd.edu.
