UDLAP Students Obtain First Place at Congress in London

  • At the 28th Edition of World Congress on Nursing Education & Research three research projects were presented.

Rosario Guadalupe Ramírez Machorro and María del Rosario Ramírez Machorro, sixth-semester students of the Licenciatura in Nursing at Universidad de las Américas Puebla, participated in the 28th Edition of the World Congress on Nursing Education & Research, held in London. They presented three research projects related to nursing, and one of them obtained first place.

 

“At this congress, representatives from several countries participated to discover advances in health practices, management, and education.  Doctors, nurses, health professionals, professors, and students participated,” explained the UDLAP student Rosario Guadalupe during an interview. She also commented that the countries that were represented in this congress were Spain, Saudi Arabia, Italy, New Zealand, and “us, as the only Mexican representatives.”

 

Likewise, she mentioned that to participate in this congress they had to meet certain requirements: 1) Be university students; 2) The research presented had to be their own, under the supervision of an academic director, who in this case were Dr. Corina Mariela Alba and professor María de las Mercedes Nuri Reyes; and 3) Send an abstract of the research in November. They were accepted to attend the congress in January.

 

Regarding the research project that won first place at the 28th Edition of World Congress on Nursing Education & Research, María del Rosario said that it´s entitled A Group of Common Interest. A new teaching method. “This research comprised a meeting of a group of students whose interest was based on a specific nursing topic, either a scientific article or a poster. We thoroughly discussed it under the supervision of two UDLAP faculty members who also led, improved, and moderated the information,” explained María del Rosario, who also stressed that the reason this research won first place at the congress was because it raised the question among the participants about how students attended these sessions voluntarily.

 

Finally, both UDLAP students said they are proud to have participated in this congress, mainly because they won first place with one of their posters and because they were the youngest participants at the event. “The other people who attended had master’s or doctoral degrees,” mentioned Rosario Guadalupe.

UDLAP Faculty Member Takes Her Knowledge to Russia

  • She participated in the Ninth Fire and Explosions Seminar.

Dr. Adriana Palacios Rosas, a research faculty member of the Department of Chemical, Food, and Environmental Engineering at Universidad de las Américas Puebla, was invited to participate in the Ninth Fire and Explosions Seminar in St. Petersburg, Russia.

 

“The meeting I attended was the Ninth Fire and Explosions Seminar in St. Petersburg, Russia. I gave a lecture, which they deemed relevant, entitled Industrial Fires and Nuclear Reactors in which I explained how those two topics are related,” the UDLAP faculty member commented during an interview.

 

Delving into this topic, Dr. Palacios Rosas explained that this is a preventive measure to avoid accidents at nuclear plants. “What happens in reactors is that when they begin to have problems, they generate large quantities of hydrogen within the reactor, causing the tanks that contain it to be unable to hold it and exploding, thus producing accidents as fires or dispersion of radioactive materials into the atmosphere. Taking this into account, this project suggests ventilating the hydrogen tanks in a controlled manner using torches and thus keeping the tanks from becoming saturated with gas and exploding.”

 

She stressed that this prevention measure has not been used.  “It is still being studied. We joined what we know about fires with what we know about nuclear reactors. We took advantage of this seminar to present the project; there were different comments, especially that this course of action would be very costly because before ventilating the tanks, the hydrogen would have to go through membranes to remove radioactive products, which is expensive,” she stated.

 

Finally, Dr. Palacios Rosas said that this seminar is held every three years.  “I received the invitation because I belong to the Combustion Institute, which is an international organization. To attend this meeting, I had to send my proposed topic a year ago. They accepted the project and I had to send a detailed article, which was reviewed and finally selected.”

UDLAP Is Accredited by the Royal Society of Biology

  • UDLAP is the only university in the continent to have a Biology program with an International Advanced Accreditation granted by the Royal Society of Biology.

 

 “The Honor’s program of the Licenciatura in Biology at Universidad de las Américas Puebla obtained, for five years, the Advanced International Accreditation by the Royal Society of Biology, starting in August 2018,” stated Dr. Martín Alejandro Serrano Meneses, a faculty member of the Department of Chemical-Biological Sciences at UDLAP.

 

Regarding the requirements to achieve this accreditation, Dr. Serrano Meneses said that they concentrate on four areas: “Achieving the academic excellence levels demanded by the Royal Society of Biology, which are measurable through the education given to students as well as through an evaluation of the practices that students do in the lab; showing that students develop in an environment conducive to research; demonstrating that students have the facilities needed for their training; and finally, considering that students have such skills as understanding of physics, chemistry, and math in a biological context.” Likewise, he stressed that “universities can obtain this accreditation by meeting top standards in education, infrastructure, and research production that are measureable and provable.”

 

Dr. Serrano remarked that Universidad de las Américas Puebla is the only university in the continent to have a licenciatura program with an advanced accreditation level. “Outside the United Kingdom, only UDLAP and the University of Ghana have an Advanced International Accreditation.”

 

He said that this accreditation means three things: first, it is a recognition of academic quality since it helps to identify the best practices of the university; second, it allows for better student recruitment; and third, the university can review the study programs in depth and receive constructive criticism from professionals to improve those licenciatura programs.

 

Finally, the UDLAP faculty member expressed that the advantage that students have when belonging to an institution with this accreditation is that they have better job opportunities once they graduate. “We live in a very competitive world, especially in the biology area, and students need to show evidence that they are graduating from a university that has the highest academic excellence standards.  One of the tangible elements is demonstrating the skills required to carry out cutting-edge research.  Another benefit is that their degree is recognized internationally by other universities. In addition, when students from the Honor’s Program in Biology graduate, they get one-year free membership to the Royal Society of Biology, which allows them exclusive access to Society events to meet biologists who are dedicated to promoting research and biology at an international level.”

 

It is important to note that the certificate granted by the Royal Society of Biology was formally given to Universidad de las Américas Puebla April 24 in the House of Commons at Westminster Palace in London.

 

UDLAP Student Does Social Service at the Mexican Consulate in New York

Miguel Ángel Pérez Méndez, eighth semester student in the Licenciatura in Nursing, is currently doing social service, from March 1, 2019 to March 2, 2020, at the health counter of the Mexican Consulate in New York. “I am very excited and grateful for this opportunity, because I am the first Mexican nursing student to comply with his social service at this consulate”.

In an interview, the UDLAP student said that his interest in doing his social service requirement in a foreign country is due to his awareness of the difficulties and limitations that immigrants face when living in another country, regarding health topics. “With this initiative, I visited and talked with the health counter coordinator and proposed this project, which she liked.  Once I had that acceptance, I started all the paperwork in Mexico and at the university, and in October, 2018 an agreement was signed with the Secretary of Foreign Relations, which included the Nursing and Medical Surgeon majors to carry out their social service abroad, and thus help Mexicans who live abroad,” said Miguel Angel Pérez.

Then, he added that his social service is helping people who recur to the health counters, which is a program that was established by the Mexican Government in 2002, through the Institute of Mexicans Abroad and the Health Secretary, in order to provide health services to Spanish-speakers living in the United States, and to create a culture of prevention, education, and participation in improving the quality of their lives.

Regarding his activities, Miguel Ángel Pérez said that he works in different associations, community organizations, and clinics to educate and promote a culture of disease prevention, touching on subjects such as vaccines, diet, substance abuse, family violence, AIDS, TB, and all preventable diseases.

He ended the interview saying that health is a human right that needs to be emphasized: “Everything that we can do to improve the quality of life of people is good; I would like my classmates to continue with this project and promote wellbeing in people.”

UDLAP Students Participate in Congress Held at Harvard University

Four Universidad de las Américas Puebla students were guests at The Mexico Conference, held at Harvard University, in which economists and politicians discussed these two topics as well as security, immigration, and perspectives of the new Mexican government.

Diego Mendoza Martínez, Mariano Roberto Alcalá Molina, José Francisco Juárez Gutiérrez Sola, and Edgar García González attended this congress whose mission is to offer Mexican students living in Boston a new perspective about Mexico and its current political status. “We contacted the Association of Mexican Students at Harvard University to attend the event, which dealt with current topics addressed by experienced people who provide a comprehensive vision of what is happening,” explained the Economics student Diego Mendoza.

During two days, the second-year students attended lectures given by politicians, governors, members of Banco de México and Comisión Federal de Competencia Económica, and immigration support and cultural organizations, who discussed economic policy, the perspectives of the new president, security, commerce, and the Mexican artists who are conquering the world. “Personally, I liked the debate held between Javier Corral, Yeidckol Polevnsky, and Jesus Silva Herzog, because they talked about what to expect from this new government.  They helped me see the good, the bad, and that which needs work,” said Edgar García, a Banking and Investment student.

As well as taking advantage of the congress for their professional future, the UDLAP students had the opportunity to talk to other Mexican students living in the United States, the speakers, and people who work at Bank of America. “What I liked was the degree of expertise and excellence, both academic and professional, that each presenter had.  It helps us to think critically, questioning what is happening in our country and where we want to go”, said Francisco Juárez, a Banking and Investment student.

The Mexico Conference was held at Harvard University, as an initiative of Mexican students who are concerned about raising awareness in other students about what is currently happening in Mexico with a view from outside their country. They are trying to change paradigms towards Mexican politics in young people, removing stereotypes, and striving to change ideologies, as they are the ones who will govern and live here. For this reason, it is very important that the correct people instill the correct values to create a better nation. It is important to mention that not only UDLAP students participated. Giovanni Amador Olvera, an UDLAP Economics graduate was involved in the organization of the event.

“This experience can be separated in two: it is inspiring to see Mexican students who have excelled in order to study at these universities, as many of them do not have enough resources.  It also raises awareness that we are who will create change in a few years and it helps us to train ethically, with values,” stated Banking and Investment student Roberto Alcalá.

UDLAP Graduate Invited to Correspondents’ Dinner at the White House

Javier Vega Urreta has 12 years of journalistic experience as a reporter, correspondent, and news presenter in local, national, and international media.

 

As a Washington correspondent for Noticias Telemundo, Javier Vega Urreta, graduate from the Licenciatura in Communication Science at Universidad de las Américas Puebla, was invited to the Correspondents´ Dinner at the White House.

“This event, organized by the White House Correspondents’ Association, is very important because it is a scholarship fundraiser for gifted students in college journalism programs”, commented Javier Vega, who also said that this event is an opportunity to defend freedom of speech in an environment that is increasingly antagonistic to reporters.

With twelve years of journalistic experience, Javier Vega Urreta has been a reporter, correspondent, and broadcaster in local, national, and international media including MILENIO, Televisa, and TeleSUR.  He is currently the DC correspondent for Telemundo, a job position that opened the door to attend the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. “I always wanted to attend this event, but I saw it as a distant possibility. When I started as a student reporter at La Catarina, during my first year in college, if someone had said that I would end up as a White House corresondent, I simply would not have believed it”, expressed the UDLAP alumnus.

Regarding his experience as the Washington DC correspondent for Telemundo, Javier Vega Urreta commented that he has been in that position for almost a year and that these have been intense months of reporting: “I have broadcast news such as the death of George Bush Sr., and high political impact news such as the nomination of judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court and the Muller report on Russian interference. I also covered the shooting at the Pittsburgh synagogue, hurricaine Florence in North Carolina, and the trial of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán in New York”.

Finally, when asked about his experience in national and international media, the UDLAP graduate said that the essence of journalism does not change with geography. “The elements that make good journalism are the same in different countries. For me, really, the difference has been in reporting in an English speaking environment and adapting to a political system that is different from the Mexican one.  Besides that, what I see is that American media has an abundance of resources so that we reporters can tell better stories.  Journalists are meticulous in planning and data reporting, whether in daily stories or in research”.

Javier Vega Urreta is a talented young man who stands out for his continuous studies. After finishing his studies at UDLAP, he obtained graduate certificates in Journalism at Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM), Universidad de Guadalajara and Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas (CIDE). “Talent, vocation, and enjoying your job must go hand in hand, ideally. I can only suggest to students that which has worked for me: passion to achieve a goal, dedication, and attention to detail.  This is the correct attitude that, added to continuous experience, allows you to be successful. This does not mean that the road won’t have pitfalls. This is a resistance race… and you have to get up if you fall”, emphasized the UDLAP graduate.

UDLAP Was Host for Several International Institutions

Universidad de las Américas Puebla, in its continuous outreach to international academic institutions, served as host for the IPBS (International Partnership of Business Schools) meeting, where several points regarding dual programs were discussed to create new alliances and encourage mobility among students and professors.

 

Dr. Cecilia Anaya Berríos, Academic Vice President, welcomed the delegates of the association and wished them a happy stay and a productive meeting in which they reach agreements. “It is also very important that you get to know more about Mexico, and that you get closer to the students who come to visit you”, she stated.

 

Dr. Ingrid Kirschning Albers, Global Education Dean, explained in an interview that the IPBS meets twice a year to discuss new alliances, review the status of current dual programs, solve any problems, and continue reinforcing relationships between its members: Reutlingen University, Northeastern University, Reims University, Dublin City University, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, and Universidad de las Américas Puebla.

This was the spring meeting, and its focus was on new dual licenciatura and graduate programs as well as the acceptance of Brock University as a new member. For this purpose, they divided into two work committees and reviewed, during two days, the strategies for students to have an international exposure in business, providing them with a strong international projection for the member universities, and promoting mobility not only of students but also of faculty. “Our final objective is for students to be global citizens and acquire business competencies in international business and administration”, stated Ingrid Kirschning.

 

The IPBS is a group of higher education institutions that trust each other´s quality, exchange experiences, and support each other to continuously accredit themselves. Universidad de las Américas Puebla is the only Mexican university in this group, with an average of 30 to 40 students in dual programs, according to the UDLAP´s dean.

 

UDLAP Faculty Participates in the National Journalism Research Network Worlds of Journalism Study III in Mexico

Three Universidad de las Américas Puebla academics and researchers participate in the National Journalism Research Network Worlds of Journalism Study III in Mexico.

 

Dr. Judith Cruz Sandoval, academic director of the Communication Sciences Department, Dr. Julieta Brambila, faculty member of the Department of Communication Sciences, and Dr. Hilda Fernández de Ortega Bárcenas, faculty member of the Psychology Department, are some of the researchers from 11 Mexican and American academic institutions that made up the National Journalism Research Network to carry out the Worlds of Journalism III – Mexico (2020-2022), a project that will generate, with a rigorous methodology, data of the reality of journalism in the country to compare it at a global scale.

 

The previous phase of this project (2012-2015) managed to gather information on 66 countries with over 22,000 interviews worldwide, including Mexico. Its main objective is to help researchers, journalists, ONGs, and politicians to better understand world visions and the changes happening in professional journalism, including the conditions and limitations under which they work as well as journalism social functions in a changing world. In the third phase the topics will be journalists´ security and resilience.

 

It is important to mention that the researchers who make up this National Network assume the commitment to apply the corresponding surveys in each region, as well as to integrate and systemize them in the database for this process.

Their work began on March 28 and 29 in the Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas (CIDE), where they agreed on operations, methodologies, and sample sizes.

Other network members include Dr. Sallie Hughes, from Instituto para los Estudios Avanzados sobre las Américas (UMIA) and the Department of Journalism and Media Management at Miami University; Dr. Sergio Rodríguez-Blanco, from the Communications Department at Universidad Iberoamericana; Dr. Grisel Salazar Rebolledo from the Journalism Program at CIDE; Eva Alejandra Ávila Beltrán from Universidad Autónoma de Baja California; Dr. Celia del Palacio Montiel from the Center of Culture and Communication Studies at Universidad Veracruzana; Dr. Martín Echeverría Victoria and Dr. Rubén Arnoldo González Macías from the Institute of Government and Strategic Development at Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla; Dr. Armando Gutiérrez Ortega, of the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Binational Association of Communication Schools; Dr. José Carlos Lozano from Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey / Texas A&M International University; Dr. Jessica Retis, from California-Northridge State University, Binational Association of Communication Schools; and Dr. Frida V. Rodelo from the Department of Social Communications at Universidad de Guadalajara.

UDLAP and a US University Will Combine Actions for an Academic Exchange

Universidad de las Américas Puebla and Virginia Commonwealth University will develop an exchange program for Physics students from both institutions, focused on language training and support for local communities, thanks to funding received from the US Department of State through the education initiative 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund.

In the global context, universities continuously seek to establish student exchange programs abroad, not only for academic reasons but also for social ones, to train young people committed to their profession and their community. The US government has several initiatives to support mobility programs for students and faculty from other countries.  One of these actions is the 100,000 Strong in the Americas program, an innovation fund that encourages American institutions to associate with Latin American universities to create bilateral training opportunities.

The idea is to grant scholarships to university teams who, through a contest, propose a project for their students to develop technical skills in diverse disciplines through joint labor. “The plan is to create synergy in academic, research, and work exchanges.  In our case, the project is to take science workshops to Telesecundarias (distance-learning junior high schools) in Mexico, and to underprivileged communities in the US”, explained Dr. Melina Gómez Bock, a faculty member of the Actuarial Sciences, Physics, and Math Department at UDLAP and leader of the presentation process.

Virginia Commonwealth University found this project attractive and, for several months now, both universities have been working closely to develop a project. It was presented and accepted, earning a grant that will support with paid expenses American and Mexican students for activities related to the development of teaching and outreach strategies in science. “We hope that they will participate in the summer of next year. We will send students from Universidad de las Américas Puebla’s Physics Department and receive students from Virginia Commonwealth University at the same time”, stated Erika Barba Salce, head of the UDLAP International Programs Department.

With the experience that they gain, it is expected that they will work with other academic departments from Universidad de las Américas Puebla, so that the doors will open not only for students from Virginia but from other places in the United States, since the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund has different calls throughout the year for different knowledge areas in which UDLAP wishes to participate. “For UDLAP, these achievements are always important because they are the result of a collaboration from different areas of the institution, and they highlight the recognition and support of international organizations towards our institution.  From now on, the work is for the Department of Actuarial Sciences, Physics, and Mathematics and the International Affairs Department, who have to carry out what was proposed in the call”, added Dr. Sergio Picazo Vela, Dean of Research and Graduate Studies.

UDLAP Alumnus Obtains Honorary Mention in the Alfonso Caso Award Granted by INAH

  • The doctoral thesis of Carlos Andrés Salgado Ceballos, from Colima state, is linked to the work he did to obtain his UDLAP licenciatura diploma.

Carlos Andrés Salgado Ceballos, a UDLAP graduate from the Licenciatura in Anthropology with specialty in archeology, obtained an honorary mention in the Doctoral Thesis category for the 2018 Alfonso Caso Award, granted by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH – Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia).

“The INAH awards are granted yearly since the 80s and are given in all the anthropology and history categories for specialists who work and study in Mexico, or Mexicans working abroad.  Two theses received honorary mentions, considered to have earned this distinction. In my case, I obtained an honorary mention in the best doctoral thesis category,” stated in an interview the UDLAP alumnus.

For Carlos Salgado, obtaining this award meant a recognition from his colleagues in Mexico, “… I have been in England for 8 years, and it was important that my colleagues knew and valued my work, and thus I was very glad to be considered for this honorary mention”, he explained.

His thesis, written while in England at the University of Exeter, “Intraregional and Dynamic Strategies, deals with the production of Colima ceramics between 550 and 1000”.  “It is curious because it is linked to my licenciatura thesis.  I started my doctoral studies in 2012 and finished in 2017, but I have been working on this topic for about 20 years, as I am from Colima and I am a specialist in this area”.

His work is the archeo-metrical study of ceramic produced in Colima. “I tried to discover the political strategies behind this production, and see the different areas in Colima that interacted among themselves.  I studied Colima because, traditionally, its archeology had been studied from its relations outside the State. This is the first time that a thesis sees Colima by itself as a unit” he added.

On the other hand, the UDLAP graduate, who has been studying abroad for many years, commented: “I would strongly recommend going abroad to see how things are done, learning, perhaps, what we are not doing here.  What I liked was to see that Mexican researchers have the ability for this type of first-level research”.

Regarding his interest in archeology, the UDLAP graduate stated that it is a life-long interest, since his love of history is a part of him. “I believe that archeology is an endurance race, as things get done slowly. It is a career that requires financial backing to carry out projects, and thus it takes a long time to do, to wait for an answer and hope that it is positive.  You have to be patient”.

Finally, he said “I appreciate my UDLAP´s professors because they were very good.  If I had to summarize three things that they taught me, they would be scientific rigor while doing research, intellectual honesty that you must have during your research and, above all, to question the status quo”.