CALAHE

For Immediate Release

The Connecticut Association of Latinos in Higher Education, Inc. (CALAHE) Announces the 2024 Professional Conference

By: Dr. Maria D. Martinez, 2024 Conference Committee Chair – Calahe2017@gmail.com

March 6, 2024

On Friday April 26, 2024, the University of Connecticut Neag School of Education will be hosting the CALAHE professional conference at UConn – Werth Tower in Storrs.

Since its establishment in 1978, CALAHE has focused on promoting and advocating for the full access, participation, and retention of Latinas/os throughout Connecticut higher education.

This year’s conference theme “Navigating the Political Landscape for Latinos in Higher Education: Smoke and Mirrors.”  calls for participants to examine strategies for navigating political trends in higher education, policy priorities and effective models for supporting Latino student success, promising practices for increasing Latino representation in higher education leadership positions, and other pertinent topics.

To address conference participants, CALAHE has invited respected speakers in the field of higher education and politics, particularly as it relates to the participation of Latinos/as at all levels such as Dr. Narcisa Polonio and UConn Professor Charles R. Venator-Santiago. Dr. Polonio is recognized as one of the leading authorities on community college governance, executive searches, and presidential leadership. She provides leadership and guidance in the community college sector, universities with two year-campuses, technical colleges, urban colleges and universities, and Hispanic Serving Institutions. She was one of the few Latina women to become a college president both in the public and independent sector. Dr. Venator-Santiago is an associate professor with a joint appointment in the Department of Political Science and El Instituto at the University of Connecticut. He is currently the Director of El Instituto: Institute for Latino/a, Caribbean and Latin American Studies and the founding director of the Puerto Rican Studies Initiative for Community Engagement and Public Policy. He studies U.S. territorial law and policy.

Concurrent workshops, a panel of college presidents, a special presentation of The Lifetime Achievement Award to the U.S. Department of Education, Dr. Miguel Cardona, and a Latino cuisine luncheon will also be part of conference program. For registration information, please visit www.calahe.org or call Dr. Wilson Luna at 203 314-6424.