This October, Daniela Rufo will become the new president of her university. For someone who had never planned to get into higher education administration, it’s a bit crazy. But no, not really. When you think about it, it’s actually pretty natural for this computer science and mathematics Ph.D. student with a passion for STEM education. After all, she has been working in higher education academe for the last three years as an assistant professor and has spent nearly half her life studying learning science and technology—which made her perfect to lead one of Peru’s top universities one day. Here we take you through why she is so passionate about education and why she thinks that becoming an educator is the best way for her to serve others in her lifetime.
Why is Daniela so Passionate Sbout Education?
As a student at the university level, Daniela Rufo interest in education was born out of an interest in how people learn. In high school, she started exploring the reasons behind why some people have a knack for certain things, while others struggle to understand concepts that are so simple to others. After all, learning is not just about knowing the facts—it is also about why we are learning them and what this knowledge can make us as a person. Looking back, Daniela finds that she was one of those people who had a natural easy access to certain types of knowledge from an early age. This sparked a passion for learning and an intense curiosity to understand how people learn. Like many others, Daniela also realized that factors like poverty, societal values and access to resources, as well as other socioeconomic factors, play a significant role in how we acquire knowledge.
A Love for Learning and a knack for Teaching
During her undergraduate years, Daniela Rufo changed her major three times—and then, in her final year, she decided on a completely different discipline. After all, no one was meant to be a computer scientist, right? Instead, she decided to pursue a degree in education, and it was a decision that would change her life. To someone who loved learning, teaching seemed like a perfect fit. The profession allowed her to combine her love for learning with her knack for imparting knowledge. And as she started exploring the topic of education, she also realized that it was an area that was still very much under developed. So, Daniela found herself exploring new ways to teach and new ideas to inspire the next generation of learners. Her passion for education led her to find ways to connect with her students and make them think beyond the material they were learning. Her interest in technology and the power of digital learning tools also led her to explore how we can use technology to transform how we teach—and inspire the next generation of innovators.
The Importance of STEM in our Society
As a society, we often talk about the importance of STEM education. But what does this mean? STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math, and these are the fields that will help us find solutions to the problems and challenges we as a society face today and tomorrow. STEM is crucial to the growth of our economy and the quality of life for all Peruvians. It is estimated that with the current trends, by 2020, up to 65 percent of the jobs will be in STEM, which means that Peruvians will have to have a strong foundation in these subjects to find good jobs. STEM education is also expected to be one of the main contributors to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially if we look at the Goal #3, which aims to improve the quality of education by providing quality education to all learners, particularly to those that are most vulnerable and marginalized.
How to Inspire the Next Generation of Learners and Innovators
As someone who is passionate about STEM education and how it can help grow a society, Daniela Rufo knows what it takes to inspire the next generation of learners and innovators. In her opinion, these are the types of students we need to create and nurture in our societies: – People who are curious and want to find ways to solve problems. – People who are not afraid to challenge accepted norms and find new ways to solve problems. – People who are creative, who can think outside the box, and find new ways to solve problems. – People who are critical thinkers and who can challenge the status quo and find better solutions for current and future challenges. – People who are explorers and explorers of the future, looking for new ways to explore new frontiers.
Wrapping up: The Road Ahead for Daniela Rufo
During this time of transition, leadership transition, at daniela rufo university, the expectations are high. And Daniela knows that she needs to live up to them. But this is also a time of transformation, when the university is reinventing itself and finding new ways to serve the community. For Daniela, this is a time to serve others and to inspire her students to learn and grow to become leaders in our society. She knows that she can make a difference, and she knows that the best way to make this difference is to lead by example and help her university provide the best possible higher education experience.
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