Honorable Speaker: Idalis Villanueva Alarcón, Ph.D.

Title of the short lecture: Seekers, Bridgers, and Agents of Hidden Curriculum in Engineering

Bio: Dr. Idalis Villanueva Alarcón is an Associate Chair for Research and Graduate Studies and a tenured Associate Professor of Engineering Education at the University of Florida. In 2019, she received the White House Office of Science, Technology, and Policy’s Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) award for her 2017 National Science Foundation CAREER project on hidden curriculum in engineering.

Abstract: Hidden curriculum  (HC)  represents the unacknowledged and oftentimes “hidden” lessons or messages in a working or learning environment that hinder marginalized groups from navigating their environments successfully. HC propagates structurally through social networks and interactions, transferring a context’s norms, values, and beliefs to the learner. In this talk, we will explore the traits of individuals (seekers, bridgers, and agents) as they become aware of the HC around them.