Ursula Saldívar Dávila
Tech Leader
Leader of Innovation Projects with Educational Technology
Tecnológico de Monterrey
Latin America | Mexico
I've been extensively involved in Innovation, user experience, and emerging technologies spearheading efforts to adapt and propel digital transformation initiatives forward. At the core of my approach is a commitment to prioritizing the individual—whether they're a user, client, student, or collaborator—and addressing their needs within the context of their environment.
My objective is to harness technology to deliver customized solutions while implementing comprehensive initiatives rooted in educational frameworks. Additionally, I've played a crucial role in driving open innovation initiatives and establishing strategic partnerships with both internal and external stakeholders.
As of today, I´m in charge of Mostla- Emerging Technologies Department, which main goal is to bring emerging technologies to both teachers and students so that they may know about them, experiment, and generate solutions with those technologies in teaching/learning processes. As well as, ntegrate technological trends for the development of institutional projects with high impact.
Among my notable achievements are:
*I was in charge of the establishment of an open innovation center named "Arista" within the institution. This center provided a platform for students with tech-entrepreneurial aspirations to connect with mentors and develop their ideas. Grounded in the stage-gate thinking theory, Arista facilitated the progression of projects from conception to launch and adoption. Notably, this initiative led to a collaboration agreement between Amazon Web Services and Tec de Monterrey, focusing on the utilization and advancement of emerging technologies and cloud applications for the Tec community.
*I led the strategy and implementation of the official Tec de Monterrey metaverse, called Tec Virtual Campus. Tec Virtual Campus has established processes enabling professors to explore the impact of learning activities and the cultivation of academic and soft skills. This digital space accommodates various educational contexts and learner profiles, supported by a well-defined pedagogical model aimed at designing academic experiences that effectively engage and motivate students worldwide. To date, this platform has welcomed over 37,000 users. Additionally, I chaired working groups within the institution to outline the institutional strategy for the metaverse.
My objective is to harness technology to deliver customized solutions while implementing comprehensive initiatives rooted in educational frameworks. Additionally, I've played a crucial role in driving open innovation initiatives and establishing strategic partnerships with both internal and external stakeholders.
As of today, I´m in charge of Mostla- Emerging Technologies Department, which main goal is to bring emerging technologies to both teachers and students so that they may know about them, experiment, and generate solutions with those technologies in teaching/learning processes. As well as, ntegrate technological trends for the development of institutional projects with high impact.
Among my notable achievements are:
*I was in charge of the establishment of an open innovation center named "Arista" within the institution. This center provided a platform for students with tech-entrepreneurial aspirations to connect with mentors and develop their ideas. Grounded in the stage-gate thinking theory, Arista facilitated the progression of projects from conception to launch and adoption. Notably, this initiative led to a collaboration agreement between Amazon Web Services and Tec de Monterrey, focusing on the utilization and advancement of emerging technologies and cloud applications for the Tec community.
*I led the strategy and implementation of the official Tec de Monterrey metaverse, called Tec Virtual Campus. Tec Virtual Campus has established processes enabling professors to explore the impact of learning activities and the cultivation of academic and soft skills. This digital space accommodates various educational contexts and learner profiles, supported by a well-defined pedagogical model aimed at designing academic experiences that effectively engage and motivate students worldwide. To date, this platform has welcomed over 37,000 users. Additionally, I chaired working groups within the institution to outline the institutional strategy for the metaverse.
About innovation and new technologies
Yes, the area I work in is a department of the institution focused on exploring emerging technologies and deploying projects at the institutional level. In the last year, we have led projects in various emerging technologies such as:
Blockchain: Leading the Tec's alliance with the MIT Digital Credential Consortium to redefine the standards to be used in the institution.
Metaverse: Tec Virtual Campus was launched in February 2021. To date, this innovative metaverse has welcomed more than 37,000 users, including 33,998 students who actively engaged in over 600 academic activities facilitated by 1,362 educators. Tec Virtual Campus's influence has transcended national boundaries through international collaborations with steemed universities. These include Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú in Peru, Universidad de Chile, Universidad Central, and Universidad de San Sebastián in Chile, Universidad de San Paulo in Brazil, Universidad Católica de Colombia, and Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia, Xavier University in the United States, and CEU Universidad Cardenal Herrera in Spain.
Artificial Intelligene is an are we have been widely exploring this past year with projects such as:
-Analysis of Cognitive-affective States : By using AI to obtain students' predisposition to learning in the classroom.
-Virtual Assistant: Academic Assistant focused on the generation, delivery, and intelligent content advisory, utilizing artificial intelligence for student enhancement. Mostly bases on teaching-learning capabilities.
-Grading and feedback with AI: Piloting several softwares that will allow our faculty to enhance their grading activities.
Biometrics: an academic area that allows teachers and students to use and learn about biometric devices in their courses to generate both knowledge and practical skills in their respective fields. By democratizing the availability of this devices, we can generate competencies within our students.
Blockchain: Leading the Tec's alliance with the MIT Digital Credential Consortium to redefine the standards to be used in the institution.
Metaverse: Tec Virtual Campus was launched in February 2021. To date, this innovative metaverse has welcomed more than 37,000 users, including 33,998 students who actively engaged in over 600 academic activities facilitated by 1,362 educators. Tec Virtual Campus's influence has transcended national boundaries through international collaborations with steemed universities. These include Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú in Peru, Universidad de Chile, Universidad Central, and Universidad de San Sebastián in Chile, Universidad de San Paulo in Brazil, Universidad Católica de Colombia, and Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia, Xavier University in the United States, and CEU Universidad Cardenal Herrera in Spain.
Artificial Intelligene is an are we have been widely exploring this past year with projects such as:
-Analysis of Cognitive-affective States : By using AI to obtain students' predisposition to learning in the classroom.
-Virtual Assistant: Academic Assistant focused on the generation, delivery, and intelligent content advisory, utilizing artificial intelligence for student enhancement. Mostly bases on teaching-learning capabilities.
-Grading and feedback with AI: Piloting several softwares that will allow our faculty to enhance their grading activities.
Biometrics: an academic area that allows teachers and students to use and learn about biometric devices in their courses to generate both knowledge and practical skills in their respective fields. By democratizing the availability of this devices, we can generate competencies within our students.
About diversity and inclusion promotion
I've been advocatinghe cause of inclusion and, above all, the integration of humanities into technology for quite some time now. Since 2019, I've been actively discussing this topic, and I even delivered a Tedx talk addressing it. From my standpoint, particularly with the emergence of new technologies, the convergence of humanities and technology is paramount, encompassing diverse perspectives. It must underpin everything we do; even UNESCO emphasizes in their recent reports the importance of considering the individual in every interaction.
My team primarily comprises men with engineering backgrounds. To foster greater inclusivity within the team, we've implemented small reading groups that enable us to explore various topics. We promote open dialogue, creating a space where team members feel comfortable sharing their viewpoints and experiences. This fosters mutual understanding and empathy among team members. Additionally, we collaborate with local institutions to enhance accessibility to technological devices and provide training, such as partnering with the Council for Culture and the Arts of Nuevo León, and collaborating with the industry to offer free training to our students. We actively seek candidates from diverse backgrounds for our internship programs to ensure our team reflects a broad range of perspectives and experiences.Currently, I am involved with Red Impulsa, an initiative aimed at empowering women. Red Impulsa offers opportunities to connect with other high-potential women and mentors within the organization who can support your professional development, along with access to additional resources.being
My team primarily comprises men with engineering backgrounds. To foster greater inclusivity within the team, we've implemented small reading groups that enable us to explore various topics. We promote open dialogue, creating a space where team members feel comfortable sharing their viewpoints and experiences. This fosters mutual understanding and empathy among team members. Additionally, we collaborate with local institutions to enhance accessibility to technological devices and provide training, such as partnering with the Council for Culture and the Arts of Nuevo León, and collaborating with the industry to offer free training to our students. We actively seek candidates from diverse backgrounds for our internship programs to ensure our team reflects a broad range of perspectives and experiences.Currently, I am involved with Red Impulsa, an initiative aimed at empowering women. Red Impulsa offers opportunities to connect with other high-potential women and mentors within the organization who can support your professional development, along with access to additional resources.being