Nataly Blas has been selected as a fellow in the SPARC Open Education Leadership Program, an intensive professional development program to empower academic professionals with the knowledge, skills, and community connections to lead successful open education initiatives that benefit students. The two-semester program blends online, peer-to-peer, and project-based learning to build a comprehensive understanding of the open education field coupled with practical know-how to take action on campus and beyond. Blas is one of 25 fellows selected from a competitive application pool for the program’s 2021-2022 cohort.
“The William H. Hannon Library is one of the many units at Loyola Marymount University committed to supporting open education on campus,” says Dean of the Library Kristine Brancolini. “We are proud that Nataly has been selected for this program, and believe that this work will benefit all our students.”
The SPARC Open Education Leadership Program spans two semesters, beginning with an intensive online course in the fall to build open education subject matter mastery. In the spring, Blas will work with a mentor to implement a capstone project that will help advance open education at Loyola Marymount University and contribute back to the broader open education field. Blas will join the rest of the cohort in attending the 2021 Open Education Conference virtually in October.
“My motivation to work on open education is centered on providing equitable and affordable educational opportunities to all students,” says Blas. “Through the SPARC Open Education Leadership Program, I hope to learn more about open education, gain skills to grow open programs at LMU, and connect with others in the open education community.”
Blas has supported LMU Library’s Open & Affordable Textbook Initiative (OATI), the Course Adopted Text E-books program, and the Journal Evaluation Tool. As of June, she transitioned to the role of Collection Development Librarian and will continue the work of Jamie Hazlitt (2019 SPARC Fellow) on OATI. Blas looks forward to bringing her own perspective and experiences to grow LMU’s open education initiatives in new ways.
“Open education is a powerful catalyst for expanding access to knowledge and making educational opportunities more equitable,” said Nicole Allen, Director of Open Education for SPARC. “A large part of what makes our leadership program successful is the unique and valuable perspective each participant brings to it, and the vibrant community of practice that develops amongst the cohort. We are proud to have Nataly among our 2021-2022 class.”
SPARC is a global coalition dedicated to making Open the default in research and education. For more information about the SPARC Open Education Leadership Program, visit the SPARC website.