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Background
I began working at the Universidad de Costa Rica in 2007 as a Statistics professional in the Office of Scholarships and Socio-economic Assistance. In addition to the tasks specific to statistics, I came to understand the importance of the university as a means of social mobility. Later, already interested in the university as an institution, I worked at the Center for Academic Evaluation of the same institution and carried out statistics-professional tasks linked to self-assessment processes for the accreditation of the quality of the university’s programmes, as well as to curricular updates of the study programmes. Subsequently, I took on university-management duties by assuming the direction of Teaching Outreach of the Vice-Rectorate for Social Action of the Universidad de Costa Rica. From this position I came to understand the social importance and impact that the university can have on society. I also worked on actions aimed at strengthening continuing education under a lifelong-learning approach. To achieve this goal I made numerous field trips to various communities throughout Costa Rica in order to identify needs and propose actions by the university to contribute to the wellbeing of society.
As for teaching, I have taught statistics courses to students in social-sciences programmes, business administration, and first-year students of the statistics degree. In addition, at graduate level I have taught courses in the Doctorate in Education of the Universidad de Costa Rica.
During my doctoral studies I researched educational policies in the field of higher education focused on educational quality in Costa Rica. I completed a research stay at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) at the Institute for Research on the University and Education (IISUE), UNAM. One research line I have worked on relates to the study of the university and its dynamics. Recently I have become interested in the topic of statistical literacy, both for people pursuing a university degree and in non-formal settings.