Name: Ursula Pike
Preferred pronouns: she/her
Where do you work?
Digital Higher Education Consortium of Texas
What do you do there?
Associate Director & System Lead for Texas QM Consortium
Where did you go to school?
Portland State University, Western Illinois University, Institute of American Indian Arts
Where is your hometown?
Portland, Oregon
What might someone be surprised to know about you?
I'm an author
How did you get involved with the Open Texas Conference?
I work for one of the organizations that began Open Texas.
What do you find most challenging about coordinating the Open Texas Conference?
Most of us don't know each other and it is difficult to get to know people virtually.
What do you wish other people knew about the Open Texas Conference?
It is for everyone.
Tell me about some of the people you’ve met while working on Open Texas?
Beatriz Canales, Lea De Forest
What would you say are some of your strongest beliefs about open education practices?
It is a tool for equity.
The interest in open education seems to be growing. Why do you think that is?
College is expensive.
What would you tell someone who is thinking about presenting or attending Open Texas?
Submit, submit, submit!
What do you think will change about open education in five years?
Hopefully, there will be more diversity in OER content creators and Open Education movement leadership.
What are your professional goals for the next five years?
Increase the recognition of more Hispanic and other BIPOC Open Ed leaders & content creators in Texas specifically and Open Education overall.
What is your personal philosophy on open education?
Open Education is a tool to promote equity and access. Saving money is nice but the opportunity to address historical inaccuracies and erasure is the real value.