InfoComm 2023 will be a historic one for the Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance (HETMA). The organization will have its first booth on an InfoComm floor and present the first-ever “Higher Ed AV” Awards on Monday, June 12 before the show floor opens.
One of the things you are sure to hear about if visiting with HETMA this week is the Prism Scholarship. Initially announced at the October InfoComm show in 2021, the program was born out of HETMA’s dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion (a part of HETMA chaired by Natalie Gillespie of Northwestern University).
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“The Prism Scholarship is an annual award that we offer 10 scholarships to women, minorities, and other underrepresented professionals who work in the higher-ed vertical,” explained Joe Way, Ph.D., CTS, who among his many hats is the co-founder and chair of HETMA. “We have just completed the first cohort and the second is about to start on July 1, 2023.”
The scholarship intends to encourage women, LGBTQIA+, Black, Latino, Asian, Indigenous, disabled persons, and others to become leaders in the U.S. higher-education space and recognizes those “determined to leave their mark” as an AV professional. HETMA looks to make that journey for these passionate future role models a bit easier. “Recipients of the scholarship are offered an AVIXA Elite Membership, CTS prep class, the CTS exam, a HETMA mentor, and a trip to InfoComm,” Way explained. “So essentially, they get training, connection/community, and to experience the Pro AV industry.”
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Not only is HETMA now officially part of the InfoComm show floor, but the alliance has also partnered with AVIXA, producers of InfoComm, to further support the growth of the Prism Scholarship Program. “AVIXA is a huge part of the success because they sponsor the 10 Elite Memberships, the CTS exam cost, the prep materials, and offer a private HETMA study room at InfoComm,” Way said.
The second cohort will be announced at HETMA’s annual banquet which is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Friday, June 16, where it will also recognize the first cohort. Along with the Prism Scholarship announcement, HETMA will be very busy in Orlando. It got started with the Higher Education Summit on Tuesday, June 13 at 1:30 p.m. ET. The four-hour workshop saw SMEs take attendees through project lifecycles from the needs analysis to design to installation to support. “It is a chance for AV professionals in the higher-ed vertical to learn from one another, see what their colleagues experience, and understand how a project comes together from start to finish,” said Way.
