The University of Houston community is invited to "Public Heritage and Spatial Humanities in the South Texas Borderlands." This presentation will highlight a dynamic academic and professional journey that illustrates René A. Ballesteros’s dedication to leveraging digital platforms with anthropological insights to foster community engagement and cultural heritage preservation. René has exhibited his commitment to educational outreach, fulfilling roles such as presenter for various public education programs and workshops centered on history, thereby integrating digital humanities into community education initiatives. His multifaceted experiences reflect a dedicated pursuit of knowledge and innovation within the field. A conversation with Shine Trabucco, PhD candidate in History, and Q&A with the audience will follow.

René A. Ballesteros is currently pursuing a master's degree in Anthropology at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, where he explores intersecting disciplines of Mexican American studies and history. His academic foundation was built with a bachelor's degree in Anthropology from the University of Texas Pan American, where he minored in Environmental Studies. 

Professionally, René has cultivated significant experience in the nonprofit sector, notably as a development manager for Latinos in Heritage Conservation and serving as a commissioner with the Hidalgo County Historical Committee. He previously served as community engagement officer and programs and events officer at the Museum of South Texas History. 

The graduate student keynote is part of the Digital Humanities at University of Houston (DH@UH) 2025 event series, spearheaded by the Digital Humanities Core facility in partnership with the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Data Science Institute and UH Libraries. DH@UH serves as a platform for advancing digital humanities research and collaboration across the University, bringing together humanists, data scientists, librarians, and students to foster innovative digital projects, particularly those that elevate marginalized voices and forge connections between academic research and public communities.

The keynote will be held in-person in the MD Anderson Library Digital Research Commons (room 266-C), with an online option via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89495066020?pwd=1rRttCebfCm2VbkWzpZRtkkGORaICb.1
Meeting ID: 894 9506 6020
Passcode: 214655