Ronnie Lopezcepero

Mr. Ronnie Lopezcepero has been a key member of the Washburn School team since 2009, contributing in various teaching and leadership capacities. He is currently in a doctoral program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His research explores the intersection of bilingualism, education policy, global studies, and educational neuroscience.

In 2013, Mr. Lopezcepero took a brief hiatus from Washburn School to pursue a master's degree studies at the University of Oslo in Norway. He resumed his studies in 2015 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, undertaking multiple master's degrees and living in Illinois for two years. Throughout his postgraduate journey, he was awarded scholarships or total funding for all his studies. Even while abroad, he continued to contribute to Washburn School, managing online programs, the school's website, and its social media presence remotely.

Mr. Lopezcepero returned to Washburn in May 2017, assuming roles as an elective teacher and Head of School. Additionally, he has taught conversational English to adult professionals through the Washburn English Institute, collaborating with various pharmaceutical companies across Puerto Rico.

Education:

• Current Academic Pursuit:
  • Fourth-year doctoral student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
• Previous Roles and Degrees:
  • Served as a Graduate Research Assistant for two years at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
  • Earned a Master of Education in Education, Policy, Organization, and Leadership with a concentration in Higher Education.
  • Obtained a master's degree in Human Resources Development (HRD) from the same university.
• Prior Educational Experience:
  • Studied at the University of Oslo in Norway, focusing on International Education and International Development for his master's degree studies.

•  In 2015, Ronnie Lopezcepero worked alongside the College of Education faculty at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as a graduate research assistant in the Higher Education department. 
  
  
• Mr Lopezcepero was a student business consultant for Illinois Business Consulting, the largest, fee-based, university-led consulting organization in the country, based in the College of Business at the University of Illinois. In December 2016, he conducted a team-based project for an international client in Panama City, Panama, within the software industry. Illinois Business Consulting works with Fortune 100, Fortune 500, mid-sized, international, and non-profit organizations.

• Ronnie concurrently worked in the higher education field, specifically as a graduate employee of the University of Illinois system. He helped lead international college student programming for two years as the international student outreach and programming graduate assistant at the Counseling Center- University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign.

• Ronnie Lopezcepero was elected president of the Illinois Higher Education Student Association (HESA) for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and was elected to serve as a member of the Illinois Student Senate (ISS) in Early 2016. 

• At the University of Oslo in Norway, he wrote about international development and sustainability for poverty-ridden countries from an educational perspective. He also presented Puerto Rico's top three development problems to international students from 29 nations.
  
  
• At the University of Illinois, he wrote about:

1. 1. Neuroplasticity and Second Language Learners
   2. Educational Neuroscience - Perspectives for Bilingual Student Research
   3. The Role of the University of Puerto Rico in U.S. Higher Education
   4. Bilingual Student Access, Retention, and Graduation within American Higher Education
   5. International Student Recruitment Strategies at American Colleges and Universities
   6. Bilingualism in K-16 Students
   7. International College Student Mental Health
   8. How to Teach Critical Thinking to Educators
   9. Human Resource Development, Adult Learning, and Staff training within Non-Profit Organizations
   10. Job Automation, Robotics, and the Future of Work
   11. Work Analysis:  Headmasters in International Private Schools
   12. The University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez: Higher Education Study
   13. College Access for Bilingual Students and English as a Second Language Learners
   14. Excellence and Equity for Dual Language Learners (English Language Learners, Emergent Bilinguals, Limited English Proficient, Bilingual Learners) in the Educational Pipeline Towards Higher Education
   15. Critical Thinking for Teachers
   16. Factors Contributing to College Persistence and Successful degree Completion for Hispanic/Latino college students attending selective 4-year institutions and 4-year Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs)
   17. Black and Latino Success Stories: Factors in Navigating, Persisting, and Completing  a Degree in Higher Education 
   18. Career certificate development programs designed for international students who are working towards their undergraduate or master's degree and who want to be strong job/intern candidates in the United States
   19. Homeless Students in America's Public Schools and its Effect on Access to Higher Education
   20. Human Resource Development Performance Analysis 
   21. The role of translanguaging in mathematics English Medium Instruction classrooms for emergent bilingual students. 

Washburn's Graduation in May 2017

Washburn's Graduation in May 2018