2024-2025 Recipient: Sergio Carvajal-Leoni
Sergio, a Ph.D. student in Adult, Professional, and Community Education, participated in a transformative academic experience through Dr. Joellen Coryell’s Erasmus+ Grant from the European Commission in partnership with the University of Padova (UNIPD), Italy. This opportunity enabled Sergio to study in Padova for two months during May and June 2025, where his contributions and learning outcomes were exceptional and continue to make an impact.
Sergio’s Statement
“Texas State University’s partnership with the University of Padova creates a unique transnational bridge for knowledge transfer and cultural exchange—an opportunity students from both institutions should actively pursue. This collaboration between Italy’s Veneto region and Central Texas is the result of the dedication and vision of Dr. Joellen Coryell and her counterpart in Italy, Dr. Monica Fedeli. I feel deeply fortunate to have been among the first group of Ph.D. students, alongside my talented peer Cheri Hatcher, to participate in this exchange and spend two incredible months in Padova during the summer of 2025. The experiences I gained and the relationships I built have profoundly shaped my life and career. I strongly encourage other students to explore how they can become part of this dynamic interuniversity network of excellence, which promises to advance the shared future of these two academic communities.”
Highlights of Sergio’s International Accomplishments
Academic Projects and Publications
- Developed educational documentaries as part of his learning project at UNIPD:
- Authored a blog reflection, Vivere, studiare, crescere: due mesi a Padova con i miei figli (To live, study, grow: Two months in Padua with my sons), published on UNIPD’s official FISPPA Department page. Read here
- Featured on UNIPD’s official Instagram page. View here
Conference Engagements
- Presented at the European Society for Research on the Education of Adults (ESREA) Conference in Graz, Austria. Conference details here
- Featured in a post-conference podcast. Listen here
- Invited to Augsburg, Germany, to produce a documentary featuring world-renowned scholars in Democracy Education. Watch here
- Presented in Research Seminar with scholars and professors of Universitat de Barcelona and UNIPD, titled: Research Postdigital Education: Exploring Epistemological, Ontological and Methodological Countours. Sergio's presentation title: Collaborating with Paulo Marshall Mcfrerean: Postdigital positionality around a chatbot of my own.
Awards and Recognition
- Secured third place in the Interuniversity Art Contest ETH-TECH: Anchoring Ethical Technology. View awardees here
- Published a blog on ETH-TECH’s official site. Read here
Continued Impact
- Invited to contribute a chapter to the upcoming book Generative AI-Enhanced Research: Ethical, Practical, and Transformative Approaches.
- Co-organized and presented at Texas State’s event, What’s the Future of Democracy (November 6, 2025), featuring scholars Chad Hoggan and Tetyana Hoggan-Klubert.
Sergio’s summer work was mentioned and cited by renowned scholar Dr. Sarah Hayes in the article “A Multidisciplinary Research Agenda for Artificial Intelligence, Education, Learning, and Instruction” published in the Journal of Postdigital Science and Education, 2025.