Education Leaders Program / Otto E. Benavides

"Collaboration and teamwork are an essential part of a modern society."

Otto Benavides is director of the Instructional Technology and Resource Center for the School of Education and Human Development as well as director of the NASA Educator Resource Center. He is also a faculty member in the Department of Curriculum Teaching and Educational Technology. Benavides represents the California State University at Fresno Academic Senate in the California State University Academic Senate. He also participates in various campus technology-related committees.

Before joining the faculty at CSU Fresno, Benavides was an assistant professor at the College of Education at Memphis State University (University of Memphis), where he was responsible for technology planning and implementation in the Center of Excellence in Teacher Education. He also taught audiovisual and other instructional technology courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. Before joining MSU, Benavides worked at Shelby State Community College (Southwest State Community College) in Memphis as assistant director for the Instructional Media Center. Because of his interest in international relations, he was asked to serve as International Student Advisor and representative to the Community College International Consortium.

Benavides received a Community Service Award in Human Relation Efforts from the National Conference of Christians and Jews in 1988. He is past president of the Memphis Council for International Visitors. Benavides was recognized as an Apple Distinguished Educator in 1999 and in April 2000, he was honored as a Laureate by the Smithsonian Institution Computerworld Award Program. He is an Advisory Board member of the California Learning Resource Network and president of the Board of Directors of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology International Division. Benavides is also president of the International Council for Educational Media based in Vienna, Austria. Before moving to the United States, Benavides was chair of the International Loan Office and the International Scholarship Office at the Instituto Colombiano de Educación Técnica en El Exterior. Currently, he is a consultant to local, national, and international organizations.