Biography

Dr. Elvia Ramirez is Professor of Ethnic Studies and Chicanx/Latinx studies. She received her Ph.D. in Sociology from University of California, Riverside. Her research interests include the sociology of higher education, doctorate (Ph.D.) education, Latino/a/x education, and immigration. Her current research projects focus on Latino/a/x students' experiences navigating the Ph.D. admissions process, and on workplace bullying of Chicana/Latina faculty. 

Dr. Ramirez is the editor of Latinx Migration & the U.S.-Mexico Border: An Anthology (Cognella Publishers) and the author of numerous articles and book chapters. Her research has been published in journals such as Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, Equity & Excellence in Education, Sociological Perspectives, and Journal of Hispanic Higher Education. Her research has been supported by various grants and fellowships, including the Anchor University Collaborative Research Fellowship, the Research Enhanced Support Grant, and the University of California All Campus Consortium on Research for Diversity (UC ACCORD) fellowship.

Dr. Ramirez teaches Chicanx/Latinx Studies and general (comparative) Ethnic Studies courses. Like bell hooks, she believes that excitement and serious intellectual engagement can, and should, coexist in the classroom setting. She was awarded the 2020-2021 Outstanding Teaching Award by the College of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies (SSIS) and the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award by the Department of Sociology at University of California, Riverside. 

Dr. Ramirez currently serves as Faculty Coordinator of the CRISJ Research Mentorship Program. She is also the Interim Chair of the Chicanx/Latinx Faculty and Staff Association (CHLFSA). From 2018 to 2019, she served as President of the California Sociological Association. 

Select Publications

Google Scholar

Ramirez, E. (Ed.). Latinx migration and the U.S.-Mexico Border: An Anthology. Cognella Publishers. Preliminary edition.

Ramirez, E. (2018). “Navigating positive and hostile department climates: Experiences of Latino(a) doctoral students.” In A. Standlee (Ed.), On the borders of the academy: Challenges and strategies for first generation graduate students and faculty. Syracuse University Press.

Ramirez, E. (2017) “Unequal socialization: Interrogating the Chicano/Latino(a) doctoral education experience.” Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 10(1), 25-38.

Ramirez, E. (2014). “¿Qué estoy haciendo aqui? (What am I doing here?): Chicanos/Latinos(as) navigating challenges and inequalities during their first year of graduate school.” Equity & Excellence in Education, 47(2), 167-186.

Reese, E., Ramirez, E., & Estrada-Correa, V. (2013) “The politics of welfare inclusion: Explaining state variation in legal immigrants’ welfare rights.” Sociological Perspectives,56(1), 97-130.

Ramirez, E. (2013). “Examining Latinos/as’ graduate school choice process: An intersectionality perspective.”  Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 12(1), 23-36.

Ramirez, E. (2011) “‘No one taught me the steps’: Latinos’ experiences applying to graduate school.” Journal of Latinos and Education, 10(3), 204-222.

Barajas, M., & Ramirez, E.  (2007). “Beyond home/host dichotomies: A comparative examination of gender relations in a transnational Mexican community.” Sociological Perspectives, 50(3), 367-392.

Reese, E. & Ramirez, E. (2002). “The new ethnic politics of welfare: Struggles over legal immigrants’ rights to welfare in California.” Journal of Poverty, 8(3), 29-62.

Select Presentations

“Advancing Chicanx/Latinx Studies in CA Colleges and Universities.” Presented at the annual meeting of the California Sociological Association.

“Surviving and Thriving in the Job Market as an Ethnic Studies and Interdisciplinary Scholar.” Professional development workshop sponsored by the Committee on the Status of Racial and Ethnic Minorities. Presented at the annual meeting of the Pacific Sociological Association.

“Unequal Socialization: Interrogating the Chicano/Latino(a) Doctoral Education Experience.” Presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of Chicana and Chicano Studies.

“Analyzing the Campus Racial Climate: Perceptions of Latino Doctoral Students.” Presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Behavioral and Social Sciences.

“An Examination of Successful Pathways and Challenges for Mentoring Across Race/Ethnicity and Gender in Higher Education: Mentoring for Faculty of Color and Women with Implications for Chicana/o Faculty.”  Panel presentation at the annual meeting of the Northern California NACCS FOCO Conference.

“Transnationalism, Mexican Communities & the Shaping of Perceptions of Gender Equality & Inequality Across Borders.” Presented at the annual meeting of the Pacific Sociological Association. 

“Nativism, Immigrants’ Rights, and the Politics of U.S. Welfare Retrenchment: Explaining State-Level Restorations of Public Assistance to Legal Immigrants.” Presented at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Social Problems.

“Union, Trabajo y Patriotismo: The Evolution of Trabajadores Unidos as Labor Union and Mutualista." Presented at the annual meeting of the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies.

Professional Associations

American Sociological Association (ASA)

American Educational Research Association (AERA)

California Sociological Association (CSA)              

National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies (NACCS)

Pacific Sociological Association (PSA)