El Paso native and communication doctoral student Anthony Ramirez ‘22 successfully defended his dissertation this month and has taken a professor position at the University of Houston. As Ramirez prepares to walk the graduation stage this December, he recounts how Texas A&M University and the College of Liberal Arts have shaped who he is today.
Ramirez received his bachelors in drawing and his masters in communication from the University of Texas at El Paso. At Texas A&M, Ramirez instructed various classes within the Department of Communication, worked as a graduate assistant in the Texas A&M Office for Diversity, and served as president of the Latinx Graduate Student Association. He still made time for his creative endeavors such as hosting his own podcast, creating a research initiative, and creating a blog. In everything he does, Ramirez highlights inclusion for the Latine community.
Anthony Ramirez ’22 will graduate this December with a doctoral degree.
“As a Mexican-American kid, I always wondered why there were no Latine or Hispanic superheroes,” Ramirez said. “Latine representation is important because I and many others want to see people of color reflected in any type of media that we consume. I want to see representation of all groups, because to me, diversity matters. Diversity, equity, inclusion are all things that matter to me.”
In his blog, Ramirez showcases current projects and research he is working on as well as episodes of podcasts that he has been on as a guest. Ramirez is also the founder and host of a podcast called “Academics and Amigos.” In his podcast, Ramirez interviews various people from diverse backgrounds on topics inside and outside of academia. Ramirez has another podcast titled “The ReSocial Hour,” which is a conversational podcast featuring Ramirez, Joseph Lopez, Emily Riewestahl, and Allie Barker. During the episodes of “The ReSocial Hour,” the hosts discuss topics such as dealing with mental health and education or the experience of being a professor.
“I try to have people from different walks of life as guests in my podcasts in order to showcase and tell their story and their experiences with the audience, because the best way to learn about somebody is to hear from them,” Ramirez explained. “Everybody has different stories and experiences. Maybe some of these stories and experiences can resonate with somebody and inspire them. The power of storytelling is so powerful.”
Ramirez has been a big fan of comic books since his childhood and this shows within his podcasts, blog, and research.
“My research revolves around Latine identity, culture and representations within media and popular culture,” Ramirez said. “Specifically, I like to focus on comic books, because I’m a huge comic book nerd, but I’ve also done research on video games, film, music, and television shows.”
Ramirez has accomplished many things during his time at Texas A&M, and he says he does not regret one second.
“I feel very lucky to have been here for four years of my doctoral program ,” Ramirez said. “Texas A&M has really shaped me into being a better scholar and better instructor because I’ve learned from so many different people and mentors. I’ve had a really good support system here at Texas A&M.”
During his time as an instructor, Ramirez said he learned the valuable lessons of empathy and time management.
“Both as a person who is a student and as an instructor, I learned that empathy is key in all aspects of life,” Ramirez shared. “As a student, I had to learn to be empathetic towards myself and realize it’s okay to take a break and that it’s okay that obstacles happen. I use empathy in the classroom, because we’re all going through things in life. Another thing that I learned is that time management is huge. We should not take it for granted because time management is something that can help a lot in the long run.”
As Ramirez begins his new adventure as a professor, he leaves students, staff, and faculty with an invaluable lesson he learned.
“During my time here at Texas A&M, and working within the College of Liberal Arts, I’ve grown so much as a person,” Ramirez said. “I’ve learned to gain a more positive and appreciative outlook on life and I am so grateful. Sometimes it’s hard to have a positive outlook on life, but there’s always a positive side to something. I want people to learn to have the attitude that in the end, things are going to get better.”