Lisa Ramirez, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will speak on campus in one of the many events the Division of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is hosting as part of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Lisa Ramirez, director of the Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), will lecture at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday (Oct. 6) in Texas Tech University's Escondido Theatre in the Student Union Building (SUB).
Ramirez's lecture is part of the Hispanic/Latinx Lecture Series hosted by the Office of Institutional Diversity, part of the university's Division of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DDEI).
The Texas Tech and Lubbock communities are invited to hear Ramirez speak about her experiences as a daughter of migrant workers and a former migrant worker herself. Ramirez left the fields to serve in the U.S. Army Reserve. She financed portions of her college education through the GI Bill and began her career as an educator in 1992. In 2004, Ramirez opened Lubbock Independent School District's first charter campus, the Ramirez Charter School. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees and doctorate in education from Texas Tech.
“Celebrating Hispanic/Latinx heritage allows us to acknowledge the local to global impact made by members of the Hispanic/Latinx community,” said Carol A. Sumner, vice president of DDEI and chief diversity officer. “The month is one way to intentionally recognize the diversity of the Hispanic/Latinx diaspora and the importance of sharing the stories, rich traditions and cultures, liberatory efforts, innovations and histories of so many who span generations to make the world a better place for others.”
Ramirez's lecture is one of many events scheduled throughout the remainder of Hispanic Heritage Month, which concludes Oct. 15.
Other events open to the general public include:
- “Just Mercy” Reading Group: 5:30-7 p.m. (Oct. 5 and 12) via Zoom, register here.
- Hispanic/Latinx Student Organization Fair: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 13, SUB north plaza.
Events open to the Texas Tech community only include:
- Dream Ally Training: 2-3:15 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6, SUB Matador Room.
- Career Panel: 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7, SUB Playa Room.
- 50 Shades of Brown: 7 p.m. Oct. 11, More information to come
- Raiders Engaged in Diversity (R.E.D) Talks, “Brown, Proud & Educated:” 1-2 p.m. Oct. 12 via Zoom, register here
- Queer Reels, Real Topics – Film screening of “Indianara”: 7 p.m. Oct. 12, SUB Escondido Theatre.
- Hispanic/Latinx Student Leadership Roundtable & Discussion, 7-9 p.m. Oct. 14 SUB Matador Room
