Ramona Perez: from business to academia

A woman born into a traditional Mexican family, Ramona Perez was not allowed by her father to go to college. Years and a career later, she is an assistant professor of anthropology at UNT.

Just after graduating from high school, Perez began a job as a receptionist for American Express in California. In a little more than 10 years, she had worked through the ranks to become a senior vice president for the company.

Though she had not earned a degree, her experience allowed her to teach business courses at the University of California at Irvine, where she met an anthropology professor who sparked her interest in what would become a second career.

"Basically, I took a look around and knew I didn't want to do business for the rest of my life," Perez says.

So, at 29, Perez retired and enrolled in San Diego State University, where she earned her bachelor's degree. She later received her master's and doctoral degrees from the University of California, Riverside.

"I studied anthropology because I was inspired with my own issues in gender and ethnicity," Perez says. "Anthropology was a tool I could use to bring out my frustrations that women — especially Latinas — have (experienced) in the U.S."

She says she was attracted to UNT because it offers an applied anthropology program, meaning that in addition to teaching and research, the faculty and students work with the community.

"UNT is a metropolitan university, so it sees itself as part of the community," Perez says. "Since it is community-based, I am able to put my theoretical perceptions to work."

She says she loves teaching, but she loves research even more. In 1998, Perez received a National Science Foundation grant to research the effects of mentoring and outreach on under-reprsented groups in the social sciences. She also received a policy fellowship to work with a group of 12 Latino scholars in the United States to address Latino education and testing.

Perez is active in Latino and women's issues on campus. She currently serves as chairwoman of the Latino Task Force, a group of faculty and staff that Chancellor Alfred F. Hurley created last year to look at curriculum, resources and student and faculty recruitment efforts for Latinos at UNT.

Last year she served as chairwoman of the executive board of directors of Tapestry – an advisory council to the Division of Equity and Diversity to help advance the university's goals and commitment to diversity. She also serves on the executive steering committee for the women's studies program.

BY JENNY McCORMACK paiswri2@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue:

• Pohl makes commitment to healing
• Proposed legislation seeks to create UNT-Dallas
• UNT System Center achieves $2.6 million goal
• TAMS student a finalist in science talent search
• Spring 2001enrollment up almost 2.7 percent
• Program designed to help reduce parent stress
• Several UNT departments settling into new homes
• UNT Psychology Clinic to offer counseling on overcoming negative feelings
• Novelist, essayist to speak at UNT March 1

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