LoginsThe Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation and the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) were pleased to present Dr. Julio J. Ramirez, R. Stuart Dickson Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at Davidson College (NC), with the 2017 CUR Goldwater Scholar Faculty Mentor Award. Dr. Ramirez’s achievements as a neuroscience research leader, productive scholar, teacher, innovative leader in his professional societies and personal mentor to 10 Davidson College Goldwater recipients, set him apart from other nominees for the recognition. The award, which consists of a plaque and $5,000 to be used to support the awardee’s research program and/or undergraduate research students, was presented to Dr. Ramirez on April 7, 2017, at a special reception during CUR’s National Conference on Undergraduate Research at the University of Memphis.
In her nomination letter, Davidson’s Vice President for Academic Affairs, Wendy Raymond, profiled Dr. Ramirez’s many achievements, including the 2009 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring awarded to him by President Obama and Davidson’s highest accolade for teaching, the 2012 Hunter-Hamilton Love of Teaching Award, noting that Ramirez had mentored over 140 Davidson undergraduates, over 50% of whom are from groups underrepresented in the sciences. Davidson’s President Carol Quillen described Ramirez’ research in neuroplasticity as “life-changing” and work that “engages his students as collaborators, offering them an unparalleled opportunity for discovery.”
As part of her remarks at the reception, CUR’s Executive Officer, Beth Ambos, noted that Dr. Ramirez’s students wrote compelling letters and credited him with much of their success. Among the quotes read by Ambos were “Dr. Ramirez’s support for me has not ceased, continuing from the beginning of graduate school to my doctoral dissertation defense…. Dr. Julio Ramirez’s support has influenced my life more than any other mentor has and shaped my career in ways that I couldn’t have imagined…. As a mentor, Dr. Ramirez pushed me to achieve more than I thought possible, encouraged me to pursue challenging goals, valued my opinion as a colleague, and guided me on my journey to becoming a scientist….”
“The Goldwater Foundation is pleased to be partnering with CUR to celebrate teaching and mentoring excellence like that exhibited by Davidson College’s Dr. Ramirez,” said Dr. John Mateja, President of the Goldwater Foundation. “For students who are fortunate enough to encounter and work with him, Dr. Ramirez is a guiding light for them into graduate school and throughout their professional careers. He is a model for all of us who work with students.”
Said Ramirez, “My passion for seeing students get excited about the scientific process and achieve success in their pursuit of further education remains unabated, and I look forward to continuing to have a role in transforming students’ lives and opening doors to a productive future.”