Celina Ramirez, J.D.

Celina Ramirez is a native Tucsonan with deep roots at the University and in the region. Her father was a University of Arizona college student when she was born at what is now Banner hospital. Her parents graduated from Sunnyside High School and were the first people in their families to attend college. Originally from Sonora, Mexico, her great grandparents and grandparents worked as farmworkers and laborers throughout Arizona. Celina has witnessed firsthand the way higher education opens the door to opportunities for families and communities, and is passionate about making higher education accessible and affordable for Arizonans.

Celina is the Vice President of University Initiatives & Policy. In this role, she oversees the University’s policy process and has advanced initiatives such as the expansion of parental leave, doubling of campus lactation spaces, creation of the first central structure for staff affinity groups, development of COVID mitigation strategies as the chair of the University’s COVID Response Team, and numerous campus safety enhancements. Celina and her team regularly partner with shared governance groups and other stakeholders to ensure policies and projects are appropriately addressing the needs of the University's diverse students, faculty, staff, and community members.

In 2022, the Commission on the Status of Women awarded Celina the Edith Sayre Auslander Visionary Award. In 2023, the Latinx Faculty and Staff Association created the Celina Ramirez Distinguished Leadership Award in her name, which will be awarded on an annual basis. Also in 2023, she was chosen by the Staff Council to be the keynote speaker at their 500+ attendee annual conference.

Celina joined the University in 2008 as an investigator of discrimination complaints filed by students and employees. She subsequently worked as an Organizational Consultant in Human Resources, advising employees and managers and advancing workplace initiatives. For the next five years, she was on the management team at the University’s Disability Resource Center, working to increase disability access for students, employees, and community members, including as the ADA/504 Compliance Officer. During this time, Celina advised over 1,000 employees and students, primarily on issues related to equity, inclusion, and access. Hearing their stories over many years instilled a deep commitment in Celina to advance initiatives that help create positive, equitable, and inclusive learning and work environments.

After working at the University for 9 years as a staff member, Celina was promoted to be the Chief Compliance Officer. At its core, compliance is about safeguarding important values, including safety, privacy, accountability, equity and inclusion. Celina created the University's first central Privacy Office and developed a more comprehensive structure to coordinate and support the University’s compliance work.  

Before returning to her hometown of Tucson in 2008, Celina worked in the Bay Area at the San Francisco Human Rights Commission and the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. She has previously served on the boards of the San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association, the DataCenter, Ben’s Bells, and the Arts Foundation of Tucson and Southern Arizona. She is certified as a mediator through The Center for Understanding in Conflict and as a mindfulness facilitator through UCLA. Twice a month, she facilitates a free meditation group for BIPOC community members at the Tucson Community Meditation Center. 

Celina’s undergraduate and law degrees are from Stanford University, but she always roots for the Wildcats. Although her two children are still young, they say they will definitely be joining the Wildcat family one day.