{"id":525562,"date":"2022-06-28T12:16:39","date_gmt":"2022-06-28T16:16:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/?p=525562"},"modified":"2022-06-28T12:16:39","modified_gmt":"2022-06-28T16:16:39","slug":"mercedes-ramirez-fernandez-to-step-down-in-august-525562","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/mercedes-ramirez-fernandez-to-step-down-in-august-525562\/","title":{"rendered":"Mercedes Ram\u00edrez Fern\u00e1ndez to step down in August"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ram\u00edrez Fern\u00e1ndez has served as the University\u2019s first vice president for equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer since 2019.<\/h2>\n

Mercedes Ram\u00edrez Fern\u00e1ndez, the Richard Feldman Vice President for Equity and Inclusion and the chief diversity officer at the University of Rochester<\/a>, is stepping down on August 30, 2022. She has been appointed the vice president for equity and diversity<\/a> at the University of Minnesota.<\/p>\n

Ram\u00edrez Fern\u00e1ndez has served in her current role since July 1, 2019. During her time at Rochester, she has led efforts to embed equity, diversity, and inclusion into the fiber of the institution.\u00a0She helped create the inaugural Institutional Office of Equity and Inclusion (IOEI)<\/a> and spearheaded the revision of the Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment<\/a>. At the height of racial and social justice unrest in the nation, she deployed crisis leadership and worked tirelessly to establish the University\u2019s first equity, diversity, and inclusion framework to promote climate and culture transformative change.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am proud of the establishment of the Institutional Office of Equity and Inclusion. It is a labor of love and connection amongst tremendously committed people,\u201d Ram\u00edrez Fern\u00e1ndez\u00a0said. \u201cI have learned so much here at Rochester; the lessons are a catalyst when creating structures that support equity, actualized access, and racial and social justice.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the University of Minnesota, Ram\u00edrez Fern\u00e1ndez will oversee seven offices and seven major initiatives with approximately 120 staff members that provide critical services and support to students, faculty, and staff within the Office of Equity and Diversity. As vice president, she will champion a transformative vision for the continued efforts to bring diversity and equity to all aspects of academic advancement, collective decision-making, and resource allocation.<\/p>\n

President Sarah C. Mangelsdorf remarked, \u201cMercedes not only established the University\u2019s first office dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion, but she also took a holistic approach to enacting an institutional diversity strategy. She and her team offered resources, training, and support across the entire University as part of the ongoing work involved in realizing our institutional commitment to achieving a diverse and inclusive community. Mercedes has been an integral member of my senior leadership team. While I will miss her insights and guidance, I wish her well in her new role at Minnesota.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the next two months, Ram\u00edrez Fern\u00e1ndez will focus on transition efforts in collaboration with Sasha Eloi-Evans, the associate vice president for equity and inclusion and deputy chief diversity officer at the University.<\/p>\n

A national search for Ram\u00edrez Fern\u00e1ndez\u2019s successor will be conducted. Plans for interim leadership of the\u00a0office\u00a0will be announced in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ram\u00edrez Fern\u00e1ndez has served as the University\u2019s first vice president for equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer since 2019.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":372,"featured_media":525572,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[18612,37252],"class_list":["post-525562","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-university-news","tag-announcements","tag-staff"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMercedes Ram\u00edrez Fern\u00e1ndez to step down in August<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Mercedes Ram\u00edrez Fern\u00e1ndez served as the University of Rochester\u2019s first vice president for equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link 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