Athena Ramos: Bridging Research, Community, and Health Equity
Dr. Athena Ramos is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Promotion at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and a leader in community-based health research focused on Latino and immigrant well-being.
Raised in Nebraska, Ramos holds a PhD in International Family & Community Studies from Clemson University, and dual master’s degrees from UNO in Business Administration (MBA) and Urban Studies. Her credentials also include certification as a Public Manager (CPM).
Early in her career, she worked as a community health program manager at UNMC’s Center for Reducing Health Disparities, served as a health educator at Creighton University’s Cardiac Center, and did outreach in tobacco control with the Latino Center of the Midlands. She also coordinated Latino Vote 2000 for Nebraska under the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute.
At UNMC, Ramos leads multidisciplinary research addressing occupational health and safety, immigrant integration, and well-being across agrifood systems. As part of the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety & Health (CS-CASH), she works with feedlot and meatpacking worker populations, many of whom are Latino immigrants, to address injuries, stress, and health disparities.
Her publication record is robust: she’s co-authored articles on vaccine uptake, medical-legal partnerships for immigrants, and the working conditions of Latino feedyard workers. Through that work, she helps make visible the human costs, gaps, and resilience behind systems that often silence vulnerable communities.
Ramos also serves on numerous scholarly and professional bodies, including ISASH (International Society for Agricultural Safety & Health) and the Agricultural Safety and Health Council of America, and is a fellow in regional centers focused on resilience and rural futures.
Her leadership, both in academia and community engagement, illustrates how rigorous science and cultural humility can combine to push toward a healthier, more inclusive Nebraska.
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