Fellow: Mario H. Ramírez

Mario H. Ramírez, associate dean and chief librarian at The City College of New York (CUNY), will be inducted as a Fellow of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) on July 30 during an awards ceremony at the Annual Meeting of SAA in New Orleans, LA. The distinction of Fellow is the highest honor bestowed on individuals by SAA and is awarded for outstanding contributions to the archives profession.

Throughout his education, Ramírez took an interdisciplinary approach to the study of archives. He holds multiple degrees and certificates, including an MA in rhetoric from the University of California, Berkeley, an MS in library and information science with a certificate in archives and records management from Long Island University, and a PhD in information studies with a certificate in experimental critical theory from the University of California, Los Angeles. During his doctoral studies at UCLA, Ramírez focused on the intersection of archives, human rights, and social justice, particularly in Latin American and transnational contexts. In 2003, he began his archiving career as a project archivist for the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College at CUNY. He later became head of special collections and archives at the University Library of California State University, Los Angeles, where he advanced community-centered archival models that aimed to amplify historically marginalized voices. In 2023, he accepted a position as associate dean and chief librarian at CUNY, where he has continued to lead with rigor and empathy.

Ramírez’s research is widely recognized as profoundly impactful across the profession. In 2016, he co-authored the article “‘To Suddenly Discover Yourself Existing’: Uncovering the Impact of Community Archives” with Marika Cifor and Michelle Caswell. This article, which was published in American Archivist, received the 2017 SAA Fellows’ Ernst Posner Award which recognizes excellence in archival scholarship. That article has had a profound and ongoing impact on the profession, bringing attention to the value of community archiving and offering a framework that foregrounds accountability, belonging, and empowerment. Another of his articles, “Being Assumed Not to Be: A Critique of Whiteness as an Archival Imperative” (American Archivist 27, no. 2) is considered a landmark work for archivists examining power and structural inequality within the profession. Ramírez has also acted as a guest editor on special issues of numerous journals, including Archivaria and the International Journal of Information, Diversity, and Inclusion.

In addition to his numerous publications, Ramírez has long been involved with the Archives Leadership Institute (ALI). As a faculty member with ALI, he has helped shape an influential leadership pipeline within the field. He focuses on living one’s values within the workplace, and he never hesitates to offer mentorship to uplift the next generation of archivists.

Within SAA, Ramírez has been a tireless advocate. He has served in numerous SAA sections and roundtables, including co-mentoring the SAA BIPOC cohort where he helped create sustainable pathways for archivists historically excluded from professional advancement. He has contributed editorial expertise and served on the Council and Nominating Committee. As a Council member, he made considerable contributions to SAA’s Work Plan on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. Perhaps most notably, in 2025 Ramírez stepped up to serve as interim Vice President in the absence of an SAA President-Elect. Between February and August of that year, he served as an executive leader, carrying out the full appointment process for all committees and serving on the SAA Foundation Board, among other vital duties. Ramírez provided essential stability, continuity, and principled leadership during a time of transition within SAA.

Speaking of his leadership, one nominator noted, “Mario is . . . a gifted administrator who is able to see the big picture and understand that although we should never hesitate to call standard practice into question, sometimes it takes time (and more often than not significant resources) to effect change.” Another added, “He articulates concerns with a unique calm and steadiness backed by rigorous data and the consensus of the committees and people he leads. His intentional integration of empathy into action transforms emotional understanding into concrete, ethical, and compassionate behavior, allowing him to bridge the gap between different perspectives, institutional collection mandates, and the urgent needs of collecting and documenting marginalized communities.”

Ramírez is one of six new Fellows named in 2026. There are currently 212 Fellows of the Society of American Archivists.