Bio


Dr. Jorge Ramos is the Executive Director of the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve and a Lecturer in the Department of Biology at Stanford University. Jorge oversees the research, education and conservation actions of Jasper Ridge. From 2019 to 2023, he co-taught along with Dr. Rodolfo Dirzo the Ecology and Natural History of Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve that immerses students in the scientific basis of ecological research in the context of a field station and multidisciplinary environmental education. After completing this PhD, Jorge worked at Conservation International in Washington DC, where he was the manager of the Blue Climate team in the Center for Oceans, a role in which he helped develop, implement, and manage coastal community carbon conservation projects worldwide. Jorge has also founded and led national and international initiatives to promote the inclusion and retention of a diverse population in science, including taking on local and national-level leadership roles with Latino Outdoors, Ecological Society of America, Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), NSF GK-12 Sustainability Schools Program, Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) network and Save the Redwoods League. In 2023, Jorge received Eugene P. Odum Award for Excellence in Ecology Education from the Ecological Society of America for his 20+ years of supporting ecological educational activities for historically marginalized communities in research and field stations.

Current Role at Stanford


Executive Director, Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, Stanford University
Lecturer, Department of Biology, Stanford University
Member, Lab Safety Committee, Department of Biology, Stanford University
Council member, Environmental Justice Working Group, Stanford University
Chapter Advisor, ESA SEEDS Chapter, Stanford University
Chapter Advisor, SACNAS Chapter, Stanford University
Member, Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging Committee, Dept of Biology, Stanford University (2020-2022)

Honors & Awards


  • Eugene P. Odum Award for Excellence in Ecology Education, Ecological Society of America (2023)
  • Human Diversity Award to Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, accepted by Jorge Ramos, Organization of Biological Field Stations (2021)
  • Sustainability Science for Sustainable Schools Fellowship, National Science Foundation GK-12 Program (2015)
  • Minority Graduate Education at Mountain States Alliance (MGE@MSA) Scholarship, Western Alliance to Expand Student Opportunities (WAESO) and National Science Foundation (2011-2016)
  • National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, National Science Foundation (2011-2013)
  • EcoService Award, Union of Concerned Scientists and Ecological Society of America Student Section (2011)
  • Ford Foundation PreDoctoral Honorable Mention, Ford Foundation Fellowship Program (2011, 2012)
  • Graduate Opportunities & Minority Achievement Fellowship, Graduate School, University of Washington (2007-2009)
  • Dandoles Alas a tu Exito/Giving Flight to Your Succes, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU)/Southwest Airlines (2008)
  • SEEDS Undergraduate Research Fellowship, SEEDS, Ecological Society of America (2005)

Education & Certifications


  • Ph.D., Arizona State University (2017)
  • M.S., University of Washington (2011)
  • B.S., University of Texas at El Paso (2006)

Service, Volunteer and Community Work


  • Council Member, Save the Redwoods League, Save the Redwoods League (3/25/2021 - Present)

    Location

    California, USA

  • Advisory Board Member, Latino Outdoors, Latino Outdoors (9/1/2019)

    Location

    San Francisco

  • Mentor, SEEDS Program, Ecological Society of America, Ecological Society of America (ESA) (8/1/2006 - Present)

    Location

    USA

  • Science Committee, Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), SACNAS (8/1/2005 - Present)

    Location

    USA

  • Mentor, Mentoring365, American Geophysical Union, AGU (6/1/2019 - Present)

    Location

    San Francisco

  • Mentor, Ecology + : Broadening Pathways to Ecological Careers through a Collective Impact Approach, Ecological Society of America (5/1/2018 - 4/30/2019)

    Location

    Washington, DC

  • Member, Coalition for Public Understanding of Science (10/17/2019 - Present)

    Location

    USA

Work Experience


  • Associate Director for Environmental Education, Stanford University (5/15/2019 - 9/30/2022)

    Location

    Stanford, CA

  • Manager, Center for Oceans, Conservation International (2017 - 2019)

    Location

    Washington, D.C.

  • SEEDS Student Coordinator, Ecological Society of America (1/1/2006 - 6/30/2006)

    Location

    Washington, DC

  • Wetland and Amphibian Ecology Technician, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) (5/1/2004 - 9/1/2004)

    Location

    Kenai, AK

Professional Affiliations and Activities


  • Member, Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS) (2019 - Present)
  • Member, Society of Latinxs/Hispanics in Earth and Space Science (SOLESS) (2019 - Present)
  • Chair, Environmental Justice Section, Ecological Society of America (2019 - 2021)
  • Member, The International Network of Next-Generation Ecologists (INNGE) (2011 - 2019)
  • Chair, Student Section, Ecological Society of America (2011 - 2012)
  • Member, American Geophysical Union (AGU) (2010 - Present)
  • Member, Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTER) (2005 - 2017)
  • Advisory Board Member (2019-2021) and Meeting Advisor, Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity and Sustainability (SEEDS-ESA) (2004 - Present)
  • Member, Ecological Society of America (ESA) (2004 - Present)
  • National Committee Member and Stanford Chapter Advisor, Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Latinos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) (2004 - Present)

All Publications


  • Five Ways to Become a Science Advocate in 2020 Varga, M., Ramos, J., Valorie, A. Medium. https://medium.com/stem-and-culture-chronicle/five-ways-to-become-a-science-advocate-in-2020-d12d053b895. 2020
  • Y tú, de dónde eres? Ramos, J. Bay Nature Magazine. https://baynature.org/2020/08/19/natural-history-through-time/. 2020
  • Fourteen Recommendations to Create a More Inclusive Environment for LGBTQ+ Individuals in Academic Biology CBE—Life Sciences Education Cooper, K. M., et al 2020

    View details for DOI 10.1187/cbe.20-04-0062

  • Tidal Saltmarshes Nature's Solutions to Climate Change Ramos, J. CEMEX Nature, http://www.cemexnature.com/libro/natures-solutions-to-climate-change/. 2019
  • Consumption explains intraspecific variation in nutrient recycling stoichiometry in a desert fish ECOLOGY Moody, E. K., Carson, E. W., Corman, J. R., Espinosa-Perez, H., Ramos, J., Sabo, J. L., Elser, J. J. 2018; 99 (7): 1552–61

    Abstract

    Consumer-driven nutrient recycling can have substantial effects on primary production and patterns of nutrient limitation in aquatic ecosystems by altering the rates as well as the relative supplies of the key nutrients nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). While variation in nutrient recycling stoichiometry has been well-studied among species, the mechanisms that explain intraspecific variation in recycling N:P are not well-understood. We examined the relative importance of potential drivers of variation in nutrient recycling by the fish Gambusia marshi among aquatic habitats in the Cuatro Ciénegas basin of Coahuila, Mexico. There, G. marshi inhabits warm thermal springs with high predation pressure as well as cooler, surface runoff-fed systems with low predation pressure. We hypothesized that variation in food consumption among these habitats would drive intraspecific differences in excretion rates and N:P ratios. Stoichiometric models predicted that temperature alone should not cause substantial variation in excretion N:P, but that further reducing consumption rates should substantially increase excretion N:P. We performed temperature and diet ration manipulation experiments in the laboratory and found strong support for model predictions. We then tested these predictions in the field by measuring nutrient recycling rates and ratios as well as body stoichiometry of fish from nine sites that vary in temperature and predation pressure. Fish from warm, high-predation sites excreted nutrients at a lower N:P ratio than fish from cool, low-predation sites, consistent with the hypothesis that reduced consumption under reduced predation pressure had stronger consequences for P retention and excretion among populations than did variation in body stoichiometry. These results highlight the utility of stoichiometric models for predicting variation in consumer-driven nutrient recycling within a phenotypically variable species.

    View details for DOI 10.1002/ecy.2372

    View details for Web of Science ID 000436869900005

    View details for PubMedID 29882955

  • Foundations and Frontiers of Ecosystem Science: Legacy of a Classic Paper (Odum 1969) ECOSYSTEMS Corman, J. R., Collins, S. L., Cook, E. M., Dong, X., Gherardi, L. A., Grimm, N. B., Hale, R. L., Lin, T., Reichmann, L. G., Sala, O. E. 2018: 1-13
  • Maximising return on conservation investment in the conterminous USA. Ecology letters Withey, J. C., Lawler, J. J., Polasky, S., Plantinga, A. J., Nelson, E. J., Kareiva, P., Wilsey, C. B., Schloss, C. A., Nogeire, T. M., Ruesch, A., Ramos, J., Reid, W. 2012; 15 (11): 1249-1256

    Abstract

    Efficient conservation planning requires knowledge about conservation targets, threats to those targets, costs of conservation and the marginal return to additional conservation efforts. Systematic conservation planning typically only takes a small piece of this complex puzzle into account. Here, we use a return-on-investment (ROI) approach to prioritise lands for conservation at the county level in the conterminous USA. Our approach accounts for species richness, county area, the proportion of species' ranges already protected, the threat of land conversion and land costs. Areas selected by a complementarity-based greedy heuristic using our full ROI approach provided greater averted species losses per dollar spent compared with areas selected by heuristics accounting for richness alone or richness and cost, and avoided acquiring lands not threatened with conversion. In contrast to traditional prioritisation approaches, our results highlight conservation bargains, opportunities to avert the threat of development and places where conservation efforts are currently lacking.

    View details for DOI 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2012.01847.x

    View details for PubMedID 22913646

  • Ecological Society of America’s Initiatives and Contributions during the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill BULLETIN OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA Ramos, J., Lymn, N., Salguero-Gomez, R., Power, M. 2012; 93 (2): 115-116
  • The next generation of peer reviewing FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT Zimmerman, N., Salguero-Gomez, R., Ramos, J. 2011; 9 (4): 199-199
  • Special Session 5 Student Diversity: Trail Blazers in Transforming the Culture of Ecology BULLETIN OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA Mourad, T., Rino, R., Berkowitz, A. R., Finley, A., Ramos, J. 2009; 90 (1): 103-108
  • SEEDS of a New Millennium BULLETIN OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA Wong, C., Baquera, N., Colon-Rivera, R., Machona, B., McLaughlin, C., Ramos, J., Rivera, A., Sanfiorenzo, C., Face-Collins, M. S., Tooke, T., Vasquez-Radonic, L., Vickery, K. 2006; 87 (3): 225-228