Carol Ramos

A community planner, researcher, artist and mother.

Carol Ramos headshot.

For about a decade, she has promoted agroecology and collaborated on environmental restoration in Puerto Rico. Carol is currently pursuing a doctorate in urban and regional planning at the University at Buffalo-SUNY. Carol completed her master's degree in Environmental Planning at the University of Puerto Rico, focused on sustainable planning of agroecological initiatives in K-12 public schools. Her bachelor's degree in Biology was completed at the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez Campus. Currently, she works at the UB Food Lab as a research coordinator of a bi-city action-research initiative to promote urban agriculture policy designed by and for people of color in Buffalo and Minneapolis. 

The Ph.D. program in Urban and Regional Planning at UB-SUNY is one of the few programs in the US with a food system planning focus and a community-university partnership. 

Research Interests

Carol E. Ramos-Gerena is interested in agroecology, critical food system education, participatory planning, land-use policies, and food sovereignty. She has worked in governmental and non-governmental organizations that support community development projects in her country. 

 

Dissertation committee (chair, members)

  1. Dr. Samina Raja 
  2. Dr. Emmanuel Frimpong-Boamah

Education

  • PhD,  Doctor of Philosophy, Urban and Regional Planning  (May 2025, expected) 
  • MP,   Master in Planning, Graduate School of Planning (May 2020)
  • BS,  Bachelor of Science in Biology (May 2014) 

Selected Publication

  • Ramos-Gerena, C. Critical Food Policy Literacy: Conceptualizing Community Food Policy Engagement. In Progress (For submission to Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems and Community Development; full manuscript available).
  • Ramos-Gerena, C. (2022, April 26). ¡La Escuelita Semillera se suma a las escuelas agroecológicas de Puerto Rico! Puerto Rico Te Quiero. http://puertoricotequiero.com/la-escuelita-semillera-se-suma-a-las-escuelas-agroecologicas-de-puerto-rico/
  • Ramos-Gerena, C.  (2022) Reinventing Food Banks and Pantries: New Tools to End Hunger by Katie S. Martin, Journal of Urban Affairs DOI: 10.1080/07352166.2022.2119049
  • García-López, G., Avilés-Vázquez, K., Moreno Ortiz, E., Thomas Ramírez, R., Vázquez Negrón, J., Santos Valderrama, J., Reyes Díaz, A., Reyes Díaz, M., Ramos Gerena, C., Uriarte Centeno, E. Environmental Justice Movements as Movements for Life and Decolonization: Experiences from Puerto Rico. Routledge Handbook of Environment in Latin America (New York, Routledge). (in progress)
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