Ladanya Ramirez Surmeier

Biography

As a faculty member, Dr. Ramirez Surmeier focuses on creating opportunities for students to participate in high-impact practices such as Undergraduate Research, Service-Learning, and Certifications. She developed and is the Director of the Pepper Certified Peer Health Educator Scholarship. Students who complete the training and pass the certification exam demonstrate their leadership skills in creating and implementing successful campus health programs. Her research focuses on the intersection of education and health, with a primary focus on the Hispanic population and college students.

She continues to serve on the President’s Council on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion and was recently appointed the Convener of the University’s Hispanic-Serving Institution Strategy Workgroup. She also serves on the Membership Committee for the American Public Health Association Latino Caucus for Public Health, FSU Fraternity & Sorority Life Advancement Council, is an Overall Program Advisor for the Garnet & Gold Scholar Society, and continues to be an active alumna of CAnD3.

Education

PhD, Sociology

Florida State University, 2022

Dissertation: How are Florida Colleges and Universities “Serving” Hispanic Undergraduate Students? – Testing a Latent Variable

Master of Science, Sociology

Florida State University, 2019

Thesis: Life Satisfaction and Intergenerational Mobility among older Hispanics in the United States

Master of Science, Higher Education Administration

Florida State University, 2006

Bachelor of Science, International Affairs

Florida State University, 2004

Courses Taught

Courses Taught

Undergraduate Courses Taught

PHC 4157: Health Policy and Society

PHC 4470: Health Behavior and Health Promotion

PHC 4904: College Student Sexual Health

SYG 3245: Sociology of Food

SYP 3730: Aging and the Life Course

Graduate Courses Taught

PHC 5475: Health Behavior & Education

Student Mentoring

Committee Member, Honors in the Major

Giardino, Fiona. BSPH Student. (2023-2024). When the U.S. Supreme Court Sneezes, America Catches a Cold: How the Overturn of Roe vs. Wade has put Women’s Mental Health at Risk.

Supervisor, Honors Augmentation

Reyes, Priscilla. BSPH Student. (Spring 2023). Developing an Intervention for Hypertension using the PRECEDE-PROCEED Model.

Chair, Honors in the Major

Nguyen, A., BSPH Student. (2022-2023). Comparing treatment dropout rates and mental health outcomes among college students who use telehealth vs. in-person counseling services in individual therapy.

Supervisor, Student Research

Seferlis, N., MPH Student. (Fall 2022). Delayed Diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) among Hispanic Children in the United States.

Awards & Honors

2023    UROP Materials Grant Recipient, Florida State University

2022    UROP Mentor Award Nominee, Florida State University

2022    UROP Materials Grant Recipient, Florida State University

2022    Rosalina Gonzales Award for Sharing & Upholding the Principles of Latinx Culture, Florida State University

2021    Consortium on Analytics for Data-Driven Decision-Making Fellowship (CAnD3), McGill University

Selected Publications

Ramirez Surmeier, L., Taylor, M., & Carr, D. (2022). Life Satisfaction and Intergenerational

Mobility among older Hispanics in the United States. Journal of Aging and Health.

https://doi.org/10.1177/08982643221100788

Tillman, K.H., Ramirez Surmeier, L., & Miller, B. (2022). How College Students

Define “Interracial” Relationships: Implications for Measurement. Social Currents. https://doi.org/10.1177/23294965221118071