Alejandro J. Ramos
Founder and Executive Director
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Quotes That Fuel Our Purpose
"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education."
— Martin Luther King Jr.
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"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
— Theodore Roosevelt
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"We must dare to be great; and we must realize that greatness is the fruit of toil and sacrifice and high courage."
— Theodore Roosevelt
About AJR
Alejandro J. Ramos, MPA, is the Founder and Executive Director of the Ramos Research Institute (RRI), a nonprofit think tank advancing research and programming on civic engagement, democracy, and public policy. A first-generation college graduate and proud Cuban-American, Alejandro brings a personal and scholarly commitment to civic empowerment and institutional accountability.
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He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Cornell University’s Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, where he served as a Brooks Public Policy Fellow and Editor-in-Chief of The Cornell Policy Review. His leadership at CPR included overseeing special editions on energy policy and civic resilience.
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At RRI, Alejandro has spearheaded key initiatives such as the Citizenship Empowerment Framework, an educational model for strengthening civic knowledge and participation in schools and colleges. He has also led research on cancel culture and free speech, Hispanic political identity, and consumer behavior in fast fashion.
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Beyond his leadership at RRI, Alejandro is an active voice in public discourse. He frequently publishes op-eds and is a regular guest on podcasts, radio, and live television programs where he discusses RRI’s research and its implications for public life. His commentary bridges academic insight with accessible, civic-minded conversation.
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He has contributed to institutions including the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, the Democracy Lab Foundation, Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University, the Cabrera Lab and the Cornell Brooks Center on Global Democracy. He currently serves as a Strategic Research Advisor to the Democracy Lab and was recently selected as a YouthLeads Ambassador for the United States through the Community of Democracies.
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Alejandro's work reflects a belief in research as a tool for equity, education, and democratic renewal.