The School of Theatre, Film & Television (TFTV) is proud to share that Theatre Arts major Kelsie Ramos has been selected as a College of Fine Arts Outstanding Senior, an honor recognizing her exceptional creative research, leadership, and community impact during her time at the University of Arizona.
Ramos, who has maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA, has quickly emerged as one of the school’s most promising dramaturgs. Professor Elaine Romero, who nominated her for the award, describes Ramos as “thorough, whip smart, and dramaturgy’s future.”
Over the past three years, Ramos has cultivated an innovative dramaturgical practice rooted in inquiry, community engagement, and social justice. Her award-winning paper, What the Bartender Hears: Using Generative Dramaturgy to Combat AI, earned her the Early Career Dramaturg Award at the 2025 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. The recognition led to her historic participation as the first U of A undergraduate invited to present at the LMDA 2025 Bi-National Conference in San Diego/Tijuana on the prestigious Debut Dramaturgy Panel.
Ramos has contributed extensively to dramaturgical work within TFTV, serving on The Climate Project, and most recently as part of the team curating the 2026 edition of the New Directions Festival, where she has played a key role in evaluating pitches and shaping the festival’s generative concept.
In addition to her artistic achievements, Ramos has been a vital leader within the College of Fine Arts. As Co-President of the Arizona Arts Ambassadors, she has strengthened student engagement, led recruitment efforts across Arizona, and helped prospective students connect with the arts community at UA. She is also the founding secretary of the Arizona Sketch Society, a sketch-comedy club.
Ramos’ commitment to community building extends to her three years of service as a Resident Assistant, where she has supported hundreds of students, collaborated with campus partners in emergency responses, and led inclusive cultural programming – most notably Manzanita-Mohave’s annual community ofrenda. Her work has been recognized with multiple Housing & Residential Life honors.
Ramos’ dedication to service reaches beyond campus. She has contributed to numerous social justice organizations, including LUCHA, AZ Jews for Justice, ACE, and Anytown Leadership Camp, and volunteers annually with Sun City Thrift Shop, whose proceeds support national educational programs. She has also worked with UA’s Office of Early Academic Outreach, supporting outreach to underrepresented K–12 students, many from school districts like her own.
After graduation, Ramos plans to pursue an MFA in Dramaturgy, with applications underway at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University and Indiana University Bloomington. She will first participate in the Disney College Program at Walt Disney World, where she hopes to deepen her understanding of theatrical production.
Her long-term aspiration is to establish a theatre dedicated to social justice and to amplify the stories of underrepresented communities.