Biography

I am Dominique (Mando) Ramirez, a Boulder based scientist, climber, photographer, musician, and educator. I was born and raised in Fort Collins, and have lived in Colorado for 28 years. I am actively involved in scientific research and educational outreach. Though I split my time for different obligations and responsibilities, they all act together to create the person I am today.

Science

I have been a passionate scientist since high school. I graduated in 2016 from Colorado State University with a Bachelor’s in biochemistry. I spent 3 years post-undergraduate working with Dr. Dan Gustafson at the CSU Animal Cancer Center. I am now a biochemistry graduate student at the University of Colorado, Boulder. I am advised by Dr. Michael Shirts, who specializes in molecular dynamics and computational biophysics, and my current research focuses on the mechanisms of phase separation of coiled-coil proteins.

My research experience has led me to work with several top-tier scientists at CU and other institutions. My past mentors/supervisors include: Drs. Robert Cohen and Tingting Yao (CSU, BMB); Dr. Joel Reid (Mayo Clinic, MPET); Dr. Luke Wittenburg (UC Davis); Dr. Dan Gustafson (CSU, Clinical Sciences), and now Dr. Michael Shirts (CU Boulder, ChBE).

You can find my published papers and posters in the section titled “Published Science”.

Education

I have long been passionate about education, both in music and STEM. I have taught clarinet lessons and tutored human anatomy as a part of the Science Olympiad club at Blevins Middle School and Rocky Mountain High School, in Fort Collins. I have been involved with Science Olympiad for several years and have matriculated from competitor (in junior high and high school) into an event supervisor for Colorado Science Olympiad. I notably served as the national event supervisor for the Division B Anatomy event for the 2018 Science Olympiad National Tournament which was held on the campus of Colorado State University.

I continue to volunteer with Colorado Science Olympiad now as the Northern Regional Tournament Director. I plan to use my tenure as tournament director to make the Northern and State-wide tournament more accessible to schools historically unrepresented in Science Olympiad.

Photography

My fascination with photography is the youngest of my hobbies/endeavors. I’ve held different types of cameras throughout my life, but I never really used a camera artistically until March 2018. I was immediately hooked. I primarily shoot landscapes, but I am intrigued by a variety of different genres. My photography style is inspired by artists Ansel Adams, Max Rive, and Frank Gohlke. You can read more about my photography in the section titled “Artist Statement”.

I proudly shoot on a Nikon D750, Nikon FE, and Nikon F5. I really enjoy shooting film, but only use it sparingly in my art as I do not have the means to develop film on my own.

Music

My history with music is long and storied and began in sixth grade when I taught myself how to read music and play the clarinet. I have since studied with prominent clarinetists - including Cary Dodson, Wesley Ferreira, and Jana Starling, among others - and performed with local music organizations including the Loveland Choral Society, Greeley Chamber Orchestra, and the Fort Collins Wind Symphony. I made my debut solo performance in 2012 with the Greeley Chamber Orchestra as the Walter and Virginia Charles Concerto Competition finalist, performing Mozart’s Concerto for Clarinet, K. 622. In 2014, I performed with the clarinet quartet Quartet Atrevido at the International Clarinet Association’s ClarinetFest in Baton Rouge, LA, where we performed Beatriz Lockhart’s Estampas Criollas.

Though I currently have no regular students, I have taught privately and am still an active pedagogue in the Northern Colorado community. I play on Buffet-Crampon clarinets (Bb Festival, A R13), Vandoren 56 Rue Lepic reeds, a Clark Fobes mouthpiece, and a Rovner Versa ligature.