If you were a student in the Department of History at any time since 2003, you will remember that the Department was “Solar” powered. That, of course, was affectionate wordplay with Ramon Sola’s email name, but it also nodded at the reality that Ramon was the force that kept it all together. As the human face of the department, he was always there to greet you, always available to iron out problems, and always able to cut through the red tape in which you found yourself entangled.

After 13 years of dedicated and cheerful service, in February 2016 Ramon decided to move on to a new opportunity and a new challenge. He now works at the International Fund for Animal Welfare in downtown Washington. The Fund is an international non-profit that promotes animal safety and welfare, and its D.C. office focuses mainly on lobbying work. Ramon serves as office manager and administrative support, and will eventually transition into the office’s lobbying initiatives.

Ramon recalls: “My time at CUA has been a blissful one. I got to see history majors grow as individuals and see where they went after school, and always rooted for their success.  The biggest lesson I learned was to take great pride not in my own successes, but in the successes of everyone around me.  Whenever the Department celebrated a milestone, like a tenure or promotion case, or a faculty search, or when history majors and graduate students graduated, I felt like I was at the center of it all.  I always felt valued and it was a real pleasure serving the Department.”

Sad as we are to see him go, we thank Ramon for all that he has done to make our academic home warmer and more inviting, and we wish him all good things in this new phase of his career. We’re pleased to note that since his departure he has nonetheless been sighted at major events in the Department, so he is still among us on occasion. We’ll miss you, Ramon!