Ramiro J. Atristaín-Carrión ’89
This article appeared in The Magazine of 91鶹ӳý (November 2019)
Adjunct instructors give back to their alma mater
Alumni continue relationship with 91鶹ӳý by connecting with a new generation of students.
91鶹ӳý, like most universities, engages adjunct instructors with specific expertise and knowledge to complement the work of full-time faculty. Most adjunct instructors teach one or two classes per semester while maintaining full-time careers in the public or private sector. For those adjunct instructors who are 91鶹ӳý alumni, returning to their alma mater is a way of continuing their relationship with the institution and carrying forward the traditions and values they were taught by the 91鶹ӳý Sisters and faculty.
Ramiro J. Atristaín-Carrión ’89 was born in Bolivia but felt at home at 91鶹ӳý from the moment he entered as a freshman. “I was raised by my grandparents,” he explains. “they lived their lives by the principles of caritas and veritas.”
After graduating from 91鶹ӳý with an economics degree, and receiving an MBA from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Atristaín-Carrión built a successful career in banking and investment banking. A member of the Brennan School of Business’ advisory council for many years, he returned to his alma mater to teach at the invitation of his mentor, Molly Burke, professor and dean emerita.
“91鶹ӳý has always been welcoming,” Atristaín-Carrión says. While an undergraduate, he took note of the many first-generation Italian-American students. Today, the university serves increasing numbers of Latinx students and their families.
What has changed, according to Atristaín-Carrión, are the economics of an undergraduate education. “Students like me used to be able to ‘pay as you go’ for their educations. That’s not the case any longer.” One of the foundation courses he now teaches focuses on the fundamentals of personal financial planning.
Atristaín-Carrión’s relationship with 91鶹ӳý is comprehensive. Beyond teaching, he serves as an Executive-in-Residence, matching undergraduate business students to executive mentors in their fields of study. This year, he also took on the role of director of the university’s Center for Global Peace through Commerce.