Alma Rosa Enciso
On behalf of Division of Agriculture, Life and Veterinary Sciences, and Cooperative Extension
Alma Rosa Enciso was born in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico and was raised in the small mining town of Ajo, Arizona. After graduating from Ajo High School, home of the Red Raiders, in 1973, Alma attended Lamson Business College and Pima Community College in Tucson. While studying at Pima she worked as a student in the Bilingual and International Studies program under Dr. Henry "Hank" Oyama. In November of 1976 Alma joined the University of Arizona as a secretary in the Dean's office in the College of Agriculture.
As a staff member she supported faculty, staff and students and served on various committees during her employment. In the 1990s Alma participated in the first cohort of the Minority Achievement Program. Years later she became a member of the CALS Diversity Committee. Alma has received the distinction of Outstanding Staff twice in her career, once in 1998 and again in 2016.
In 1997 Alma created the Ag Cats Team supporting the American Cancer Society's "Climb to Conquer Cancer" at “A” Mountain Walk, and continued to be the leader until 2020. From 2000 to 2009 Alma participated in Campus Recreation Intramurals Summer Faculty/Staff Softball League Ag Cats team for which there have been plenty of trophies on display in the CALS Research office. Alma volunteered her time as a UACares Ambassador from 2004 to 2022 and as a UA Wellness Ambassador starting in 2017, during which she led Resistance Bands Class in Forbes 229 for the Administrative Offices.
Alma retired on March 31, 2022, after 45 years of dedicated employment to the University of Arizona. Alma is a kind soul and has touched, influenced and inspired the lives of many.