Dr. R. Richard Ray Jr., dean for the social sciences at Hope College, has been chosen to receive the Career Achievement Award being presented by the Kinesiology Alumni Society of the University of Michigan.

Ray, who graduated from the university in 1979 with a major in physical education, will receive the recognition on Friday, Sept. 25, in conjunction with homecoming weekend at the university.

The award is presented to a kinesiology alumnus or alumna "who has shown outstanding professional and personal achievement throughout their career in their chosen field and/or public service in any field."  During the presentation event, held in conjunction with an all-class reunion, the society will also be honoring two other individuals with Early Career Achievement and Lifetime Achievement awards.  Board Chair Scott Jeffer noted, "It was an easy selection for us and an honor to recognize Rich for both his commitment to the fields of Athletic Training and Kinesiology. We are particularly impressed by his commitment to his students as well. Dr. Ray is an outstanding School of Kinesiology alumnus and we are thrilled to present him with the 2009 Career Achievement Award."

Through its four undergraduate and graduate programs -- Athletic Training, Movement Science, Physical Education and Sport Management -- the University of Michigan's School of Kinesiology is one of the nation's leaders in the creation, communication, and preservation of knowledge related to human movement, physical activity and sport through interdisciplinary research, teaching and service.

Ray has been a member of the Hope faculty since 1982, and has been dean for the social sciences since 2008.  He is also a professor of kinesiology, and for several years was the college's head athletic trainer and developed the academic program in athletic training at Hope.  Through the years he has received a variety of awards in recognition of his achievement in and service to the athletic training profession.

Under his leadership, the college's athletic training program grew into a full major that requires its graduates to complete 48 credit hours in a variety of disciplines and at least 1,200 hours of clinical experience under the supervision of a certified athletic trainer. Hope was one of the first Michigan colleges to have its athletic training program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).

He has been extensively involved in the discipline of athletic training at the regional and national level.  He was co-chair of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) Education Task Force, was president of the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers' Association (GLATA) from 1990 to 1992, and is also a member and former president of the Michigan Athletic Trainers' Society.  He is former editor of the professional journal "Athletic Therapy Today" and served as associate editor of the "Journal of Athletic Training."

He has received multiple honors through the years in recognition of his service to his profession and teaching.  In June 2006, he was elected to the NATA Hall of Fame, the highest honor in the athletic training profession.  In March 2004, he received an "Outstanding Educator Award" from GLATA, from which he had also received a "Distinguished Service Award" in March of 2002. In June of 2001, he received the "Sayers 'Bud' Miller Distinguished Educator Award" from NATA. In May of 1999, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Michigan Athletic Trainers' Society, which had presented him with its "Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award" in 1995.

In April 2005, he was inducted into the Honors Academy of the Health, Physical Education & Recreation (HPER) Department of Western Michigan University, from which he completed his master's and doctorate in 1980 and 1990 respectively.  In January of 2000, he received Hope's "Provost's Award for Excellence in Teaching."

Ray has a wide range of research interests, and has received several grants to support his work. He is the editor or author of the books "Management Strategies in Athletic Training" (2005, 2000, 1994), "Counseling in Sports Medicine" (1999) and "Case Studies in Athletic Training Administration" (1995), all published by Human Kinetics.  He is also among the more than a dozen current and former Hope faculty members who contributed chapters to the book "Beyond Tests and Quizzes:  Creative Assessment in the College Classroom," published in October 2007 by Jossey-Bass, an imprint of John Wiley & Sons Inc. of San Francisco, Calif.

He has written numerous articles in scientific publications, and has presented papers at professional conferences including the annual clinical symposia in 2000 of both the Japan Athletic Trainers Organization in Tokyo and the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association in Niagara Falls.

Prior to joining the Hope faculty, Ray was an assistant athletic trainer at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan., for two years.  While pursuing his master's degree he served as head athletic trainer at Kalamazoo College and as a graduate assistant athletic trainer at WesternMichiganUniversity.