HOLLAND -- Dr. R. Richard Ray Jr., who is
  coordinator of the athletic training program and an
  associate professor of kinesiology at Hope College, will be
  inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Michigan Athletic
  Trainers' Society on Thursday, May 27.
          The ceremony will be held in East Lansing, during
  the society's annual Hall of Fame Dinner.
          Ray has been a member of the Hope faculty since
  1982, and has been involved in the profession of athletic
  training for more than 20 years.  Long-time colleague Dr.
  George Kraft called the honor "well-deserved," praising Ray
  for his leadership role in developing Hope's athletic
  training program; for skills ranging from his work with
  athletes to his scholarship; and for the national reputation
  he has developed in the field of athletic training.
          "We're lucky to have him," said Kraft, who is a
  professor of kinesiology and chair of the department.
          "He does all facets of his job with incredible
  professionalism," Kraft said.  "He's a faculty member of
  whom we can be justifiably proud."
          Under Ray's leadership, the college's athletic
  training program has grown into a full major that requires
  its graduates to complete 48 credit hours in a variety of
  disciplines and at least 1,500 hours of clinical work under
  the supervision of a certified athletic trainer.  Hope is
  the only private liberal arts college, and also only the
  fourth institution of any type, in the state of Michigan to
  have its athletic training program accredited by the
  Commission on
  Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).
          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 "Counseling in Sports
  Medicine" (1999), "Management Strategies in Athletic
  Training" (1994) and "Case Studies in Athletic Training
  Administration" (1995), all published by Human Kinetics.  He
  has written more than 40 articles in scientific
  publications, and has presented papers at several
  professional conferences.
          He is editor of "Athletic Therapy Today," and he
  has served as associate editor of the "Journal of Athletic
  Training."
          Ray has served in elected and appointed positions
  at the state, regional and national levels in various
  athletic training professional organizations.  His
  activities include having served as president of both the
  Great Lakes Athletic Trainers Association and the Michigan
  Athletic Trainers Society.  In 1995, the society presented
  him with its Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award.
          Ray received a master of arts degree in physical
  education from Western Michigan University in 1980 and a
  doctorate in educational leadership from Western Michigan
  University in 1990, and was honored as a Graduate Research
  and Creative Scholar by the school in 1990.  He holds his
  bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan.
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