When you think of sports and sport figures, who do you think about? Donavon McNabb throwing a touchdown to James Thrash in the end zone, Jeremy Roenick scoring a hat trick or Kevin Millwood throwing strike- out after strike-out? Very rarely do you ever think of a female sports figure like Mia Hamm scoring a huge goal in the World Cup or Venus Williams serving aces.
Here at WCU, we are lucky to have not only a real renaissance woman when it comes to sports, but a personable one who just found out that she has the chance to teach Women in Sports and kinesiology with a lab next semester. For those of you who have had classes with her, you already know I’m talking about Dr. Judith Ray.
“When I was younger, I played tennis, went sailing and swam. I wanted to be an aquatic expert but I had to overcome a lot of barriers because I am a woman,” says Ray.
Not only an avid sports fan, Ray has her Ph. D. in bio-mechanics, which is the research of the physics of movement. She knows how to make people more efficient in movement, how to help with rehabilitation and can even make specific prosthetics.
Ray began her higher education at Harris Teachers College in St. Louis where she earned her BSED in elementary education. At Wash University in St. Louis, she earned her second education degree. At Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, Ray earned her masters in bio mechanics.
West Chester University called Ray in 1977 while she was working at Washington University on her Ph. D. She has been here ever since.
To finish her Ph. D., Ray took a sabbatical and then went on weekends, summers and semester breaks. Within two years she had finished and obtained her Ph. D.
Besides the above achievements, Ray can play the flute, guitar and sing. “I can sing classical, jazz, gospel, mostly religious music.”
In 1976, Ray was a founding member of the American Society of Bio Mechanics. This is a big accomplishment because there are “so few women in kinesiology.”
Ray traveled to the women’s conference in Nairobi, Kenya in 1985. “Women from all over the world came together; it was a huge experience,” she said of it.
She said that there have been difficult times for her because she not only is a “woman, but black as well.” Ray says that she has to continuously prove herself time and time again, but that just makes her work harder.
Besides traveling to Africa, Ray has been to Alaska and Italy with a retired faculty member for three months on an archeological dig for Etrucian art. Besides teaching volleyball, golf and fencing, Ray used to coach softball, swimming and dance classes. Next semester, she is scheduled to teach Fitness for Life, fencing, and, as mentioned before, Women in Sports and kinesiology with a lab. “I’ll be busy,” she said.
When asked how she managed to accomplish so much, Ray said, “I have three brothers who were always doing something and never wanted their little sis around. I knew early on, if I had to do something, I would do it independently. I am so used to being independent, I just map out a plan and go.”
For those of you who need to fill a physical education requirement or just want to take a fun class, Professor Judith Ray is definitely the way to go. Not only because she is a great professor, but because she is down-to-earth and is truly a renaissance woman.