Jess Ray ’91, M.S. ’95 will be retiring from Illinois State University on January 31, after 30 years of service. A reception in his honor will be held from 2-4 p.m. on Thursday, January 27 in the Circus Room at the Bone Student Center. Members of the campus community are invited to attend.
Ray currently serves as the University registrar and director of Veterans and Military Services and oversees all aspects of the Office of the University Registrar, including records, registration, grade collection, evaluations, academic scheduling, and the Undergraduate Catalog as well as the Veterans and Military Services office and the statewide Illinois Articulation Initiative office. In this crucial role, he has worked with virtually every department on campus.
Ray is an Illinois State University alumnus with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in history and a graduate certificate in technology/project management. In 2011, he received an award from the College of Education for Outstanding Service to the College. Ray received the Administrative/Professional Council’s Distinguished Service Award in 2016, which is the highest non-faculty award given by the University. In 2020, he was a recipient of the Impact Award, awarded by University College.
He is active in statewide organizations such as the Illinois Association of Collegiate Registrars & Admissions Officers organization in which he is a past president and the transfer coordinators of Illinois colleges and universities. He also served on the State of Illinois Transfer Work Group and the State of Illinois Military Prior Learning Task Force.
Please join Enrollment Management and Academic Services at the reception to show appreciation for all that Ray has accomplished and to wish him well in retirement.
