“Working with Dr. Ray has been a really positive experience. She is supportive, approachable, and genuinely invested in helping students grow. I’ve learned a lot from her guidance, not only about research, but also about how to be thoughtful, collaborative, and encouraging in an academic setting. She creates a welcoming environment, and that makes a big difference for the people who work with her.”

—PhD Student

“I worked in Dr. Ray’s lab during the summer of 2025 as a graduate research assistant. During our first meeting, she clearly explained her expectations and encouraged my growth from the beginning. At the time, I had limited experience using R for statistical analysis, which is heavily used in the lab. Despite this, Dr. Ray was willing to work with me and provided resources that helped me teach myself R. She was always open to questions and helped troubleshoot coding challenges along the way.

Through her mentorship, I developed the skills needed to create code and tables in R for lab projects, and I also had the opportunity to contribute to manuscript writing. Working in Dr. Ray’s lab was an excellent learning experience. She creates a safe and supportive environment where learning, growth, and meaningful mentorship thrive.”

—PhD Student