Michelle Ray
Associate Dean & Director, Case Management
Student Affairs
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Michelle D. Ray brings a wealth of experience in higher education administration to Swarthmore College. Joining the institution in August 2015 as the Title IX Case Manager and Grievance Advisor, she significantly contributed to the development and implementation to innovate this crucial role through collaboration with the Title IX team and the wider campus community.
Prior to Swarthmore, she was a highly respected leader at the University of Pennsylvania, serving as a Student Intervention Specialist for the Vice Provost of University Life Crisis Intervention Services Team and Director of Sansom Community Services.
During her time at Swarthmore, Ray has championed student well-being, notably serving as the point person for concussed students working to develop a streamlined process and partnering with the Academic Success Office to centralize these services. Her leadership extended to interim roles, including Director of the Diversity Peer Advisor Program, Acting Assistant Dean and Director of the Office of Student Engagement , interim Title IX Coordinator, and Coordinator of the college-wide Bias Intervention Team. Currently, she serves as Associate Dean, Director of Case Management, and Director of the Inclusive Excellence Fellows Initiative – an initiative she co-founded in 2020.
Ray earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics (concentration in Finance and minor in Computer Science) from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She is certified in victim advocacy through the Roper Victim Assistance Academy from the University of Baltimore and holds a certification in grant writing and board governance from the University of Pennsylvania. She holds professional certifications from various Title IX and Title IV compliance, restorative justice, and mediation training programs. She is also a certified self-defense and domestic violence awareness instructor and a long-time board member with organizations like Women Against Abuse and the Association of Black Women in Higher Education. Ray’s dedication extends to the arts and historic preservation, evidenced by her service on boards such as the Johnson House Historic Site and the American Women’s Heritage Society, as well as her work at the Historic Belmont Mansion and Underground Railroad Museum. She is currently a member of the Pierians, Inc. and actively contributes to numerous organizations dedicated to uplifting others through advocacy, social justice, and the arts.
