Director of the Heavener School of Business receives Sandeen Award
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Dr. Brian Ray, an Associate Dean at the Warrington College of Business Administration and Director of the Heavener School of Business, received the 2012-2013 C. Arthur Sandeen “Improving the Quality of Life” Award.
The Sandeen Award, an honor conferred by the University of Florida’s Student Government, recognizes “a faculty member whose efforts and service have made the University of Florida a better place for all students.” Dr. Sandeen served as UF’s Vice President for Student Affairs from 1973 to 1999 and as a Professor of Educational Leadership from 1999 to 2004.
This is the second consecutive year Dr. Ray has been recognized with a university-wide award. In 2011, he was the recipient of the Mort Wolfson Award, given annually to a UF faculty member “who exemplifies the values that Professor Wolfson modeled: commitment and service to students through advising and teaching.”
Dr. Ray, who is also a Lecturer in Leadership and Ethics, has been instrumental in promoting academic and professional development initiatives at the Heavener School of Business, the Warrington College of Business Administration and the University of Florida. The School’s leadership programs such as Warrington Welcome, the Florida Leadership Academy, UF Enactus and the Business Undergraduate Mentorship Program have been vital in providing the College’s undergraduates with nationally-recognized academic and professional development opportunities. Dr. Ray has also been a devoted advocate of career development and international education, and led the effort to institute a requirement for undergraduates to complete an internship or study abroad experience prior to graduation.
In addition to his service in higher education, Dr. Ray serves as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve. He is a recipient of the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award, one of the Army’s most prestigious honors for company-grade officers, and the Lowry Award, presented annually to the top company-grade officer in the Florida National Guard. Dr. Ray, who serves as the Command Chaplain for the 143rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, has served two tours of active duty, the most recent in Iraq where he earned the Bronze Star Medal.
Dr. Ray holds a BBA in Finance from Stetson University (1991), an MBA from the University of Central Florida (1993), an Ed.S. in Higher Education from Florida State University (1995) and a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Florida State University (1998).
