With each year that passes there are more and more BIC graduates doing great work all over the world. At least once each year we hope to publish brief “Alumni Updates” where our alumni can tell us some about their post-BIC lives. In addition to these annual updates, we are posting interviews with some of our alumni. Today we are excited to post an interview with Dr. Keisha Ray (’07). We hope you enjoy, and if you are interested in being interviewed for a future blog post, email us at BIC@baylor.edu.
What year did you graduate from Baylor? What did you study?
I graduated from Baylor in 2007, a year earlier than anticipated. I majored in philosophy.
What are you doing currently for work/career? What do you enjoy most about your work?
Right now I’m a postdoctoral fellow in the McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics in the McGovern Medical School at University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. I teach courses in ethics, humanities, and professionalism to medical students. I really, really love my job! I love that I get to shape the way that these future doctors will treat their patients. I hope that my courses give them a sense of cultural and social humility, sensitivity, and awareness. Overall, I like that I get to help create socially and culturally competent doctors who can be good to their patients and help transform the American health care system.
In the fall of 2016 I will be a tenure track assistant professor at Texas State University (San Marcos, Texas) in the department of philosophy. I will continue to teach courses in ethics, bioethics, research ethics, and medical humanities.
How has your BIC education influenced your life/career since leaving Baylor?
BIC influences the way that I teach. BIC gave me a love for humanities and a love for interdisciplined learning. All of my courses are interdisciplined and I often ask colleagues with expertise that I do not have to help me teach my courses, a style of teaching I first encountered with BIC.
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in BIC?
My favorite memory of BIC is a particular large group session in which I had a different opinion than most of the class and the professor leading the discussion. The professor and I engaged in a somewhat intense conversation in front of the class and most students found it very comical. The professor and I continued our conversation after class and most of my classmates stuck around to watch. This is a favorite memory because it speaks to the strengths of a BIC education and the great professors that lead courses. The professor did not belittle my opinion, although it was obvious he thought I was completely wrong. He asked me questions to draw out my beliefs and when I stuck to my opinion despite his best attempts to convince me otherwise, he applauded my fortitude.
What are your goals for the future?
My goal is to continue to live a socially conscious and happy life. My career goals are to continue to positively influence the lives of college students. I hope to inspire them to live self-directed, socially aware lives and give them the tools to stand up for their beliefs. I hope to live the kind of life that can inspire students to go into their communities and create lasting social change.
