Patti Ray

Patti is the Founding Hillel Director Emerita at Loyola University Chicago and the Hebrew Program Mentor of Loyola’s Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, as well as the advisor to the Loyola-Israel Student Alliance and the Founder/Advisor of the Loyola Jewish Graduate Associations of the College of Law and the School of Medicine. She is one of the Charter Members and Secretary of Loyola’s Phi Beta Kappa Chapter and its liaison to the Phi Beta Kappa Association of the Chicago Area. Patti is also on the Board of the DePaul College of Law Center for Jewish Law & Judaic Studies.

Patti’s life work has been as a Hillel professional on college campuses. She became the first woman Hillel Director, when, in 1975, she was appointed Hillel Director at the University of Illinois Chicago Circle. In 1987, Patti founded the Hillel at Loyola University Chicago. She retired from Hillel in 2013 and moved to the academic side of the university in Loyola’s Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, where she also helps create special university programs, including opportunities for students to study in Israel for Loyola credit.

Patti received a bachelor’s degree in the Teaching of English from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, from which she also received a master’s degree in contemporary English and American literature.

Patti is married to attorney Allen Ray. They have two children and three grandchildren.