Ciera Ray serves as Assistant Professor of Social Work and Director of Field Education at Howard Payne University. A 2012 graduate of Howard Payne, Ray earned her Bachelor of Arts in Family Studies from HPU before completing her Master of Science in Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin. She began teaching at Howard Payne in August 2024 and is honored to return to her alma mater as a member of the faculty.
Ray teaches Human Behavior and the Social Environment I, Social Welfare Programs, Policies, and Issues, Practice II, Practice III, Field Instruction I, and Field Instruction II. Her favorite courses are Field Instruction I and II, which make up the internship component of the social work program. These courses give students the opportunity to apply the knowledge, concepts, and skills they have developed in the classroom to real-world social work settings. Ray considers it a privilege to witness the exceptional personal and professional growth that takes place as students navigate their internships and prepare for their future careers.
As an HPU alumna, Ray has a unique appreciation for the university’s community and its commitment to integrating faith throughout the educational experience. She remembers the professors who taught and mentored her during her time as a student and considers it an honor to now journey alongside a new generation of students as they pursue Christ and discern the calling and assignments He has given them. For Ray, faith integration is more than simply incorporating biblical concepts into coursework. She strives to live out her faith alongside her students in ways that encourage their own spiritual formation.
Ray particularly values Howard Payne’s culture of community. She appreciates being part of a campus where faculty are encouraged to invest in students and colleagues through meaningful relationships and opportunities for connection. She also values being challenged to continue growing personally, professionally, and spiritually as a faculty member.
Her passion for social work education is deeply connected to her Christian faith and desire to serve vulnerable individuals and families. Ray believes the profession needs more social workers who are grounded in faith and biblical truth and who are willing to think critically about addressing social issues at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. She sees social work as closely aligned with the teachings of Jesus, particularly in its focus on advocating for and serving vulnerable members of society. Through teaching, she hopes to equip students to live out the good news of Jesus Christ through their professional calling.
Beyond the classroom, Ray enjoys spending time with her family, reading, serving alongside friends at Midtown Church in Brownwood, and participating in CrossFit at a local gym. She is also a foster and adoptive parent and is deeply passionate about child advocacy and child welfare. Ray and her husband became parents through foster care and later adoption, experiences that have shaped her commitment to supporting vulnerable children and families.
Ray encourages everyone to recognize that while not everyone is called to become a foster or adoptive parent, everyone can make a meaningful difference in the lives of vulnerable children and families. She encourages individuals to connect with local child-placing agencies and discover ways they can strengthen and support families in their communities.
