Ray Sykes holds an MBA as well as an MA in education. He brings a wealth of experience from higher education and the private sector.  He is the Associate Dean for Finance and Operations for the School of Law at the University of Oregon.  He serves as the school’s principal business officer, managing finance, human resources, facilities, and operations for the school.  This role is charged with authority to accomplish broad goals and objectives set by the dean and/or central administration.

Ray has worked in two other senior positions at the University of Oregon (UO).  In his role as Assistant Vice Provost and Chief Operating Officer for the Division of Undergraduate Education and Student Success (UESS), he oversaw strategic planning, finance, human resources, and facilities while being the division’s key liaison for information technologies and communications.  Leading this function in a division directly supporting undergraduate students fueled his passion for higher education and putting students first.  

As the Associate Dean for Administration and Finance for the School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC), Ray served in a near identical role in an accredited, professional school as his current role in the School of Law. 

Previously to UO, Ray was a member of the senior team for the vice president of Human Resources at the University of New Mexico (UNM).  In this role, he oversaw HR’s communication unit and coordinated special projects such as policy development, emergency preparedness, the HR Agents, and HR’s Performance Excellence Journey. He also worked for UNM Information Technologies, where he received his ITIL certification. Prior to working at UNM, Ray was an implementation project manager at US Bank’s Corporate Headquarters, managing multimillion-dollar card program implementations. His experience with strategic planning, project management, process improvements, and professional development are key assets in this role.