School of Education Honors Professor Ray Kettel

On October 1 friends, colleagues, and students came together to honor Dr. Raymond P. Kettel on the occasion of his retirement from the School of Education. Ray began his career as an educator while serving in the Philippines as a Peace Corps volunteer. In 1969 Ray accepted a teaching position in the Detroit Public Schools, where he served for two decades, serving stints as a teacher, reading coordinator, demonstration teacher, and language education supervisor. Ray joined the faculty at University of Michigan–Dearborn in 1988, where he has taught prospective and practicing teachers for the past 23 years.

Ray Kettel is known regionally, nationally and internationally for his expertise in the area of children’s literature and for his innovative contributions to the teaching of reading and language arts. Kettel’s publications in children’s literature, storytelling and reading have appeared in such journals as The Reading Teacher, English Journal, Storytelling World, Voices from the Middle, and the American Library Association’s Book Links. He was the creator and senior author of the CLUE ME IN literature program which encourages students to read some of the best in children’s books. In addition, he directed the ASK (Authors Specialists and Knowledge) program, through which students at the college and precollege levels dig deeply into literature by interviewing authors or specialists whose work domains are closely tied to particular selections.

Ray’s expertise is widely recognized and much sought after. He has served on a variety of committees for both the International Reading Association and the Michigan Reading Association, within which he was elected to the Board of Directors in 1982-1985. Ray Kettel is also viewed as the quintessential teacher. In 1993, he received the Distinguished Teaching award from UM-Dearborn, and in 1995 the students of the Association of Educators named him the most inspirational faculty member. In 2005, Ray received the Michigan Reading Association’s Teacher Educator Award, and later that year the UM-Dearborn Alumni Society named him Faculty Member of the Year.

Individuals wishing to recognize Ray Kettel’s legacy of contributions to UM-Dearborn and to assist the School of Education to maintain strong support for its students may do so through a contribution to:

School of Education Student Scholarship and Support Fund

To do so, please make your check payable to the above named fund and mail to:
School of Education Student Scholarship Fund
c/o Becky Dresselhouse-Nauss
University of Michigan-Dearborn
School of Education
19000 Hubbard Drive
Dearborn, MI 48126