An experienced postsecondary educator, Dr. Riznyk has held faculty and administrative positions at California State Polytechnic University Pomona, Alaska Pacific University, Central Washington University, and California State University Dominguez Hills. He was instrumental in developing and receiving federal funding for programs that help low-income, first-generation students successfully transition to both undergraduate and graduate postsecondary programs. Dr. Riznyk has a BS in biology from the University of New Mexico and a PhD in botany from Oregon State University.
He became affiliated with Altera (then NLA Group, aka) in 2001, in his capacity as Director of Grants and Funded Projects in a near decade-long tenure in rural Central Washington University. He was responsible for centering a GEAR UP grant serving consortial partnerships of multiple small rural districts in central Washington within CWU’s Student Services Division, which sponsored college outreach programs for low-income rural youth for 18 years.
In retirement, Dr. Riznyk continues to assist non-profit and postsecondary institutions, preparing grant proposals to help underrepresented students successfully transition to higher education institutions, and advising them on how to engage with universities. He voluntarily served as a field reader for the US Department of Education, evaluating and scoring proposals from institutions around the nation. Most recently, in his role on the Altera Board, he wrote two separate Upward Bound Math Science grants that helped area rural Washington students in five small rural districts find support for ambitious STEM opportunities after high school graduation.
Ray retired to Hawaii but maintains connections to Altera as a long-serving board member, currently serving as Chair in Altera Board’s rotating board leadership. In addition to his grant-writing acumen and deep knowledge of all federal student support TRIO programs, he contributes his knowledge of university systems to Altera’s partnership grant applications helping to secure long-term funding.