A life of mentorship: A conversation with Ray Kimball

Arizona State University Faculty Associate Ray Kimball first laid eyes on the sprawling parade grounds and limestone facades of the United States Military Academy at West Point during the  late summer of 1991, when he reported for cadet basic training. Over the next four years, he’d stand in formation on those same grounds before sunrise, carry a ruck through rain and freezing temperatures during field training, and push through Russian and German courses packed into a demanding academic schedule, before finally tossing his hat at graduation, relieved to have earned it.

“The joke among cadets is that the happiest sight at West Point is West Point in your rear-view mirror as you’re driving away,” Kimball said. “So when you come back as a faculty member, you’re actually able to enjoy the place in a way that you didn’t really appreciate as a cadet.”

From cadet to scholar

After earning his Bachelor of Science degrees in Russian and German in 1995, Kimball decamped for Stanford University, where he completed two master’s degrees in history and Russian studies. Two years later, he returned to the Hudson River Valley as a member of the West Point faculty, teaching the first-year history survey.

“I started full-time, teaching two sections each semester,” he recalled. “Then I became operations officer for the West Point Leadership Center.” There, he balanced classroom lectures with administrative duties and taught a history course from 2005 through early 2009.

Kimball went on to earn a doctorate in learning technologies from Pepperdine University and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.

Leading and learning

Kimball’s second teaching stint at West Point began in earnest in 2015. By 2016, he was director of the West Point Leadership Center and in 2018, he added chief of faculty development to his title. In that dual post, he oversaw the academic research division, the Center for Faculty Excellence and other faculty resources.

“My main focus was taking a holistic look at faculty development across the institution and systematically reducing barriers to effective teaching,” he explained. Under his guidance, workshops on syllabus design, classroom technology and pedagogical theory became routine, and seasoned instructors and neophytes alike found common ground.

A new perspective

Walking the campus as a member of the faculty unleashed a different appreciation for the academy’s austere beauty.

“You can take your time and stroll through the trees, see the Hudson glint through the branches,” Kimball said. “You really view the place through new eyes when you come back as a teacher.”

He spent nearly a decade mentoring young cadets and civilian teachers.

“Working with cadets is amazing,” Kimball reflected. “You meet men and women from across the country and around the world. You have to step back and explain not just what the professional standard is, but why that standard matters — why a paper needs to be formatted a certain way, why precision in language can be a matter of life and death.”

A passion for mentorship

Kimball credits his own success to mentors who showed him the craft of teaching.

“I’ve been fortunate to have amazing instructors and guides throughout my career,” he said. “My teaching style reflects their influence and the lessons they imparted.”

He discovered early on that commanding attention with a shout was not his way. Instead, he cherishes the moment a cadet’s brow unfurls as history snaps into place.

“I genuinely enjoy showing that history is the story of how societies change, how ideas rise and fall.”

From West Point to ASU

In 2021, Kimball joined ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation.

“I teach in the Learning Design and Technologies program,” Kimball said. His teaching subjects have encompassed online and distance education methodologies, principles of blended and hybrid learning design, instructional development strategies and applied learning projects.

With an innovation mindset, Kimball urges his students to ask the right questions.

“The field evolves so rapidly that in five years, 70 percent of what we teach from a technical perspective will be outmoded,” he said. “But knowing which questions to ask — about learner engagement, assessment and technology integration — will never become obsolete or go out of style.”

Leadership beyond the classroom

Outside academia, Kimball is also an entrepreneur, founding and leading 42ED Games, a small business that empowers higher education and corporate instructors to weave game-based learning into their curricula. Kimball’s West Point courses often employed simulations and role-playing to solidify abstract and complex concepts, techniques he now evangelizes more broadly.

Kimball also continues to support the U.S. armed forces community by volunteering with the American Red Cross, facilitating emergency leave travel across Arizona and New Mexico, then closing each case with a personal check-in. Red Cross volunteers play a key role in helping active-duty service members get home in emergencies. On weekends, Kimball leads a girls troop for Scouting America, formerly the Boy Scouts of America, in the Phoenix suburb of Queen Creek, mentoring scouts using his military and teaching background while camping under starlit skies and leading hikes in forest and desert terrain across the Southwest.

“There are just some amazing young ladies who are working through the scouting program,” Kimball said.

“My friends tease me that coordinating emergency leave requests and leading a scout troop sounds like a lot of work to be doing in your free time,” Kimball said. “But I find the volunteer and mentoring work deeply rewarding. Plus, I get to go camping and hiking. When I’m truly off duty, I immerse myself in good books and monthly role-playing game sessions with high school buddies scattered across the country. It's been a great way to stay connected with them and enjoy myself, to let go for a couple of hours. I love learning new things and I relish the chance to relax for a while and just enjoy a good game with old friends.”

Inspiring the next generation

Kimball’s professional journey reflects a rare blend of innovation, service and scholarly depth. As both an educator and entrepreneur, he has advanced the use of game-based learning across higher education, designing original simulations that challenge students to think critically and collaborate under pressure. He has also led faculty development efforts that foster inclusive, evidence-based teaching practices, including leading the cross-functional faculty learning office at West Point. Through 42ED Games, he continues to mentor instructors nationwide, helping them reimagine how knowledge is shared and experienced. Whether guiding a graduate seminar or shaping a scouting expedition, Kimball remains energized by a passion for empowering others to lead with curiosity, empathy and purpose.