HBS faculty comprises scholars and practitioners who bring leading-edge research, extensive experience, and deep insights into the classroom, to organizations, and to leaders across the globe. We asked new faculty at HBS about their background, their new roles, and their interests.
Victor Ray, visiting fellow, Institute for Business in Global Society
What’s your area of research and what led you to it?
I study how organizations use race, in part, because of my personal experiences. I write about this a bit in my book, noting that I was two years old the first time the police were called on my family. One of my Black uncles took me to a parade, and someone thought he must have kidnapped this light-skinned kid, and they called the police. The police were also called on my dad once when we were playing in the yard. I’ve had a ton of other experiences like this, and these firsthand interactions shaped my academic interests.
Where are you from?
I was born in Pittsburgh and grew up in rural Pennsylvania. I’ve moved all over as an adult, but am currently living in Iowa City, Iowa.
What is something you like to do outside of your academic work? Outside of work I like to spend time with my family, playing games with my son, walking my dogs, or reading things unrelated to my work.
What’s your favorite book, movie, or piece of art?
This is impossible to narrow down as I am constantly updating my favorites based on new material. I do, however, have some works that were formative for me and I return to them a lot. These include Dune and the Autobiography of Malcolm X. I also generally think it is important for social scientists to read outside of their discipline.
What will you be doing as a BIGS Fellow?
I hope to finish my in-progress book on racialized organizations, which expands upon my prior work. I also hope to start work on how organizations are reacting to changes in the regulatory environment following the recent Supreme Court cases banning affirmative action.
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