Ray Collins grew up in the Midwest. An Army combat veteran, he attended Yale and Princeton, earning an MPA, a mid-career fellowship, and a PhD in public affairs. He was a nonresident fellow at Yale's Zigler Center for Child Development and Social Policy. He was a Japanese language and East Asia specialist with the Department of State and later worked in the poverty program. He's written publications focused on Head Start, child care, and policy toward children and families. Recently, he's written on white supremacy's resurgence and the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol. He currently lives with his wife, Betty Ann, in Vienna, Virginia, and enjoys spending time with family (four children plus offspring), working out at the Fairfax County rec center, and looking forward to future trips to Hawaii.