Cary “Coach Ray” Easterday is from Hagerstown, Maryland, has an M.S. in geology from The Ohio State University, and has 30 years of teaching experience at the Smithsonian Institution, Field Museum (Chicago), University of Washington, The Ohio State University, Burke Museum, Otterbein College (Ohio), Northeastern Illinois University, Bellevue College, and North Seattle College. He is a member of the U.S. Chess Federation and has played chess for more than 35 years, including the 1985 Maryland High School Chess Championship Team. He owns and operates Orangutan Chess Academy, which teaches chess and life skills to help kids, teens, adults, and seniors maintain a healthy lifestyle.