Ruth Sylvia Ludemann, Ph.D, R.N. began teaching part-time in the College of  Nursing, Arizona State University while pursuing her doctorate in Sociology at the University of Arizona. 

Upon graduation, she taught full time in the graduate program of the College of Nursing, focusing on the areas of leadership and  research in nursing.  She then assumed the position of Associate Dean of Academic Programs at the College of Nursing, ASU.  Following that, she became Director of Research in the graduate program, and later, the Associate Dean of the Graduate Program.  During this time, she published many research and theoretical articles in peer-reviewed journals.  While at ASU she was inducted into the Western  Academy of Nurses (WAN). 

When Ruth retired as Professor Emerita in 1996, she joined the Emeritus College of Arizona State University and became a member of the Arizona State University Retirees Association.

Off campus, she became actively involved in the Kiwanis Club of Tempe.  For a period of time, she also she went monthly to the memory care unit at Friendship Village in Tempe where she played the piano while one of her colleagues sang songs to help stimulate the patients’ memories. 

Another endeavor  in which she was involved was teaching English to people for whom English was a second languages.Ruth remained actively involved as long as her health allowed her to do so.