Dr. Ron Cosby named George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor

Nanotechnology researcher Ron Cosby has been named the George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Ball State. Cosby, a faculty member in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, led a Ball State faculty team that received a $1.5 million grant from the Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund to create the Center for Computational Nanoscience. The center, established in 2003, focuses on the emerging areas of nanotechnology and nanoscience, which is the study of objects at the molecular level. Nanotechnology is the building of mechanical devices and other objects thousands of times smaller than what currently exist.

"Dr. Cosby is an outstanding teacher, a distinguished scholar, a mentor to his colleagues and a leading figure in the development of the Center for Computational Nanoscience," said Michael Maggiotto, dean of Ball State's College of Science and Humanities. "His professional record certainly merits the title distinguished professor."

Under Ball State's coordination, faculty from Purdue University, University of Notre Dame, Valparaiso University and Ohio University are participating in joint research projects through the center.

For more than a decade, Cosby and his colleagues have conducted research in the emerging field of nanotechnology, a field expected to have a major impact on the American economy during the next 20 years.

"I believe this distinguished appointment will allow me to generate new educational programs and research projects in nanoscience at Ball State University," Cosby said. "It will likely open new doors, help in acquiring external funding, and expand the scope and impact of the projects and programs.

"Students are interested and motivated when introduced to currently 'hot' science areas," he said. "Because of this I plan to introduce new educational opportunities in nanoscience for our students and others who desire training in this field."

Cosby said his research will utilize the center's high-performance computer cluster at Ball State to model and simulate nanoparticles and nanodevices. This research will aid the understanding of physics at the nanoscale and will support the development of new nanodevices.

He also plans to initiate additional activities within the physics and astronomy department to create an entrepreneurial climate.

Cosby earned his bachelor's degree in 1965 from Eastern Kentucky University and a master's in 1968 from the University of Kentucky. In 1971, he received a doctorate from Kentucky. He also received a master's degree in computer science in 1987 from Ball State.

He joined the Ball State faculty in 1970 as an assistant professor and in 1977 was promoted to full professor.

Cosby is the sixth faculty member to be named a George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor at Ball State, which has a total of 16 distinguished professors. A select number of faculty receive the title for their extraordinary commitment and success in teaching and scholarly activities.

Funding for the position comes from a 1988 gift to Ball State from the George and Frances Ball Foundation of Muncie. The foundation was created by the couple to fund local projects and educational institutions. George A. Ball was one of five brothers, who in 1917 bought the land and buildings of a failed private college and turned them over to the State of Indiana the following year. The gift led to the creation of what would become Ball State.

"Long after the initial gift that established the university, the generosity of the Ball family continues to play an integral role in the advancement of Ball State," said Beverley J. Pitts, provost and vice president for academic affairs. "The Ball family's commitment to high quality education is reflected in the George and Francis Ball Distinguished Professorships, and we are pleased to be able to add an outstanding educator and researcher like Ron Cosby to this distinguished group."