Ramon Avila, the George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Marketing, will receive a Leavey Award for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education from the Freedom Foundation. His project is the "The Advanced Professional Selling Course."

The Freedom Foundation, located in Valley Forge, Pa., honors educators for innovative efforts to help young people better understand the function and benefits of America's private enterprise system.

Avila will be honored April 25-28, 2002 at a special awards ceremony in Philadelphia. He will also present his project to fellow recipients and area educators.

A Yorktown resident, Avila's teaching focuses on industrial marketing and professional selling and sales management. He established Ball State's Professional Selling Institute, which has received national recognition.

Avila earned his bachelor's degree and MBA from Ball State, and completed his Ph.D. at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1984). He joined the Ball State faculty in 1984.