DATE: February 01, 2008

CONTACT: John Ballato, (864) 656-1035
jballat@clemson.edu

WRITER: Sandy Woodward, (864) 656-1220
Sandra@clemson.edu

Ballato named associate vice president for research and economic development; to champion advanced materials for Clemson

CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson University professor John Ballato, a leading international scholar in optical materials, has been appointed to serve as associate vice president for research and economic development focusing on advanced materials.

Vice President for Research and Economic Development Chris Przirembel said Ballato is charged with being the university-wide champion for research and economic development in advanced materials. He will explore opportunities for major research initiatives and work with faculty to facilitate collaboration through interdisciplinary research teams. He also will coordinate Clemson’s role in a major economic development initiative in the Advanced Materials Center in Anderson County, formerly Clemson Research Park.

With the final funding approval by the South Carolina Budget and Control Board for its 28,000-square-foot Innovation Center, Clemson anticipates construction will begin this summer. The Innovation Center is part of a research complex to support and assist private industry and leverage Anderson County’s ability to attract advanced-materials companies.

“We are fortunate to have John take on this critical role,” Przirembel said. “Advanced materials are a key research area at Clemson, last year accounting for one-fourth of the external funding the university received for research. John’s knowledge of the field and his experience and success in competitive grants will be of great assistance. He also understands and appreciates the importance of industry collaboration in moving research from the university to the marketplace, and we look forward to increased activity in that area under his leadership.”

A professor of materials science and engineering at Clemson, Ballato also directs COMSET, the Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies, which is a South Carolina Research Center of Economic Excellence. He earned a bachelor’s degree in ceramic science and engineering and a Ph.D. in ceramic and materials engineering from Rutgers University.

He has received numerous awards for teaching and research, most notably the Schwartzwalder-PACE Award from the National Institute of Ceramic Engineering recognizing "the nation’s outstanding young ceramic engineer whose achievements have been significant to the profession and the general welfare of the American people.”

Ballato was chosen as a Liberty Fellow (2005). The Liberty Fellowship program inspires values-based leadership among young South Carolina leaders. In 2006, Ballato was selected as the Distinguished Young Alumnus for Rutgers University’s Graduate School and also was selected as the faculty representative to Clemson's board of trustees.

He has published more than 120 archival publications and been a principal investigator on $40 million worth of sponsored programs, gifts and contracts. Ballato is an associate editor of the Journal of the American Ceramic Society and an active participant on the “Optoelectronic Glasses” technical committee for the International Commission on Glass.