Summary
Kenneth S. Ball, PhD, PE is Dean of the College of Engineering and Computing at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Since arriving at Mason in 2012, Ball has led the college through extensive growth and rapid change increasing research awards and expenditures, expanding enrollment, and establishing several first-of-their-kind programs to attract future generations of engineering and computing professionals.
Under Ball’s leadership, the college’s ranking and reputation have improved. In the most recent U.S. News and World Report rankings of our nation’s Best Graduate Schools, the college placed in the top 100 among public universities. Ball helped the college keep pace with its strong growth in student enrollment, advocating for more faculty and staff. He led a proactive response to the needs of our students, placing a high priority on ensuring the college has the faculty to maintain student-faculty ratios to allow vigorous levels of student-faculty interaction and mentoring, to limit the number of large-enrollment classes, and to be able to offer all of the courses that students need to graduate, including elective courses. These efforts keep diversity and inclusion at the forefront by expanding access and inclusion.
Source: webpage
OnAir Post: Ken Ball
News
George Mason News, – July 14, 2025
As of July 15, 2025, the School of Computing in George Mason University’s College of Engineering and Computing will officially be renamed the Long Nguyen and Kimmy Duong School of Computing. The school has been renamed to recognize the $20 million gift from the Kimmy Duong Foundation. The financial gift will provide scholarships to undergraduate students enrolled in degree programs offered in the school.
“We are so grateful to Long Nguyen and Kimmy Duong for their continued support of the College of Engineering and Computing, now culminating in this generous gift,” said Dean Ken Ball. “We are proud to steward this gift in support of our students and the commonwealth’s Tech Talent Investment Program. George Mason is honored to be part of their legacy in Northern Virginia.”
Duong believes that education is the cornerstone of life and recognizes that many in her generation worked multiple jobs to send their children to college, and now it is her turn to give back.
The gift establishes three endowments: two within the College of Engineering and Computing to provide lasting support for scholarships and student success initiatives—both of which support the commonwealth’s Tech Talent Investment Program (TTIP)—and one for University Life to provide scholarships through the Long Nguyen and Kimmy Duong Scholarship Endowment especially with a preference for students majoring in nursing, education, or journalism.
As the school moves forward, there will be changes in logos and some branding adjustments; however, the name change does not in itself entail or imply approval of any changes to degree programs and other academic programs administered by the departments located in the school. George Mason did not propose to initiate new degree programs or to establish new off-campus sites because of this change.
About
Biography
Ball’s service to engineering education led to him to chair ASEE’s Engineering Dean’s Council. He is recognized internationally for his research in computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer. He has chaired three international conferences, is a past associate technical editor of the ASME Journal of Heat Transfer and has served on several other engineering journal editorial boards. He is deeply involved in engineering program assessment and accreditation activities, both in the U.S. and internationally, particularly in the Middle East. He has obtained externally sponsored funding (excluding high-performance computing grants) more than $20M for projects and program development in mechanical engineering, including the thermal/fluid sciences and nuclear engineering.
Prior to coming to Mason Ball served as the L.S. Randolph Professor and Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech from 2004-12, Prior to his appointment at Virginia Tech, he served for 15 years on the mechanical engineering faculty at The University of Texas at Austin, where he was the Temple Foundation Endowed Faculty Fellow in Engineering.
Research
2008 – 2020 : GMUF Volgenau Fund. Funded by George Mason University Foundation.
2012 – 2015 : GMUFVSE. Funded by George Mason Univ Foundation.
2012 – 2015 : GMUFVSE. Funded by GMU Foundation.
Research Interests
Mechanical Engineering
Degrees
- PhD, Mechanical Engineering, Drexel University
- MS, Mechanical Engineering, Drexel University
- BS, Mechanical Engineering, Lehigh University
Contact
Email: School
Locations
Nguyen Engineering Building Room 5100
Room 5100
Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: 703-993-1500
