GROVE CITY, Pa. – Professor of Mathematics Dr. Ralph Carlson was named the Grove City College Professor of the Year at a Harbison Chapel ceremony on May 4.

Carlson, a 1962 graduate of Grove City, is in his second turn on the faculty. He first served as chairman of the department of mathematics from 1973-76, then as the College’s vice president for business affairs. In 1979, he moved to a full-time position at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. He returned to Grove City College in 2000.

On campus, he advises the Epsilon Pi fraternity and the Mortar Board senior honor society. In the research world, Carlson and two mathematics partners were issued a patent in 2004 for their work on a specific algorithm to help search electronic documents.

He is married to the former Kay Holland, a Grove City alumna from the Class of ’63. They have three children.

The Professor of the Year was initiated in 2000 by the Omicron Delta Kappa campus leadership honorary and is sponsored by the Grove City College Alumni Association. Past winners include Dr. James Bibza (2005), Richard Leo (2004), Dr. James Dixon (2003), Dr. Timothy Homan (2002), Dr. John Sparks ’66 (2001) Dr. Gary Smith ’72 (2000).