09/24/99
Editors: A photo of Surrender K. Jain is available at: http://cscwww.cats.ohiou.edu/news/pix/JAIN.JPG
ATHENS, Ohio--Ohio University Professor of Mathematics Surrender K. Jain received the Distinguished Professor Award Saturday (Sept. 25) during the annual Honors Convocation in Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium. He is the 37th recipient of the award.
The Distinguished Professor Award recognizes scholarly accomplishment, professional reputation and contribution to the university. A lifetime designation, it provides one quarter of professional leave and the privilege of naming one student annually to receive a Distinguished Professor Scholarship.
Jain is known for his expertise on Ring Theory and is the co-author of "Basic Abstract Algebra," "Ring Theory," "Noncommutative Ring Theory," "Applied Abstract Algebra," and "Advances in Ring Theory." Ring theory is a branch of abstract algebra used to solve such mathematical problems as the 400-year old Fermat Problem. Ring theory also has implications in coding theory. Ohio University has produced 13 Ph.D's in Ring Theory during the past 20 years.
Jain has authored more than 85 research articles which have been published in such prestigious journals as "Transactions of the American Mathematical Society," "The Pacific Journal of Mathematics," and "The Journal of Pure and Applied Algebra."
Jain currently is the recipient if a United Nations Project and of a grant from the National Security Agency. He has also twice received the Fulbright Award (as senior scientist), has been awarded grants by DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) and U.S.-India Scientific Exchange grants by the National Science Foundation. Jain was also the recipient of the Outstanding Graduate Faculty Award in June 1999.
Before joining the faculty at Ohio University, Jain was a Reader in Mathematics at the University of Delhi. Jain has also held visiting professor appointments at the Riverside, Santa Barbara and Berkley campuses of the University of California, the Ohio State University of Columbus, North Carolina State University in Raleigh, University of Chicago, McMaster University in Hamilton, University of Frankfurt, the Indian Statistical Institute and the Indian Institute of Technology.
"It is the most prestigious award for a professor at Ohio University and I am quite pleased to get it," Jain said.
A committee of distinguished professors reviews nominations made by faculty. The Distinguished Professor Award is considered the "highest academic honor" at the university.
"The choice of Professor Jain was very much a consensus choice of the committee. He's brought a lot of international recognition to the mathematics department," said committee chair and Distinguished Professor of History Alonzo Hamby.
