William Berry
Professor Emeritus
- Department
- Electrical Engineering
- College or School
- College of Engineering
- Year of Emeritus Status 2003
Bill left the watershed of mid-Ohio to attend the University of Notre Dame where he earned a BSEE in ’53. Drafted into the US Army from Goodyear Atomic Corp. he served at Aberdeen Proving Grounds certifying anti-aircraft systems for US cities protection. He returned to ND for an MSEE in ’57. Following a stint at Marquette University, he earned a Purdue University Ph.D. in '64. In ’63 he joined the Electrical Engineering Faculty at ND with promotions to Associate Professor ’67 and Professor ’70. He served as Assistant Dean for Research and Special Projects ’76 to ’85, during which he chaired the Education for Justice Program in ’79 and ND’s United Fund Drive in ’80.
His research and projects included: electron capture in thin organic films at ND’s Radiation Chemistry Laboratory, solar energy research at NASA LERC (summers of ’65 and ’66), where he also held a Sabbatical Research Fellowship ’72–’73, and in ’86-'87 with funding from NRC/AWU at SERI (now NREL). From ’80 to ’93 he directed the Cold Weather Transit Technology Program. On a whim, he directed the IRISH RACING TEAM’s Electric Vehicle (Formula Lightning) Project, which won the inaugural competition between 13 University Teams at the ’64 Cleveland Grand Prix. He co-directed the Industrial Assessment Center. He was elected Chairman of ASEE’s Engineering Research Council and helped establish the ERC Forum uniting University Research Deans with Private and federal Agencies.
As Emeritus, Bill represented the Emeriti on the Faculty Senate, was appointed by the South Bend Common Council to represent the neighborhood during the construction of Eddy Street Commons, is a member of the North East Neighborhood Council, and assisted in the formation of the Notre Dame Association of Retired Faculty and Professional Staff.
Email: William.B.Berry.1@nd.edu