Ronald Roy, Ph.D. ‘75

A Journey through Science St. Dom’s is proud to recognize our alumni who are achieving greatness in their personal and professional lives. Our graduates have done many noteworthy things. Among them is Prof. Ronald Roy, a member of the class of 1975. Having recently been named the next Head of the Department of Engineering Science at Oxford University only scratches the surface of his list of accomplishments in the realm of science. Fortifying this honor is the fact that Oxford engineering is ranked #1 in the world, and Ron is the first ever American to be selected to fill this post.

In pursuit of a career in science, Ron attended the University of Maine and earned a B.S. in engineering in 1981. Having not quenched his thirst for knowledge, Ron went on to earn a Master of Science degree in Physics at the University of Mississippi (1983), a Master of Philosophy degree (1985) and a Ph.D. (1987) at the Yale University School of Engineering and Applied Science. He was also conferred an M.A. degree at the University of Oxford by special resolution in 2006.

After a lengthy career as a student of engineering, it seems natural that Ron then began imparting his vast knowledge to young engineers. He served as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Boston University and as a Senior Physicist at the Applied Physics Laboratory and an Associate Research Professor of Bioengineering, both at the University of Washington. In addition, Ron held a stint on the research staff at the National Center for Physical at the University of Mississippi. In 2006-2007 he served as the 65th George Eastman Distinguished Visiting Professor at Balliol College, Oxford. This is one of Oxford's (and the world's) premiere visiting professorships, and it is granted annually to "a citizen of the United States who is deemed to be of great eminence in teaching or research in any field of study at the University of Oxford." Ron is the first and only engineer to be so honored. Combining mathematics, science and technology, engineers produce creative solutions to real world problems. Trained as a physicist and an engineer, Ron specializes in the application of physical acoustics principles to problems in biomedical acoustics, industrial ultrasonics, and acoustical oceanography. As indicated in his extensive curriculum vitae, his true passion is the acoustics of bubbles and bubbly media. Sonoluminescence (light from ), acoustic cavitation dynamics, shock-driven cavity collapse physics, and bubble-mediated therapeutic ultrasonics are topics of past and current interest. In lay translation, this means that Ron has spent the bulk of his career studying the physical, chemical, and biological effects of acoustically-driven bubbles and applied this knowledge to problems in areas ranging from Navy sonar performance to focused ultrasonic surgery.

Most recently, he joined colleagues in developing new techniques for imaging the optical properties of soft tissues through the nonlinear interaction of light and sound (acousto-optic imaging) and is currently exploring novel ways in which nanoparticles can be used in conjunction with laser illumination and high-intensity focused to facilitate both optical imaging and guided ultrasound therapy. This work will help underpin the “Imaging with Sound and Light” theme within the newly minted Rosalind Franklin Institute (https://www.rfi.ac.uk), for which Ron currently serves as Theme Lead.

Ron has served on numerous professional society committees, review panels, editorial boards, and was a past Editor-in-Chief of Acoustics Research Letters on Line (now known as JASA Express Letters). He is a Fellow and former Vice President of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) and a recipient of the ASA Helmholtz-Rayleigh Interdisciplinary Silver Medal.

This true academic lives in Oxford with his wife Nancy but maintains his ties to Maine. Ron has a large extended family residing in Maine including siblings that live in Auburn, Casco, and Fayette. Their daughters Caitlyn and Sydney currently live in Boston and Denver. When asked about extracurricular activities, Ron indicated that his children and grandson are his primary hobby. Reading, walking, politics, traveling, and the Boston sports scene rank further down the list. “I continue to follow the Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, and Celtics religiously,” Roy said. Ron and Nancy try to spend at least two to three weeks at their camp on Brassua Lake just southwest of Moosehead to reconnect with family and enjoy a respite from the internet and television.

Upon reflecting on his days at St. Dom’s, Ron refers first to lifelong friendships. He also credits his alma mater with teaching him how to think and write. In particular, he names two teachers who had a significant impact on his development: Mr. Richard Maheux and Mr. Roland Roy. “Dick Maheux trained me to always question my assumptions.” Mr. Roy, referred to in the 1975 yearbook as the Mad Magician of the East, “taught me how to write effectively and both read and think between the lines. Over the years, people have commented that I write well “for an engineer,” my affinity for split infinitives notwithstanding. I credit St. Dom’s for helping me to develop that critical skill, and for inspiring me to love literature.”

Ron exemplifies the goal St. Dom’s has held and still holds for its students: to make an impact on the world. He hopes that sharing his story inspires current students to pursue their passions to the fullest extent possible as he has done. We thank him for sharing his story and are very proud to call him a Saint. We marvel at his accomplishments and look forward to the continuation of his tale.