At Ball State, he established the statistics programs for undergraduates (later called Applied Mathematics) and the graduate statistics program. His legacy continues with the establishment by his children of the Dr. Mir Masoom Ali Scholarship, awarded annually to two graduate students studying statistics. He also co-founded the Midwest Biopharmaceutical Statistics Workshop, held annually since 1978, and the North America Bangladesh Statistical Association. A keynote speaker at statistical meetings around the world, he continues to be an active scholar, having published dozens of papers in top statistical journals. Before retiring in 2007, Ali prepared hundreds of men and women who became professors as well as statisticians working for the government, private industry, in fields of finance, public health, science, risk management, marketing, public policy, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and more. (See sidebar on p. 39.) Recognized internationally, Ali also won Ball State awards for both Outstanding Researcher and Outstanding Faculty and was given the 2002 Sagamore of the Wabash Award, the highest honor given by the governor of Indiana, for his contributions to Ball State, to higher education in the state of Indiana, and to the field of statistics.
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Recording History
ut there is more to Ali than his professional life. A devout Muslim, he played a key role in establishing the Islamic Center of Muncie. “My goal was to make my children familiar with the Islamic practices of their parents and grandparents so they would know where we came from,” said Ali, who spoke from his Carmel, Indiana, home where he and Leena have lived since 2013. “I wanted a place for them to join together with others to pray or for fasting or celebrating.” His effort to bring Muslims together in religious community served as inspiration for “Muslims in Muncie.” Comprised of 22 oral histories and culminating in an hour-long documentary film, the immersive learning project was created by 11 Ball State undergraduate students through the Virginia B. Ball Center for Creative Inquiry. The project’s faculty leader, Elizabeth Agnew, worked with Ali and the Islamic Center board to enlist participation of leaders of Muncie’s Muslim community. “Mir Ali provided the scaffolding for the documentary which ended up conveying a much larger world view,” said Agnew, associate professor of religious studies and director of Women’s and Gender Studies. “Without his help, it would have been very difficult to take on this project. We wanted it to be a community narrative that covered the arc of many individuals’ lives.”
All 11 students on the project team (shown below left with Dr. Agnew and Jud Fisher, COO of the Ball Brothers Foundation) began with intensive study — including meetings with religious and civic leaders in Indianapolis and Washington, D.C. — to better grasp the history of Islam in America. In Spring 2018, more than 20 interviews, including a session with Dr. Ali (shown in left photo), were conducted by the students over a three-week span at the Ball Communication Building.
Photos by Robbie Mehling
Filmmaker Devon Roddel, ’18, was assisted by a fourperson team in creating the final, one-hour documentary. “A lot of heart and dedication went into making this film something to be proud of,” said Roddel, “and I hope the community will cherish this for years to come.”
Visit the Digital Media Repository at dmr.bsu.edu and search for “Muslims in Muncie” to view documentary and interviews.
36 Winter 2021
Ball State University Alumni Magazine | WE FLY
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