Sister Isabel Ball, CDP, PhD, passed away last week after serving her alma mater, Our Lady of the Lake University, for 58 years as a dean, chemistry professor and director of Mission Effectiveness.   

Sister Isabel began her teaching career at then Our Lady of the Lake College in 1954 as a chemistry instructor. In 1963, she became assistant professor of chemistry, and in 1969, she was named the head of the chemistry department. She became a full professor of chemistry in 1974 and was named the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 1980, a position she held for more than 23 years.

As dean, Sister Isabel secured more than $15 million in grants for OLLU. Some of the funds were used to update labs in Metz Hall. For her efforts, the undergraduate research lab was dedicated in her honor in 2004.

In 2003, Sister Isabel took on the role of director of Mission Effectiveness in the Division of Mission and Ministry where she ensured that the CDP charism and heritage were infused into the day-to-day life of the university. She held the director role until her retirement in 2012.

Sister Isabel is a 1950 graduate of Our Lady of the Lake. She also earned a master’s degree in chemistry and PhD in biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin. In addition to teaching at OLLU, she held teaching positions at St. Mary’s University, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Clayton Foundation for Biochemical Research at the University of Texas.

Services will be held this week in Annunciation Chapel:

Rosary — Thursday at 4 p.m.

Wake — Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

Funeral — Friday at 11 a.m.