Jon’s impact on his field goes far beyond the walls of the classroom. Through designing many of the modeling, animation, and illustration courses in the graphic information technology concentration, he is a leader among the faculty and an advisor to his students. Jon regularly advises undergraduate students at Arizona State University. He also chairs graduate committees and is the lead faculty member for accrediting the four departmental concentrations.
In addition to actively publishing in varied areas of technical and computer graphics and dedicating time to grant work, Jon has found time to launch a career as a fiction author. As a fiction writer since about 1982, he has published his first book under the pen name Raul Roque. In the mystery genre, the sequel is currently under review at Mystery Press; the third book
is completed and ready to edit; and the fourth book is about half way written.
Jon’s roots with Purdue University are deep. In the 1930s, his father, Forrest W. Duff, taught engineering drawing and then came back to the department in 1962 after retiring from the army. Although it seemed a natural decision for Jon to attend Purdue, other factors played a role in his decision. He wanted to explore some form of art; he desired to follow his father and uncle’s dedication to service by enrolling in the Purdue ROTC; and as a singer, the Purdue Glee Club
was very appealing.
In the near future, Jon plans to stop teaching full-time and devote his time exclusively to his writing.
This was originally written for the Distinguished Technology Alumni Awards in 2005.