John Ballato is an American materials scientist, entrepreneur, and academic. He holds the J. E. Sirrine Endowed Chair of Optical Fiber and is a professor of materials science and engineering, electrical and computer engineering, as well as physics and astronomy at Clemson University. He has received many international recognitions for his research on optical and optoelectronic materials, particularly as relates to optical fiber.Ballato is a Fellow of the American Ceramic Society (ACerS), Optica (formerly the Optical Society of America, OSA), the International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the American Physical Society (APS). He is also a member of World Academy of Science, the US National Academy of Inventors, and Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN), and serves as editor of the journal Optical Materials. He is an active participant on the "Photonic Glasses and Optical Fibers" technical committee for the International Commission on Glass.