Dr. Daniel Ragsdale, professor of practice in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University, was recently inducted into the ESPN Fan Hall of Fame.
As a retired colonel from the U.S. Army, Ragsdale was selected because of his notable passion and energy at Army athletic events. During his many years at the United States Military Academy at West Point, his antics earned him the nickname, “The Crazy Colonel.”
To earn his place in the Fan Hall of Fame, Ragsdale was chosen to be a finalist by an ESPN judging panel. The 10 finalists were eligible to receive votes in an online poll. Ragsdale was one of the top three and selected for induction into the ESPN Fan Hall of Fame.
“I was very surprised to learn how much folks appreciated my, well, demonstrative support for Army West Point teams,” Ragsdale said. “Both during and after the online vote last fall, I received messages from around the world. Without exception, they expressed gratitude and told me that my upbeat, never-say-die attitude made a positive difference in their lives."
Prior to returning to Texas A&M, Ragsdale was a program manager at the Defense Research Project Agency (DARPA), where he managed cybersecurity and educational research programs.
Ragsdale attended Texas A&M for one year before moving to West Point to finish his degree and be commissioned in 1981. During his three decades of service, Ragsdale spent 15 years at West Point in a variety of research and educational leadership roles. Throughout that period, his efforts were devoted to cybersecurity. Ragsdale completed three combat deployments in Grenada, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Ragsdale returned to Texas A&M to complete his Ph.D. in computer science in 2001. In 2007 he received the Distinguished Former Student Award from the department.
Currently at Texas A&M, Ragsdale teaches and conducts research on cybersecurity, reverse engineering, computer ethics, and privacy. Additionally, he is the director of Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station’s Cybersecurity Center.