As the Indiana General Assembly continues its important work to advance this year’s legislative session, I am grateful to our state legislators for their continued commitment to higher education. This support empowers Ball State University to play a key role in Indiana’s future economic strength, growth, and prosperity.
Additionally, I am grateful to Ball State’s Office of Government Relations and Industry Relations staff. Because of them, our legislators understand the value Ball State offers Indiana and its citizens. Our Government Relations and Industry Relations staff are Ball State’s active voice and liaison with lawmakers and government agencies on the local, state, and federal levels. They ensure our successes—like 78% of Ball State’s Spring ’22 graduates who gained employment remain in our state—are known at the statehouse.
Our staff members also engage Indiana employers while highlighting and promoting our students, who graduate with the skills, experience and work-oriented mindset that enables them to thrive within Indiana’s top industries. The work by our Office of Government Relations and Industry Relations is vital. They are our advocate, focusing on the University’s legislative priorities while sharing the many ways Ball State prepares students to pursue fulfilling careers and meaningful lives.
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Geoffrey S. Mearns
President
Ball State University
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Stay Current on the Latest Statehouse News
The Office of Governmental Relations & Industry Engagement invites you to subscribe to its weekly newsletter, Statehouse Update. The newsletter provides updates on key legislation being followed by the University and insights into the legislative process. Sign up or view past editions of the newsletter.
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Our Call to Beneficence Podcast |
Next Episode of Our Call to Beneficence Features Cultural Entrepreneur and Ball State Graduate, Mali Jeffers
Mali Jeffers, ’04—co-founder of GANGGANG, a cultural development firm—is the guest on the next episode of the monthly podcast Our Call to Beneficence, hosted by Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns. This episode is available now.
Ms. Jeffers has committed herself to building culture and community in Indianapolis, where she was born and raised. Ms. Jeffers and Alan Bacon, her partner in life and in business, are “cultural entrepreneurs” who invest in artists and entrepreneurs, with an emphasis on people of color.
In 2021, GANGGANG curated over 200 works of public art and performances in conjunction with that year’s men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament, which was held in Indianapolis. A few months later, GANGGANG hosted BUTTER, a visual arts festival, inside Indianapolis’ historic Stutz Building. The success of BUTTER, and GANGGANG’s growing influence on Indianapolis’ community and arts scene, has received national coverage in publications including Forbes magazine and the New York Times.
All episodes of the Our Call to Beneficence podcast are available on multiple platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. Subscriptions and reviews are also encouraged to help grow the audience for this podcast.
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Ball State University Joins Nationwide Tech Upskilling Initiative SkillStorm
Lifetime Learning, Ball State University’s new non-credit division focused on helping learners prepare for an increasingly dynamic world of work, has joined an ambitious initiative designed to help students access the skills and credentials necessary to succeed in high-demand tech industry careers. Through the new program, powered by tech talent accelerator SkillStorm, Ball State students and the community at large can take courses that lead to industry-recognized credentials from major employers including AWS, Salesforce, and Pega.
This partnership seeks to address Indiana’s statewide talent gap by offering credentialing programs recognized by tech employers, including AWS Cloud Practitioner, Pega Certified System Architect, and Salesforce Developer. These programs are approved for funding through the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA), a federal grant re-training program for unemployed or underemployed adults. Foundational courses in topics such as Java and object-oriented programming will be offered free area high school students.
Read more in this Ball State press release.
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Next ‘Muncie Out’ Planned for March 3
“Muncie Out,” an annual tradition since 2016, returns to Worthen Arena on March 3, when the Ball State men’s basketball team hosts Toledo at 7 p.m. Parking is free and hot dogs are $1 each. Baseline-seat ticket prices start at $5 and sideline-seat ticket prices start at $10. For additional ticket information, call either Ball State campus extension 5-1474, 1(888) BSU-TICKETS, or (765) 285-1474. Or, visit ballstatesports.com
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Employees to Receive New Document: Total Compensation Statement
Human Resources recently emailed each employee a copy of their 2022 Total Compensation Statement—a new, annually generated document that shows the value of an employee’s entire compensation package. The email was sent from humanresources@bsu.edu. Additional information is available on the Total Compensation Statement webpage. Questions can be directed to the HR Solution Center at (765) 285-1834.
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Earn Financial Incentives with BeWell and LiveWell Programs
Working Well helps faculty and staff lead meaningful and engaged lives through the BeWell and LiveWell incentive programs. Qualifying employees can collect a financial incentive, along with wellness vouchers that can be redeemed at on-campus sites, such as the Jo Ann Gora Student Recreation and Wellness Center, Emens Box Office, and the Athletics ticket office.
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- Employees who participate in the BeWell program earn cash back in their December 2023 paycheck for completing an annual physical with their primary care doctors and setting up their accounts in Lifeworks.
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Employees who participate in the LiveWell program earn one Ball State voucher, in an amount between $90 and $180, for participating in a variety of wellbeing activities.
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Eligible employees may participate in the BeWell and LiveWell programs every year. The deadline for submitting documentation for the programs is Oct. 31, 2023. Learn more on the Working Well website or call HR Solutions at (765) 285-1834.
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Upcoming Webinar Focuses on Money Management For Retirement
A Fidelity webinar about managing money for retirement is scheduled for 12:15 p.m.-1:15 p.m. on March 14. Register here.
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Ball State's Response to COVID-19 |
On-Campus COVID Vaccination Clinic Days, Hours of Operation
The vaccination clinic in Ball State’s Interprofessional Community Clinics (ICCs) will be open 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. every Thursday, from Jan. 12 through March 2. Visit the University’s Cardinals Care page to learn more.
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R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning |
‘Ethan Whitehead Guest Lecture in Sustainability’ Event Set for March 20
The inaugural event of the Ethan Whitehead Guest Lecture in Sustainability series is scheduled for 5 p.m. on March 20 in Room 100 of the Architecture Building (AB 100), with a reception held in the adjacent art gallery beginning at 4 p.m. The guest lecturer is Dr. Billy Fleming. Dr. Fleming is the Wilks Family Director of the Ian L. McHarg Center in the Weitzman School of Design, a senior fellow with Data for Progress, and co-director of the “Climate + Community Project.” The lecture is free and open to the public.
IDIA LAB Projects in Progress
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Maryknoll Catholic Elementary: IDIA has been selected to design a virtual school platform—creating a digital twin of Maryknoll Catholic Elementary in Honolulu, HI. The remote learning platform will support several hundred students in a host of various grade classrooms. Students and teachers will be able to choose avatars to represent themselves as they interact with this hybrid community setting. Features will support in-world learning management systems, presentations, auditorium screenings, presentations, online curriculum delivery, assessment, streaming live webcam lectures, screen-sharing, internal chat, voice communication, assignment dropboxes, interactive whiteboard, email, and other virtualized smart classroom technologies.
- Rutgers University: IDIA is designing an interactive virtual training simulator for Rutgers University School of Health Professions. The project immerses students within TeamSTEPPS, a framework of interdisciplinary collaboration and teamwork tools, aimed at optimizing patient outcomes by improving communication among health care professionals. Students will learn best practice skills and apply them in lab-based scenarios.
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Miller College of Business |
Indiana Communities Institute Helps Build Community Capacity through Training
The Indiana Communities Institute (ICI) is piloting a new educational experience designed to help build more vibrant places. As quality of life continues to drive population retention and attraction, it is vital to consider creative, comprehensive, and local solutions.
Working in partnership with the Indiana Arts Commission, ICI will pilot and launch Cultural Convergence—an effort to support the integration of arts and community to help create better lives for all Hoosiers. Cultural Convergence will be a two-day training for Indiana community leaders and will be piloted in April before officially launching this Fall. This new endeavor adds to ICI's educational line-up, which includes the annual Indiana Economic Development Course, a 38-year tradition. It demonstrates ICI's commitment to statewide, community-based efforts to support the places that Ball State alumni and their families, friends, and neighbors call home.
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College of Communication, Information, and Media |
CCIM Outreach Hosts Ball State College Fair; Offers Recruitment Opportunity for University’s Colleges, Departments
CCIM Outreach is hosting a Ball State University College Fair during this year’s JDay+/CCIM+ conference on April 28. Given the anticipated attendance of nearly 1,000 students, departments from across campus are invited to showcase their programs and answer questions during this one-day conference for secondary school students and teachers. To learn more and reserve exhibit space, email ccimoutreach@bsu.edu.
Journalism Professor Selected as Ball State Nominee for ’23 MAC Faculty Award
Dr. Adam Kuban, professor of Journalism in the School of Journalism and Strategic Communication, has been selected as the Ball State University nominee for the 2023 Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) Outstanding Faculty Award for Student Success. Additionally, Dr. Kuban is one of 12 finalists—one faculty member per MAC institution—being considered for the overall award. The final award winner will be announced in mid-March 2023. The School of Journalism and Strategic Communication is part of the College of Communication, Information, and Media (CCIM).
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Music Earns High Praise
JazzTimes magazine reviewed the Jazz Ensembles’ self-released album “I Can See the Other Side.” The album was produced by Mark Buselli, professor of Music Performance and director of Jazz Ensembles. The magazine reviewer touted the final track of the album, “I Can See the Other Side,” a composition of Scott Routenberg, associate professor of Music Performance (Jazz Piano).
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Podcast on Health Topics Launched
The Healthy Lifestyle Center launched its HABITS podcast in late January. Under the direction of Dr. Christina Doll, associate professor of Health Science, this program will focus on health topics of interest to residents of East Central Indiana. Funding and support for the podcast has been provided by a grant from the Indiana State Department of Health, with the aim of reinforcing the workforce of community health professionals across this region of the state. Learn more.
Health Research Webinar Scheduled for March 24
The College of Health Research Speaker series’ next webinar features Karrie Osborne, PhD, RN. That webinar is scheduled 1 p.m. on March 24. During her presentation—titled, “Assessing Nursing Student Engagement in Clinical and Simulation Experiences”—Dr. Osborne’s will present her research findings related to differences in student engagement in clinical and simulation experiences. The research findings inform teaching strategies that can be used to improve student engagement in these types of learning experiences. Access the webinar via this Zoom link.
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College of Sciences and Humanities |
Campus Events and a Board Appointment
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Daniel Gonzales, ’07, director of Exhibitions Curation at the Indiana Historical Society, will present “Nuestra History: Case studies in Midwestern Latino History” on Ball State’s Muncie campus at 4 p.m. on March 16. The event will be held in the Forum Room at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center. Refreshments will be served. This event is supported by the College of Sciences and Humanities’ departments of Anthropology, English, and Sociology; and Honors College.
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The English Department’s In Print Festival of First Books returns with two events on March 28 and March 29, both held in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center Ballroom. This year’s debut authors include poet Michael Kleber-Diggs, fiction author Jasmine Sawers, and nonfiction author Prince Shakur. A reading with the in-print debut authors begins at 7:30 p.m. on March 28. Conversations on first books, diversity, and inclusivity in publishing is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on March 29.
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Dr. Bangshuai Han— associate professor of Water Resources in the Department of Environment, Geology, and Natural Resource—has been appointed to the American Water Resources Association’s (AWRA) Board of Directors. AWRA is a national organization with a mission to advance multidisciplinary water resources education, management, and research. Dr. Han’s term on the board began in January 2023.
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Online Degree Programs in Education Earn High Rankings
The latest U.S. News & World Report rankings showcase Teachers College’s national standing as a top provider of affordable online degree programs in education. The rankings include
7th: Master’s in Special Education; 12th: Master’s in Educational Administration and Supervision; 12th: Master’s in Curriculum and Educational Technology; and
20th: Bachelor’s in Applied Behavior Analysis.
Outstanding Alumni Award Winners Honored
Teachers College recently celebrated its Outstanding Alumni Award winners:
Young Alumni Award Winners
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- Jordan Dalton (BS '13)
- Kiah Penfield (BS '18)
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Outstanding Alumni Award Winners
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- Nathan Boyd (BS '02)
- Jessica Evans (BS '10)
- Kristen Poindexter (BS '00, MAE '11)
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Career Achievement Award Winner
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- Mitchell Springer (MBA '91, EDD '95)
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- Barbara Wind (BS '62, MA '64)
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Shawn Sriver, Accreditation and Assessment Coordinator, was awarded the Distinguished Service Award, which is given to a non-alum in recognition of outstanding service and support for the Teachers College.
Teachers College Win Deans Shootout Competition
Dr. Anand Marri, dean of Teachers College, and doctoral student Austin Macy, won the seventh Cardinal Deans’ Shootout. This marks the third time the traveling trophy has been won by a dean of Teachers College—more than any other college on campus.
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Event Highlighting Women in the Military and Civilian Women during WWII Set for March 23
With March being Women’s History Month, University Libraries—in collaboration with Muncie Public Library and the Delaware County Historical Society—is pleased to offer programming highlighting women. The “We Can Do It: Notable Delaware County Women in WWII” event is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on March 23, at the Carnegie Library In Muncie or via Zoom. During the event, stories about the lives of women in the military, and civilian women on the home front, during WWII will be shared. The presentation will be brought to life with historical photographs, maps, and newspaper articles. Register here.
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