July 21, 2021
Dear Colleagues:
Our Ball State University athletics program just completed its best year in more than a decade. Our student-athletes excelled in sports and academics, despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last Fall, our football team won the Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship for the first time since 1996, won the program’s first postseason bowl game, and finished the season ranked 23rd in the nation in the Associated Press Top 25 poll—another first.
This Spring, our women’s tennis team captured its third MAC title in the last five seasons to qualify for the NCAA Division 1 Women’s Tennis Championships for the second time in program history.
With two MAC champion programs and three programs earning runner-up finishes, Ball State climbed the charts this year in the final all-sport standings for the MAC. Our women’s athletics program finished fifth in the Jacoby Trophy standings, and our men’s athletics program finished third in the Reese Trophy standings.
Ball State’s student-athletes also excelled in the classroom. Across all sports programs, our student-athletes earned a median GPA of 3.35 for the Fall 2020 semester and a median cumulative GPA of 3.37 through the Spring 2021 semester—the best academic performances in our history. We graduated 75 of our student-athletes in May. The NCAA’s most recent annual graduation rate report showed that our student-athletes have earned a Graduation Success Rate of 90 percent, another record.
I am grateful that our student-athletes continue to maintain high standards of scholarship while excelling in their respective sports, even during challenging times.
Below are a few more stories that I hope you will enjoy and then share. Let your friends and colleagues know how “We Fly” at Ball State.
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Sincerely,
Geoffrey S. Mearns
President
Ball State University
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Summer Commencement set for July 24 at Ball State’s Worthen Arena
Ball State University will host in-person Commencement ceremonies for all of our Summer 2021 graduates on Saturday, July 24, in Worthen Arena.The order of the two ceremonies, organized by colleges, will be as follows:
- 10 a.m.—R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning; College of Fine Arts; College of Sciences and Humanities; and Teachers College
- 1 p.m.—Miller College of Business; College of Communication, Information, and Media; and College of Health
As health conditions in our community continue to improve, and consistent with recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we are no longer requiring tickets or limiting graduates to four guests. In accordance with the updated COVID-19 campus health and safety protocols, graduates and attendees who have been fully vaccinated are not required to wear face masks. For graduates and attendees who are not fully vaccinated, face masks are required.
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Dr. Charlene Alexander rejoins Ball State as Chief Strategy Officer Nov. 1
Dr. Charlene Alexander will be returning to Ball State University as the next Chief Strategy Officer. Dr. Alexander, whose appointment begins Nov. 1, 2021, is succeeding Dr. Sue Hodges Moore, who is retiring from the University at the end of this calendar year. Dr. Alexander is currently the Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at Oregon State University.Previously, she served as a professor in the Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services at Ball State, where she directed the School Counseling program for 16 years. Dr. Alexander also served as Ball State’s Associate Provost for Diversity, and Interim Associate Vice President for Community Engagement.
Throughout her career, Dr. Alexander has been a champion for initiatives related to diversity and inclusion. Under her leadership, Ball State developed its first Diversity Strategic Plan and released its first statement on the Importance of Diversity and Inclusion. Dr. Alexander’s efforts led to Ball State receiving the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award for the first time, in 2016. Dr. Alexander holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and an M.S. in Counseling and Guidance and a B.A. in Psychology from Creighton University.
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New Dean Leads Ball State’s College of Health
Scott Edward Rutledge, Ph.D., M.S.W., began serving as Dean of Ball State University’s College of Health on July 1, 2021. Dr. Rutledge recently served as Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the College of Public Health at Temple University. He began his professional career as a writer and editor for the University of Iowa Alumni Association before transitioning to a career in social work, first focusing on child welfare and then shifting to HIV prevention.Dr. Rutledge began his higher education career in 2002 as an assistant professor in the College of Social Work and faculty affiliate in the Women’s Studies Program at Florida State University. He then joined Temple University in 2005 where he has fulfilled various academic roles in the School of Social Work and College of Public Health.
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One Ball State Day earns two 2020 CASE Circle of Excellence Awards
One Ball State Day (OBSD), Ball State University’s 24-hour online fundraising event, was recently recognized once again for its positive impact made in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. OBSD was the winner of two Council for Advancement and Support for Excellence (CASE) 2020 Circle of Excellence Awards, which acknowledge superior accomplishments that have lasting impact, demonstrate the highest level of professionalism, and deliver exceptional results in academics. One of nearly 3,000 global entries among 100 award categories, OBSD was awarded a Gold award in “Marketing: Campaign—Fundraising,” and a Silver award in “Fundraising Flash Campaigns.” Read more on OBSD’s latest awards.
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Ball State graduate earns second place for photojournalism in major national competition
Rebecca Slezak, a May 2021 Ball State graduate, was recently awarded second place in the photojournalism category of the 61st annual National Hearst Journalism Championships. Ms. Slezak, who earned a $7,500 scholarship for her efforts, excelled in her championship assignment, “Chaotic Normalcy,” in which she was tasked with documenting the “new normal that represents the American experience” affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more about Ms. Slezak’s award-winning entry.
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Ball State professor Aaron Paige selected for fellowship program for Black and Latinx music educators
Dr. Aaron Paige, assistant professor of Music (Voice) at Ball State University, was one of just 35 people chosen for a fellowship program designed to elevate and engage Black and Latinx music educators. He is part of the inaugural class of Cleveland Institute of Music’s (CIM) Future of Music Faculty Fellowship Program. Dr. Paige is a former member of the Singing Sergeants of the United States Air Force Band where he held the tenor section leader position. His time in the Air Force Band included 12 national tours, two Super Bowls, and performances of the national anthem at 47 professional sporting events. Dr. Paige has performed for a few U.S. presidents, as well as heads of state from Italy, France, China, Croatia, Poland, Canada, and Lithuania.
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Ball State Instructor of Dance to perform at the Fall Fashion Gala in New York City
Ball State Instructor of Dance—and award-winning choreographer—Sidra Bell is scheduled to perform a world premiere ballet at the New York City Ballet’s (NYCB) Fall Fashion Gala in New York City on Sept. 30. Ms. Bell will collaborate with designer Christopher John Rogers on this Fall Gala premiere. Read more about this upcoming performance in Broadway World, Dance Informa Magazine, and on NYCB’s website.
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Ball State retired faculty member, other University faculty and staff, receive LEAP recognition
Dr. Peggy Fisher, a recently retired faculty member at Ball State University’s Department of Communication Studies, is the inaugural Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) Indiana Award of Excellence recipient. This award honors the sustained professional achievement of an individual who exemplifies LEAP Indiana's mission and vision as a teacher or as a teaching and learning advocate. Dr. Fisher retired in May 2021 after 26 years at Ball State. LEAP is a state-level initiative of the Association of American Colleges and Universities.Five others from Ball State were also recognized by LEAP Indiana with its first-ever COVID Character Honors awards, which pay tribute to faculty and staff from higher education institutions who have gone above and beyond in assisting students during this challenging time. Among the Ball State honorees were: Dr. Joshua Gruver, associate professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Management; Dr. Courtney Jarrett, director of Disability Services; Dr. Darolyn “Lyn” Jones, assistant teaching professor of English; Dr. Jörn Seemann, assistant professor of Geography; and Dr. Ronda Smith, assistant professor of Management.
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Experience a Vatican treasure this Summer at Ball State’s David Owsley Museum of Art
Visitors at the David Owsley Museum of Art (DOMA) this Summer can experience a Vatican treasure with The Sistine Chapel Trilogy, a three-volume publication currently on display. The Trilogy showcases the decoration of the chapel, and includes the famous frescoes by Michelangelo and those by his predecessors Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Perugino, and others. A gift from the museum’s generous benefactor Ann M. Stack, this Trilogy is one of only 600 copies printed in English. Learn more at bsu.edu/doma/exhibitions.
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Ball State student starts blanket sales business, earns money for tuition
Sophomore Lydia Greene, a marketing student at Ball State, has been selling her homemade chunky blankets to earn tuition money. The start-up business, Chunky Blankets by Lydia, also attracted attention from regional media outlets, including Fox 59 in Indianapolis. Lydia Greene and this start-up business were featured in a recent Ball State University blog post.
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Latest “Michiana Forty Under 40” list includes Ball State graduates
Two Ball State graduates are on the “Forty Under 40 in Michiana” list for 2021. Those who made the list are recognized for the achievements in their careers and their contributions to the community. A committee formed by the South Bend Regional Chamber selected this year’s “Forty Under 40” honorees.The Ball State graduates on the list are:
- Natalie Bickel, who earned her Bachelor of Science Degree from Ball State. She is a Supervisor of Student Services/Attendance Officer at Elkhart Community Schools in Elkhart, Indiana.
- Patricia Geels, who earned her Masters and Bachelor’s degrees at Ball State. She is a Clinical Instructor in the Speech Language Pathology Department at St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana.
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