June 17, 2021
Dear Colleagues:
Ball State University has taken two important steps on the path toward providing a more traditional experience for our students. We are holding in-person and on-campus Freshman Orientation from June 1 to July 16. And just this week, I announced that our University has lifted the campus-wide mask mandate for individuals who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Since June 15, we have welcomed many incoming freshmen and their families to our campus for Freshmen Orientation. I am grateful to our Ball State staff who helped lead this effort.
Effective June 14, orientation visitors—as well as our current students, faculty, and staff—who are fully vaccinated are no longer required to wear face masks inside University facilities or while outside on our beautiful campus. This welcomed change is based on the conditions in our community, and it is consistent with recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Because of the cooperation and discipline of our entire campus community, we are emerging from the pandemic and are poised to return to normal. I am grateful that Ball State is moving toward a vibrant future.
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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Critically acclaimed novelist and Ball State graduate Ashley C. Ford to join the University’s Writer-In-Residence Program
This Fall, Ball State University will welcome back to campus graduate Ashley C. Ford for a writer-in-residence program that will allow her to share her work and interact with students and faculty, as well as engage with the campus and local community. Ford is the author of “Somebody’s Daughter,” a powerful new memoir that explores her coming-of-age years in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with her single mother and incarcerated father. The book was published June 1 by Flatiron Books under the imprint, An Oprah Book.
Ford joined Oprah Winfrey in conversation as part of a virtual event on June 9. Winfrey has described “Somebody’s Daughter” as “a remarkable memoir” that will move readers. Kirkus Reviews calls the book “one of the best memoirs of 2021,” and Poets & Writers magazine has described Ford as “one of the most prominent voices of her generation.”
During her return visits to campus, Ford will participate in activities that include class discussions, a reading from her memoir, a book club discussion, and a conversation with President Mearns. Dates and times for her public events will be announced at a later date.
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Ball State’s University Libraries collects and archives personal COVID-19 stories
Document Your Story: COVID-19 Pandemic Project is an ongoing endeavor, spearheaded by the Ball State University Libraries Archives and Special Collections, to collect and preserve items that document the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our communities.
University Libraries is collecting materials from our faculty, staff, and students; Ball State alumni throughout the world; and residents, community organizations, and local businesses in Muncie and other parts of Delaware County. Another significant part of the collection is documentation of Ball State’s response to the pandemic. This collection will be invaluable to future scholars and students who seek to study the profound impact of the pandemic on individuals, communities, and institutions.
To donate physical, non-digitized items or to ask questions, email University Libraries’ Head of Archives User Engagement Sarah M. Allison. Submission materials that are not digital can also be donated by contacting the Muncie Public Library.
Ball State University Libraries Archives and Special Collections launched Document your Story: COVID-19 Pandemic Project last year in collaboration with the Everyday Life in Middletown Project, and the Muncie Public Library.
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Summer Commencement ceremonies planned for July 24
Ball State University will hold in-person Commencement ceremonies for all Summer 2021 graduates on Saturday, July 24, in Worthen Arena. The University is planning for these ceremonies in accordance with current state and local COVID-19 mitigation guidelines. Additional details about the time and number of ceremonies taking place will be available after the registration deadline for graduates closes on Monday, June 28.
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Rinard Greenhouse expands to accommodate more visitors, host more community events
The Dr. Joe and Alice Rinard Orchid Greenhouse is increasing in size and adding a dedicated community learning multipurpose space: the Environmental Education Center. The expansion, which broke ground on June 10, will also double the size of the Conservatory — allowing for the accommodation of more students and community visitors. The Environmental Education Center will make it possible for the greenhouse to host more community events. The multipurpose space will also allow the greenhouse to accommodate more attendees for those events.
Rinard Orchid Greenhouse will continue to provide a vibrant space to experience nature in an immersive and hands-on learning environment. And, the greenhouse will continue to showcase the largest collegiate orchid species collection in the country, with 2,100 orchids. Specialty collections include the Wheeler-Thanhauser Orchid Collection and Species Bank, and the Betty Kendall Ladyslipper Orchid Collection.
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Jazz quartet from Ball State gives live performance in downtown Indianapolis
The Jacob Smith Quartet — a jazz group from Ball State — performed at the District Theatre June 4 in Indianapolis in front of a live audience. Senior jazz bass performance major Jacob Smith formed the quartet along with friends he met at Ball State’s School of Music. Akili Ni Mali, a Ball State musical theatre graduate, joined the quartet for the performance in Indianapolis as the featured vocalist. The performance was part of a series hosted by the Timeless Arts Project, which helps music artists book performances in Indianapolis.
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WTHR-13 features two students, professor from Ball State’s Storm Chaser class
Two Ball State meteorological students and a University professor were featured on a news report aired on WTHR-13 Indianapolis on May 28. Students Rachel Wynalda and Alexander Duffus and David Call, associate professor of Geography, were interviewed for the report. Wynalda and Duffus are among the small group of students in Call’s Storm Chaser Class, which offers hands-on opportunities to study the atmosphere, forecast severe storms, use radars, and chase storms. In addition, Wynalda and Duffus captured video of a tornado that hit Selden, Kansas, in May. With the students’ permission, the footage was aired on television stations in a few states, including Kansas, Washington, and Indiana.
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Ball State graduate named grand prize winner in Smithsonian Magazine’s photography competition
Ball State graduate Skyler Wilson is the grand prize winner of this year’s Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest. Wilson, ‘19, earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Telecommunications (Video Production). He is also currently serving in the Indiana National Guard. See Wilson’s winning photo on Smithsonian Magazine’s website. Learn more about Wilson and his photography by visiting his site.
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Ginn Woods officially becomes an Indiana nature preserve
Ball State’s Ginn Woods is one of Indiana’s newest nature preserves. On May 18, the Indiana Natural Resources Commission approved the University’s Board of Trustees’ request for the state to preserve the 161 acres of old-growth forest — Indiana’s second-largest. The land is the largest and highest quality woodland in East Central Indiana. Ball State will retain ownership and maintain the land.
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Ball State softball pitcher sets an NCAA Division I record
Ball State softball player Alyssa Rothwell set an NCAA Division I record for career saves. She earned her 33rd save in the Cardinals’ 6-3 victory over the University at Buffalo on May 14. Rothwell graduated in December of 2020 with a degree in early childhood education. She was granted an extra year of eligibility to play due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Ball State University graduates earn spots on Indianapolis Business Journal’s latest “Forty Under 40” list
Three Ball State graduates are on the Indianapolis Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40” list for 2021:- Angka E. Hinshaw earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. Hinshaw is a Deputy Public Defender, Immigration Supervision with the Marion County Public Defender Agency.
- Lauren Petersen earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Urban Planning and Development. Petersen is Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement at TechPoint.
- Adrian Russell earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management. Russell is the Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion/Procurement at Shiel Sexton Co.
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