News for Ball State Faculty and Staff
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Stories of Gratitude
December 21, 2021
At this time of year, we are often preoccupied with purchasing material gifts. But I have come to realize that perhaps the most valuable gift that we can share with another person is the gift of gratitude, which we express through our words and demonstrate through our actions.
In that spirit, I am grateful for every member of our University community who makes Ball State such a wonderful place to live, learn, and work. I encourage you to watch this year’s holiday video, in which several of our students share some of the reasons they are thankful for this beautiful campus we are fortunate to call home.
In the coming days, I also encourage you to find ways to demonstrate your appreciation and affection for others. Perhaps you can perform a special service act or make a charitable gift to a deserving cause. Even a gesture as simple as holding the door open for someone can be a welcome act of kindness that inspires others to pay it forward.
And speaking of acts of kindness, I am especially grateful to our students and colleagues who have demonstrated Beneficence by participating in the holiday assistance programs offered by our Office of Student Affairs:
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- More than 260 children, in partnership with our local Department of Child Services, will receive holiday gifts, thanks to members of our University community who participated in our annual Angel Tree program, coordinated by Student Voluntary Services.
- Winter Break Boxes will be gifted to 14 students in our Guardian Scholars Program and eight students from Independent Cardinals. These boxes contain collected items that provide these students with the basic necessities they will need while the University is closed, along with a few holiday presents. Guardian Scholars supports students who have experienced foster care, while Independent Cardinals supports students who are unaccompanied homeless youth.
- And many more students will receive donations of food and toiletries collected during this month’s Cares Food Drive, which benefits Cardinal Kitchen, Ball State’s campus food pantry.
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As you celebrate the holidays with your families and your friends, please remember to give the gift of gratitude. Let your actions be guided by Beneficence, today and always.
With gratitude,
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Ball State Response to COVID-19
All employees are strongly encouraged to get a COVID-19 vaccination and then attest to their full vaccination using our online form. For more COVID-19 information, plans, and resources for faculty, staff, students, and campus visitors, visit the Ball State Cardinals Care website.
On-Campus Vaccine Clinic Days in January
The vaccination clinic in Ball State’s Interprofessional Community Clinic (ICC) will be open 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in the Health Professions Building on Jan. 12, Jan. 14, Jan. 19, Jan. 21, Jan. 26, and Jan. 28. Walk-in appointments are welcomed. Alternatively, make an appointment at ourshot.in.gov and select “DCHD BallState WRiversideAve MVAX.”
The vaccine clinic at the ICC offers the Moderna booster shot as well as the Moderna vaccine series. Call the Interprofessional Community Clinics at 765-285-4422 with questions.
COVID-19 Dashboard
Ball State University’s COVID-19 Dashboard is updated regularly with information collected from IU Health, third-party on-campus testing sources, and self-reports by both students and employees at the University. See the dashboard.
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For Your Benefit
Tuition Remission Reminder
Ball State supports employees’ professional development with a robust tuition remission benefit for eligible employees, spouses, and dependent children. With the Spring semester quickly approaching, the Office of Payroll and Employee Benefits would like to remind all benefit-eligible employees that the deadline to submit for Spring semester tuition remission is 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022. Online request forms, available through the ServiceNow system, make it easy to apply for this benefit. Eligibility guidelines, links to ServiceNow forms, and instructions for completing your request are on our website. For more information, please email PEBTuition@bsu.edu or call (765) 285-8461.
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Upcoming Events
Unity Week Returns Jan. 17 with MLK Celebration, Unity March, other events
Ball State University’s Multicultural Center has a full slate of events scheduled for Unity Week 2022, which kicks off on Jan. 17, the official observance of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday this year. The “MLK Celebration”—commemorating the life and work of Dr. King—is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 17 at Emens Auditorium. Following will be the “MLK Unity March,” which leaves Emens Auditorium at 11:30 a.m. Visit the Unity Week webpage to see the full schedule of events. All Unity Week events are free and open to students, faculty, staff, community members, and members of the working media.
One of the many highlights of Unity Week 2022 will be featured speaker Brandon Pope, an award-winning television host, media critic, and columnist. He will speak at 7 p.m. on Jan. 18 in Pruis Hall. Mr. Pope, a 2014 Ball State graduate, is president of the Chicago chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists. He has served as a board member of “My Brother’s Keeper,” which is dedicated to closing opportunity gaps for youth of color in the Greater Chicago area. The event featuring Mr. Pope will be co-sponsored by the University’s Multicultural Center, the Department of Communication Studies, and the Office of Student Life.
Another Unity Week highlight is the experience-based “Boxes and Walls” event at 6 p.m. on Jan. 20 in the Student Center Ballroom. This event offers the opportunity for individuals to experience a snapshot of the kind of oppression that people with historically marginalized identities may experience. Participants will have the chance to take a self-guided tour through the spaces to visualize and learn about gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, disabilities, religions, and more. Upon completion of the tour, participants can engage with fellow students to debrief about their experiences at the event. “Boxes and Walls” will be hosted by the University’s Housing and Residence Life.
Art Exhibition by Ball State Graduate to be Displayed at Griner Art Gallery
Pata Rajada (“Scarred Feet”)—a solo exhibition of works by Ball State University School of Art alumnus David Cuatlacuatl—will be displayed at the Ned and Gloria Griner Art Gallery, Jan. 12 - Feb. 4, 2022. The gallery is on the first floor of Ball State’s Art and Journalism Building. Pata Rajada includes more than 20 paintings. This exhibition addresses transborder indigeneity, real-lived migrant experiences, and the complexities of navigating migrant identities. David Cuatlacuatl earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ball State in 2012. In 2015, he earned his Masters of Fine Art in painting from Penn State University.
Opening Reception: Jan. 12, 2022, 4 p.m.-6 p.m.
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (Closed weekends and during all Ball State breaks and holidays)
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Government Relations
Stay Current on Latest Statehouse News
The Office of Governmental Relations 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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R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning
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Multi-disciplinary Team Receives ‘Honorable Mention’ in HALS Challenge
A multi-disciplinary team, whose members are primarily from the R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning (CAP), received honorable mention for the team’s 2021 Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) Challenge: Historic Black Landscapes submission site of Eleutherian College, College Hill Cemetery, and Lyman and Asenath Hoyt House in Lancaster, Indiana.
Members of the multi-disciplinary team include Christopher Baas, professor of Landscape Architecture; Malcolm Cairns, professor of Landscape Architecture; Peter J. Ellery; Dorna Eshrati, assistant professor of Landscape Architecture; J.P. Hall, assistant professor of Historic Preservation; and Jeremy Merrill, assistant professor of Landscape Architecture; plus Sean O’Neill and Darrin Rubino from Hanover College.
HALS is a federal program to document historic landscapes in the United States. The submissions from the challenge will be part of the archived material in the National Park Service’s Heritage Documentation Program database.
CAP Gallery Exhibits Unique Urban Sketches through January 2022
CAP is hosting an exhibit of urban sketches by Peter Rush, an architect in Sydney, Australia. Mr. Rush often draws on the inside of cereal boxes. Some of those elaborate and creative cereal box sketches are part of this exhibit at CAP’s Gallery, located on the first floor of the Architecture Building. Mr. Rush’s work will be on display through January 2022. The Gallery is open weekdays, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
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Miller College of Business
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Miller Leadership Academy Launching for Students Next Fall
The Miller College of Business will launch the Miller Leadership Academy, a new scholarship and support program that will provide selected incoming Ball State freshmen an $11,000 renewable scholarship. Miller Leadership Academy will also offer services that focus on supporting underserved students financially, academically, and holistically. The academy will welcome its inaugural class in the Fall of 2022. All incoming freshman business majors who are also Indiana residents are welcome to apply for the academy. Miller Leadership Academy students will be immersed in co-curricular activities that will help them develop into effective leaders who are supported in every aspect of their undergraduate experience.
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| College of Communication, Information, and Media
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Immersive Learning Project Mixes Media and Mapping
An immersive learning project, that utilizes the talents of students and faculty at two colleges to promote awareness of sustainable activities in Indiana, is underway. Faculty mentors Dr. Adam Kuban, an associate professor of Journalism, and Dr. Adam Berland, associate professor of Geography, are using their expertise in media and mapping, respectively, to lead the Fall 2021/Spring 2022 immersive learning project, “Sustainability Stories.” Dr. Kuban’s journalism students continue to have their stories on the subject published in Indiana newspapers, such as The Star Press (Muncie), the Palladium-Item (Richmond), and the Journal & Courier (Lafayette). Published stories include Cooper Griffen’s “Cover Crops Save Money and the Soil“ and Emily Hunter’s “Could Climate Change Affect Solar Energy?“.
Ball State Graduate Wins Emmy for Work at ESPN
Ball State University graduate Quinton Zielke won a 2021-22 Sports Emmy in the “Outstanding Edited Sports Special” category for his work on ESPN’s History, Heroes and Hope. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Digital Sports Production in 2019, Mr. Zielke went to work for ESPN’s features unit.
Journalism Conference Expands its Offerings
Ball State’s renowned journalism conference is growing. The College of Communication, Information, and Media’s JDay+ will now include even more hands-on, engaging sessions taught in collaboration with Ball State’s Emerging Media Design and Development, eSports, the Department of Media, Communication Studies, and the Center for Information and Communication Sciences. The 2022 JDay+, an in-person workshop, is scheduled for April 29. Learn more at BSU Journalism Workshops! on Facebook.
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Arts Alive Series Continues with Performances in January
The College of Fine Arts (CFA) welcomes two more world-renowned artists to campus as part of CFA’s Arts Alive series. Applied Mechanics will perform at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Jan. 22 in the David Owsley Museum of Art. And, the Ayodele Casel tap dance performance will be at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 28 at Sursa Hall.
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Article Published in the Journal of the American Heart Association
The article, “Reference Standards for Cardiorespiratory Fitness by Cardiovascular Disease Category and Testing Modality: Data From FRIEND”—written by the research team in the School of Kinesiology and Fisher Institute of Health and Well-Being—was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. The article appeared in the journal’s Nov. 16, 2021, print issue and is available online.
Participants Sought for Educational Sessions on Infant Mortality
Dr. Sheila Y. Abebe, assistant professor of Nursing, and WaTasha Barnes Griffin, YWCA Central Indiana CEO, are seeking participants to attend educational sessions focused on reducing infant mortality within the African American community. Participants must be African American men and women 18 years or older and live in Delaware County. For more information, contact Dr. Abebe at syabebe@bsu.edu. This project will continue through May of 2022.
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College of Sciences and Humanities
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Sociology Professor Nominated for Leadership Award
Dr. Melinda Messineo, professor of Sociology, was nominated for the Women in Business Unlimited (WIBU) ATHENA Professional Leadership Award for her excellence, creativity, and initiative in her profession; provision of a valuable service to improve the quality of life for others in the community; and active assistance of women in achieving their full leadership potential.
‘Pod Quixote’ Builds on its Reputation, Reach
The “Pod Quixote: A Cervantine Podcast,” initiated by Dr. Stephen Hessel, associate professor of Spanish, continues to grow in reputation and reach. His recent episodes featured Miguel Cervantes III (episode 4) and Erick Drooker, New Yorker magazine’s cover artist (episode 5). Listen as Dr. Hessel explores Cervantes’ masterpiece Don Quixote, and other works, with experts and fans.
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Stokes Foundation Donates $1 Million to Fund New Scholarships
The William and Evelyn Stokes Foundation has generously agreed to provide $1 million over the next four years to support financially challenged Ball State students studying to become K-12 math or art teachers. William “Bill” Stokes earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Education from Ball State Teachers College in the 1950s. He taught middle school math in Los Angeles, and Los Altos, California, and in Germany for the Department of Defense Schools. Learn more.
Professor’s Book Wins Award
Department of Educational Studies professor Dr. Sheron Fraser-Burgess’ book, Making Sense of Race in Education: Practices for Change in Difficult Times, was recently named a 2021 winner of the American Educational Studies Association (AESA) Critics’ Choice Book Award. Earlier this year, the book was also awarded a 2021 Society of Professors of Education (SPE) Outstanding Book Award.
Fundraising Underway for Students at a Primary School in Kenya
Dr. Wilfridah Mucherah, professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, and the graduate student-led non-profit organization Delivering Education Supplies to Kenya (DESK) started their annual fundraiser to buy school uniforms and supplies for students at the Shivembe Primary School in Kenya. Dr. Mucherah, who is from Kenya, has worked extensively with the school over the years. Learn more.
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Digital Exhibit Chronicles History of Ball State’s Multicultural Center
Ball State University Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections, in collaboration with the Multicultural Center, recently debuted the new freely-accessible online digital exhibit, The Ball State University Multicultural Center: Ambassadors of Campus Inclusion and Diversity. Drawing heavily from primary sources, the exhibit provides a detailed and compelling history celebrating the Multicultural Center’s mission to advance inclusion and diversity at Ball State University. Viewers of the online exhibit can explore written accounts, historical photographs, news articles, videos, and other documents that highlight the people, resources, programs, events, decisions, ideas, and initiatives that shaped the Multicultural Center’s sustained success.
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Ball State University’s Guardian Scholars Program won a 2021 Aging Out Institute (AOI) Award, which celebrates the effective strategies of organizations that work with youth who age out of foster care. The Guardian Scholars Program is one of four winners in AOI’s “Small Organization/Program” category and one of eight winners overall, AOI announced.
The Guardian Scholars’ award includes a prize of $30,000, which will be used to support the program’s continued efforts to provide holistic support for students who have experienced foster care. Within Guardian Scholars, students are connected to peers who share similar childhood experiences, and a network of professionals trained to support these students’ unique needs on campus.
Services and outreach offered through the Guardian Scholars Program include:
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- Academic mentoring
- Fast-tracked connections to needs-based support available on campus
- Success seminars about campus life, life skills, and career preparation
- Events aimed at cultivating positive peer, program, campus, and community relationships
- Discreet access to personal care items and other necessities
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The Guardian Scholars program relies on local grants and donations to fund its scholarships and supportive services for students. Necessity and personal care items are also often donated. Learn more about opportunities to give to, advocate for, or otherwise support the Guardian Scholars program.
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