Dear Colleagues:       

     After months of anticipation, the Caitlin Clark episode of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, ’69, has been released.

     On April 8, Netflix shared the episode—most of which was filmed on our campus at Emens Auditorium—that you can now watch with a subscription to the streaming service.

     I am proud of how Ball State is portrayed throughout the special, from cutaways of our vibrant campus to multiple shots of the thousands of people who attended the taping of Dave and Caitlin’s conversation. Our marching band, The Pride of Mid-America, ignites the crowd during the closing credits!

     Throughout the special, Dave asks Caitlin about her early years playing basketball, her collegiate dominance as a star for the Iowa Hawkeyes, and her first-year impressions of playing for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever.

     Watching this episode represented the successful culmination of months spent planning and executing the special behind the scenes. I am grateful to the My Next Guest production team for collaborating with our University, as well as to Dave and Caitlin for their participation. I am also grateful to my colleagues—especially Stephanie Arrington—who made this memorable event possible for our campus community.

     I hope that, in the coming days, you are able to watch the episode—and to feel as grateful as I do for Dave’s continued generosity and goodwill on behalf of his alma mater.

     Below are a few more stories I hope you will enjoy and share. Let your friends and colleagues know how “We Fly” at Ball State.

Sincerely,

Geoffrey S. Mearns
President
Ball State University

Ball State University is celebrating another successful One Ball State Day (OBSD), the University’s annual 24-hour online fundraiser. Preliminary figures indicate the University received more than 6,700 gifts totaling more than $1.2 million during OBSD 2025, held April 2. These generous gifts will support the needs of students, faculty and staff, and programs; enrich the academic experience; and expand campus and community impact in transformative ways. Learn more about OBSD 2025 results online.

While OBSD is a special day for giving and highlighting the University’s impact on people and communities worldwide, Ball State celebrates all its donors year-round. Anyone who wishes to make a gift to the University can do so by visiting bsu.edu/give.

Ball State held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 17 to celebrate the grand reopening of its renovated Cooper Science Building at 2000 W. Riverside Ave. Campus leaders, faculty, staff, students, and community partners were in attendance.

The $60 million renovation completes a three-phase plan to replace the former Cooper Science Complex, following the construction of the Health Professions Building (2019) and the Foundational Sciences Building (2021). With modern labs, interactive classrooms, and new spaces for collaboration and research, the revitalized Cooper Science Building supports the departments of Geography and Meteorology, Physics and Astronomy, and Environment, Geology, and Natural Resources.

Read more in this Ball State press release. Additional information about academic programs in Ball State’s College of Sciences and Humanities—including those housed in the renovated Cooper Science Building—is available online.

Kayla Davion, a 2017 Ball State University graduate best known for her work on the Broadway stage, will address Ball State’s Class of 2025 at the University’s Spring Commencement ceremony.

Ball State will confer approximately 2,800 doctoral, specialist, master’s, and baccalaureate degrees during the University-wide gathering. The event will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 3, in the Quad, followed by individual college celebrations throughout the day at Worthen Arena and Emens Auditorium.

While earning her degree in musical theater, Ms. Davion made history by becoming the first Ball State student to book a Broadway show—the Tony-nominated Waitress—before graduating. She has since graced Broadway and Off-Broadway stages, most notably portraying Tina Turner in the hit musical Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. When she’s not performing, Ms. Davion is a successful producer, writer, and educator.

Read more in this Ball State press release.

Ball State University has appointed Dr. Kristen McCauliff as dean of the College of Communication, Information, and Media (CCIM). Dr. McCauliff had served as CCIM’s interim dean since July 2024.

A member of the Ball State faculty since 2009, Dr. McCauliff is a respected scholar and experienced academic leader. She previously served as associate provost for faculty affairs and professional development, where she led campuswide initiatives that advanced faculty success and student learning. Dr. McCauliff earned her doctorate in communication from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree from Wake Forest University. Learn more about Dr. McCauliff in this Ball State press release.

Ball State’s Women of Beneficence, recognized as the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP)-Indiana Chapter’s 2023 Philanthropy Group of the Year, has awarded its annual round of grants to faculty and staff members. The grants, announced during the group’s annual meeting on March 19 at the Ball State Alumni Center, will support projects focused on child development, food security, and community outreach for Parkinson’s Disease.

The 2025 grant recipients and their projects are:

Read more in this Ball State press release.

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