Dear Colleagues:      

    Ball State University continues to be recognized for providing a high-quality, accessible education. I am pleased to share that six of our online degree programs have been ranked among the top 25 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in its 2025 “Best Online Programs” rankings.

    This recognition is a testament to the dedication of our faculty and staff who work hard to create rigorous, engaging online learning experiences. Their efforts ensure our students, wherever they may be, receive an education that prepares them for fulfilling careers and meaningful lives.

    At Ball State, we remain committed to innovation and excellence in teaching and learning. I am grateful for the contributions of our faculty and staff who make these achievements possible.

    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

Six Ball State University online programs have been ranked in the top 25 in the nation in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report “Best Online Programs” listings. 

Ball State's nationally recognized programs include:

Ball State also achieved top-tier specialty rankings, including No. 7 for Master’s in Curriculum and Educational Technology, No. 11 for Master’s in Special Education, and No. 13 for Graduate Educational Administration and Supervision, which is a new entry this year. Ball State’s graduate programs in education for veterans, meanwhile, ranked 24th nationally.

Read more in this Ball State press release.

Several students from Ball State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance earned recognition at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre’s regional festival, held Jan. 7-11 in Madison, Wis.

Directing student Myles Keys, a senior, won the SDC Directing Competition for Region 3, which covers Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, and portions of Ohio. Stage management student Elia Livovich, a senior, won the National Stage Management competition. These wins earned both students a trip to this year’s Kennedy Center National Festival in Washington, D.C., in April.

Also at the regional festival in Madison, Ball State senior Jarius Newman was awarded the prestigious Milwaukee Repertory Acting Internship based on his work in the Music Theatre International competition.

The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) is a national program that honors artistic excellence and, through eight regional festivals, provides students with individualized recognition through awards and scholarships in playwriting, acting, dramatic criticism, theatre management, directing, and design.

Read more about other Ball State students who earned KCACTF honors or qualified for KCACTF’s national competitions in this Ball State press release.

The David Owsley Museum of Art (DOMA) at Ball State University has extended The Art of Elizabeth Catlett from the Collection of Samella Lewis through Feb. 28, 2025. The exhibition features works from the collection of Dr. Samella Lewis (1923-2022), a renowned artist, educator, and author. The exhibition is organized by Landau Traveling Exhibition, Los Angeles, and was brought to Ball State by the Friends of the David Owsley Museum of Art.

Elizabeth Catlett (1915-2012), a sculptor and printmaker, is recognized as one of the most significant African American artists of the 20th century. Her work combined art with social activism, addressing injustices faced by African Americans. Dr. Lewis, a student of Ms. Catlett’s in the 1940s, was mentored by her, and the two maintained a lifelong friendship.

This exhibition is part of Ball State’s Arts Alive! series. Read more about this exhibit and other Arts Alive! offerings in this Ball State press release.

DOMA is at 2021 W. Riverside Ave., in Ball State’s Fine Arts Building. It is open to the public from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays through Fridays and 1:30-4:30 p.m. on Saturdays. There is no admission fee.

A Generation at War, a documentary film based on the nonfiction book of nationally recognized Civil War historian Dr. Nicole Etcheson of Ball State, will air on Indiana Public Television. Dr. Etcheson is Ball State’s Alexander M. Bracken Distinguished Professor of History.

Produced by Gudaitis Productions of Bloomington, Ind., the film shares the stories of Putnam County, Ind., families and individuals during the Civil War. The documentary premiered in Greencastle, Ind., on Jan. 22 at the Ashley Square Cinema and is expected to air on Indiana Public Television. Check the schedules of your local station to find out the date and time this documentary will air.

Dr. Etcheson’s nonfiction book, A Generation at War: The Civil War Era in a Northern Community, published in 2011, offers a deeply researched microhistory of Putnam County, Indiana, from the Compromise of 1850 to the end of Reconstruction—showing how that county’s citizens responded to and were affected by the war.

The film is dedicated to Dr. Etcheson’s father, Gerald Ray Etcheson, and the late Alan Backler, a documentarian who worked on A Generation at War.

Read more in this Ball State blog.

Teachers College Dean Dr. Katrina Bulkley co-authored an Indiana Business Journal opinion column about the University Superintendent Search Team.

Dr. Bulkley co-authored the column, published on Jan. 10, with Dr. Brad Balch, dean of Indiana State University’s Bayh College of Education; Anastasia Morrone, dean and professor in the Indiana University School of Education at Bloomington; and Phillip VanFossen, dean of Purdue University’s Beering Hall of Liberal Arts and Education in West Lafayette.

Composed of faculty from Ball State University, Indiana State University, Indiana University, and Purdue University, the University Search Team is committed to supporting school boards across Indiana in the recruitment and selection of superintendents. The team works closely with districts to assess local needs, build a diverse pool of candidates, and guide school boards through every stage of the hiring process, from candidate evaluation to ensuring legal and procedural compliance.

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