Dear Colleagues:         

     Earlier this month, students studying in our Department of Theatre and Dance had an extraordinary opportunity to engage with a special guest on our campus, Hugh Jackman.

     Hugh has starred in many films—most notably as Wolverine in several Marvel movies—and he has appeared in several Broadway musicals, including the 2022 revival of The Music Man. In that musical, Hugh starred alongside Sutton Foster, who has been an instructor at our University for more than a decade.

     Hugh joined Sutton last week on one of her return visits to Ball State. During their time on campus, they engaged with students in their acting and musical theatre classes. They participated in multiple question-and-answer sessions. They attended a student production of Songs for a New World, and they toured our new Performing Arts Center, which will be completed in 2026.  

     Hugh also sat down with me for an episode of my podcast, “Our Call to Beneficence.” After listening, I think you will better understand how generous Hugh was in sharing his time and talent with members of our University community. And I think you will join me in appreciating his enthusiasm for experiencing what it means to be a Cardinal for a few days.

     My episode with Hugh is available online, as well as on multiple platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you don’t already, please subscribe so that you can receive new episodes of the podcast when they’re released.

     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

For the first time in school history, Ball State University has won the Mid-American Conference’s (MAC) most prestigious honor for athletics: the Dr. Carol A. Cartwright Award for excellence in academics, athletics, and citizenship. Each year, a MAC committee selects a university to receive this honor. Ball State is the recipient for the 2024-25 school year. 

Ball State’s athletics programs delivered standout performances across multiple sports—and reached historic academic milestones during the 2024-25 academic year. For the first time in recent history, all 19 varsity programs recorded a team GPA above 3.0 in both semesters, with the department achieving its highest Spring semester GPA in the past decade (3.487) and its highest full-year GPA in 10 years (3.46). Also, Ball State has a 93 percent graduation rate among its student-athletes, underscoring a strong culture of achievement in the classroom.

Beyond academics and athletics, Ball State student-athletes significantly impacted their community, contributing more than 4,200 hours of service throughout Muncie, Delaware County, and beyond. Their efforts included food drives that provided more than 1,000 pounds of donations, volunteering with local senior living centers and adaptive sports programs, hosting youth events like movie nights, and leading environmental initiatives such as a river clean-up.

Read more in this Ball State Athletics press release.

Ball State University is naming its legislative internship program after two of the program’s influential past leaders: Tad “Doc” Perry, professor emeritus of political science; and current Ball State University Trustee and College of Sciences and Humanities graduate Mike McDaniel, ’73 MPA ’79. 

Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns publicly shared the news about the Tad “Doc” Perry and Mike McDaniel Indiana Legislative Internship Program when he spoke at an alumni event on Sept. 11.

Additionally, the University seeks to establish a $2 million endowment to ensure the long-term sustainability of this legislative internship program—through which Ball State students can pursue an opportunity to intern in the Indiana General Assembly. Annual endowment proceeds will support individual student experiences and provide resources to strengthen the program.

A campus-wide initiative that attracts students from various academic backgrounds, this internship program is housed in the University’s Office of Governmental Relations and Industry Engagement.

Professor Perry and Trustee McDaniel played pivotal roles in the evolution of this program. In the 1970s, the two formed a partnership to grow and expand the opportunity for internships in the General Assembly. Since then, nearly 500 Ball State students have served as Indiana General Assembly interns.

Ball State University was the host sponsor for this year’s Innovate East Central Indiana - Muncie event, which was held Sept. 17 at the Horizon Convention Center.

This event, part of IBJ Media’s annual Innovate Indiana Series, offered opportunities for local and regional business and community leaders to meet, explore key drivers in the area’s economic development, gain valuable insights, and foster partnerships that can lead to meaningful impact on communities.

The keynote speaker was Suzanne Jaworowski, the secretary of energy and natural resources for the State of Indiana, appointed by Gov. Mike Braun. Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns also spoke. Additionally, President Mearns was on the event’s panel, along with:

A new anchor in Muncie for immersive learning, student design coursework, and Ball State University-community collaborations is being developed by Ball State—bringing the University’s students, faculty, and research to the heart of the city.

Ball State and its Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning (ECAP) recently signed a two-year lease for the first floor of the historic Columbia Theater Building at 306 S. Walnut Street in downtown Muncie.

Beginning this Fall semester, the site will house ECAP studio courses in landscape architecture and urban planning. The location—almost 5,000 square feet—will also support exhibitions, project showcases, and events that invite community engagement around planning, historic preservation, and design.

Read more in this Ball State press release.

The excitement of the gridiron has come to the virtual field this Fall with Ball State University’s inaugural EA SPORTS® College Football 26 tournament, a collaborative effort between Ball State Athletics, the University’s Division of Marketing and Communications, and the University’s nationally acclaimed Esports program.

The single-elimination Ball State tournament kicked off Aug. 29, with play on Fridays through Sept. 26. The championship match is set for Saturday, Oct. 4. In a nod to Cardinal pride, all tournament games feature both competitors playing as Ball State.

Released in July, EA SPORTS College Football 26 builds on the massive success of last year’s relaunch of the beloved college football video game series, which had been on an 11-year hiatus. The 2025 edition logged more than 700 million plays nationwide, fueling anticipation for new ways to engage with the game. More information is available on the tournament website.

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