Dear Colleagues:

     This year’s Spring Commencement was a particularly special occasion for our University. The main ceremony, held at the Arts Terrace on our beautiful Quad, brought together approximately 7,500 graduates, faculty, staff, family members, and community guests. In total, Ball State awarded approximately 2,800 degrees to graduates from our doctoral, specialist, master’s, and baccalaureate programs.

     Award-winning actor, producer, and philanthropist Hugh Jackman addressed our Spring Class of 2026, offering thoughtful reflections to our graduates about trusting themselves and their instincts. Ball State awarded Hugh—an advocate for the arts and humanities—an honorary Doctor of Arts degree. Over the past year, he has been generous with his time and engagement with our University community, including his work with our theatre students. He first visited Ball State last September and returned to Muncie in November to host a screening of his film, Song Sung Blue, which opened in theaters on Dec. 25.

     The livestream of this year’s Spring Commencement had more than 6,200 views. Hugh shared his involvement in the ceremony across multiple posts to his Facebook, X, and Instagram accounts. One such video—a collage of photos from the day’s festivities—garnered more than 2 million views on Instagram. In total, his coverage of Commencement ensured that hundreds of thousands of his fans knew about his affiliation with our University. This terrific video—created and edited by staff members in our University’s Division of Marketing and Communications—can be seen here. 

     Additionally, Hugh discussed his role in Commencement on ABC’s The View and NBC’s TODAY show. Also, his address was shared by CSPAN.

     I am grateful that Hugh agreed to be our Commencement speaker. His participation elevated this special occasion, while keeping the focus where it belongs—on our graduates and the family members, friends, and faculty and staff who supported them.

     We also recognized Ball State Trustee Rick Hall, ’89, who received the President’s Medal of Distinction—one of the University’s highest honors—for his distinguished legal career and his longstanding service to Ball State. Rick has served on our Board of Trustees since 2007, including terms as chair from 2014-20 and 2024-26. I am grateful for his leadership and his continued commitment to our University.

     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’s men’s volleyball team advanced to the semifinal round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship, marking the program’s second semifinal appearance in five years and its 17th NCAA Tournament appearance overall. The Cardinals earned their first NCAA Tournament win since 1995 en route to the semifinals. They fell to the University of California, Irvine, on May 9 in Los Angeles. Read more about Ball State’s successful 2026 men’s volleyball season online.

In related news, Ball State head coach Mike Iandolo has been named the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s National Coach of the Year. In his first season leading the Cardinals, Coach Iandolo guided the team to a 26-4 record—the program’s highest win total since 1997—and a No. 7 national ranking, including 13 wins over nationally ranked opponents. Read more in this Ball State Athletics press release.

Ball State’s Admitted Student Day on April 10 welcomed 4,514 visitors, including 1,691 admitted students—the annual event’s largest attendance since 2022. More than a third of those students were visiting the campus for the first time.

Admitted Student Day is an open-house-style event for prospective undergraduate students who have been offered admission to Ball State. Throughout the day, students and their families explored the campus, connected with academic programs, and learned more about student life and the next steps in the enrollment process. They engaged with faculty, staff, and current students. For many attendees, the experience plays an important role in their college decision.

Learn more in this Admitted Student Day highlight video, and get ready to welcome thousands of new Cardinals back to campus for Orientation between June 1 and July 9.

Dr. Adam Kuban, professor in Ball State University’s School of Journalism and Strategic Communication, has been named Teacher of the Year by the Scripps Howard Fund as part of the 73rd Scripps Howard Journalism Awards.

He received the Charles E. Scripps Award for Journalism Teacher of the Year, a national honor recognizing excellence in journalism education. Presented by the Scripps Howard Fund and The E.W. Scripps Company, the awards recognize outstanding journalism across 12 categories and are among the nation’s most prestigious journalism competitions. This year’s winners and finalists were selected from more than 600 entries by a panel of veteran journalists and media leaders.

Dr. Kuban is the second Ball State faculty member to receive this award, joining Dr. Jennifer Palilonis, George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Multimedia Journalism, who earned the honor in 2012.

At Ball State, Dr. Kuban leads media-based, community-engaged projects that provide students with opportunities to produce journalism and storytelling for real audiences and community partners. These projects have included books, magazines, websites, apps, and documentaries, often focused on science- or sports-related topics.

 Read more in this Ball State press release.

In April, Ball State University’s Interprofessional Community Clinics (ICCs), in partnership with the Heart of Indiana United Way and with support from the George and Frances Ball Foundation and Early Years Indiana, unveiled a redesigned waiting area to enhance early learning, family engagement, and the patient experience.

The updated space creates a literacy-rich, interactive environment that encourages children and caregivers to engage in meaningful play and conversation, extending learning beyond clinical appointments. Inspired by United Way’s Talking is Teaching: Talk, Read, Sing and Read & Achieve initiatives, the space emphasizes the importance of early language development.

Established in 2019, the ICCs serve as a clinical resource and a hands-on training environment for students, offering services across audiology, speech pathology, counseling, and wellness. Each year, the clinics provide thousands of patient visits while preparing hundreds of students for fulfilling careers in healthcare through immersive, real-world experiences.

The waiting area transformation was designed and implemented by students in an immersive learning course led by Dr. Jeanne McMillan, ’83 MA ’84 EdD ’11, associate clinical professor of speech pathology and audiology. Students played a central role in shaping the space, focusing on accessibility, engagement, and developmental impact.

Read more in this Ball State press release.

After 34 years of teaching at Ball State, the late Dr. Paul R. Errington was honored with a newly dedicated electronics laboratory on the University’s Muncie campus—a fitting tribute to a professor whose handmade equipment is still used by students. The dedication ceremony was held on April 9.

Located in the Cooper Science Building, the laboratory serves as a primary instructional space for electronics courses and as a hub for student research. Dr. Errington retired in 2004 after more than three decades at Ball State. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 79.

Read more about Dr. Errington and his legacy in this Ball State University blog.

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