August 16, 2022
Dear Friend:
This week, Ball State University is welcoming our new students to our beautiful campus. This is a time for these students to get acclimated—and connect with the people, places, and traditions that make our campus community special. Given all that Ball State has to offer, one week isn’t enough.
So, we have expanded our traditional "Welcome Week" to "Weeks of Welcome," which run from August 14 through September 24. Activities during this time will focus on promoting students’ sense of belonging through academic and social experiences, familiarizing students with key locations and support resources on campus, fostering school spirit, and offering opportunities for students to meet one another.
Ball State helps prepare incoming students for college in other ways. The University’s online orientation modules, specifically for our incoming freshmen, help students learn about campus resources before and after attending their on-campus orientation program. Also, we have created a virtual checklist to help students to track their completion of tasks, including registering for orientation and getting their official Ball State University student ID card.
Those are just a few ways Ball State helps our new students transition to college life, complete required tasks, and make meaningful connections within our campus community. I am grateful to my colleagues who are involved with "Weeks of Welcome," our online orientation modules, and our other efforts to put our new students on a trajectory for success and fulfillment in their first year of college and beyond.
Below are a few more stories that I hope you will enjoy and then share. Let your friends and colleagues know how “We Fly” at Ball State.
| |
Sincerely,
Geoffrey S. Mearns
President
Ball State University
| |
Ball State University Honors 2022 Summer Graduates
Ball State University honored more than 1,200 graduates at the University’s Summer Commencement ceremony for the Class of 2022. The program was held July 23 at Worthen Arena on Ball State’s campus.
As part of a longstanding tradition, Ball State selected an outstanding faculty member to address its Summer graduates. This year’s outstanding faculty member was Dr. W. Holmes Finch Jr., George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Educational Psychology at Ball State’s Teachers College.
Read more about Ball State’s 2022 Summer Commencement ceremony, and the highlights of the speeches delivered by Dr. Finch and President Mearns, in this Ball State press release.
| |
Next Episode of Our Call to Beneficence Features Ball State Graduate Dan Towriss, CEO & President of Group 1001
Ball State graduate and esteemed business executive Dan Towriss ’94 is the guest on the next episode of the monthly podcast Our Call to Beneficence, hosted by Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns. This episode will be available on Aug. 31.
Mr. Towriss is the CEO and president of Indianapolis-based Group1001, a privately owned insurance group with assets that include its wholly-owned subsidiary Gainbridge—a digital platform in the finance and insurance sectors.
An insurance industry veteran with more than 22 years of experience in the life insurance sector, Mr. Towriss earned a bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science from Ball State. He has served on the Ball State University Foundation’s Board of Directors since 2019. He is also a member of the board of directors of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, and RISE, and is director emeritus for Indy Women in Tech.
Subscriptions and reviews are also encouraged to help grow the audience for this podcast.
| |
Ball State graduate David Redden Selected as New Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Labor
Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb recently appointed Ball State University graduate and longtime retail industry executive David Redden as the new commissioner of the Indiana Department of Labor. Mr. Redden’s appointment began July 25. He replaces Joe Hoage, who was named commissioner of the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
Mr. Redden’s retail industry experience includes serving as the senior vice president of human resources for Marsh Supermarkets in Indianapolis from 1996 to 2015. Before that, Mr. Redden held various other key roles at Marsh, including general manager, vice president of warehousing and transportation, and vice president of personnel. He has also served as the president of Village Pantries.
Mr. Redden earned a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and a master’s degree in Management Science from Ball State. Read more in this State of Indiana press release.
| |
Dr. Rashida Willard hired as new Associate Vice President of Inclusive Excellence
Dr. Rashida Willard will join Ball State University as associate vice president of Inclusive Excellence, effective Sept. 19, Dr. Charlene Alexander, chief strategy officer, announced.
Dr. Willard, who has more than 20 years of experience in risk mitigation—including more than seven years in higher education at Clark College, one of the largest community colleges in the Pacific Northwest—will be providing strategic leadership for, and overall management of, Ball State’s Office of Inclusive Excellence. The unit is dedicated to the recruitment, retention, and celebration of diverse faculty, staff, and students who possess a variety of worldviews, identities, and experiences. It also assists Ball State’s colleges in integrating diversity, equity, and educational quality efforts into their missions and institutional operations.
| |
Deedie Dowdle Joins Ball State as new Vice President of Marketing and Communications
Deedie Dowdle has joined Ball State University as vice president of Marketing and Communications.
Ms. Dowdle has extensive experience in marketing and communications in institutions of higher education, having spent time at Miami University, where she was associate vice president of university communications and marketing, as well as in marketing roles at Auburn University and Kennesaw State University. Ms. Dowdle also knows the Indiana market well, having spent the last five years as vice president for communications and marketing at DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind.
At Ball State, Ms. Dowdle will advance critical priorities important to the University’s brand position, and she is working with partners across campus to strengthen core messaging and increase marketing competitiveness.
Read more about Ms. Dowdle in this email from Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns.
| |
NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Awarded to 2022 Ball State University Graduate, Former Student-Athlete
Ball State University May 2022 graduate Alexa McDonald of Hilliard, Ohio, has been awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship in recognition of her accomplishments in academics, athletics, extracurricular activities, and community service. A member of Ball State’s Swimming and Diving team from 2018-2022, Ms. McDonald was one of only 21 female Spring sport athletes nationwide to receive this $10,000 scholarship.
Ms. McDonald completed her bachelor’s degree in Biology, with a minor in Chemistry, from Ball State’s College of Sciences and Humanities. She graduated summa cum laude from Ball State and the University’s Honors College with a 3.98 GPA. This Fall, she will enter the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program at Colorado State University. She plans to eventually open her own veterinary hospital and conduct animal research. Read more in this Ball State press release.
| |
Ball State University’s Sports Link Earns College Sports Media Awards
Ball State Sports Link is an immersive student learning experience that connects audiences with the athletics community, delivering exclusive content on far-reaching platforms to showcase sports at Ball State. Sports Link showcases Cardinal student-athletes’ accomplishments on the field, in the classroom and within the surrounding community.
| |
Nominations Accepted for Ball State’s Top 100 Student Awards
The Top 100 Student Awards, a program established in 2021 by the Ball State University Foundation, will honor 100 outstanding Ball State juniors and seniors who excel in three categories: academic excellence, campus leadership, and community impact. This awards program is also an opportunity to educate students on the importance of staying connected to Ball State once they graduate, while also continuing to grow the culture of Beneficence. Any Ball State faculty or staff member can nominate an eligible student. The nomination period is Aug. 22-Oct. 28, 2022. An event for the top 50 students is scheduled for Saturday, March 25, 2023. Learn more.
| |
Day of Beneficence 2022 Continues Ball State Alumni Tradition of Making a Difference in Communities
Ball State University’s Alumni Association held its third annual Day of Beneficence on June 11, 2022. Day of Beneficence is an opportunity for Ball State alumni from all over to positively impact communities through service events and projects done on this day.
This year’s Day of Beneficence impact included:
- Over 200 participants across the country
- Seventeen on-site coordinated projects, including a blood drive, a virtual opportunity, plus multiple independent projects. One of those independent projects was in Minnesota; the rest were in Indiana.
- Eleven units of blood were collected at the blood drive, which was held on Ball State’s campus. A unit of blood typically saves up to three lives. The Ball State University Alumni Association partnered with Versiti on this blood drive.
- Seven cities in four states—Indiana, Ohio, Texas, and California—hosted on-site coordinated projects.
The Ball State Day of Beneficence concept was developed during a 2018 Alumni Council meeting. The moniker represents the Cardinals’ gift of time and talent to their communities around the country.
| |
Connect With UsFollow us on social media to stay up to date with current campaigns, news and events
| |
|
|
|
|
