Dear Colleagues:

     Our annual Ball State Day at the Statehouse was held on January 30, and it proved to be successful once again. This special event was marked by positive engagement between our University community and lawmakers, state officials, and key stakeholders. Faculty, staff, students, alumni, and other Ball State supporters who attended shared valuable information and meaningful stories about how Ball State serves its students and benefits Indiana.

     Ball State Day at the Statehouse was also an opportunity for our University to demonstrate our gratitude to the General Assembly, which supports us in achieving our mission of preparing students to pursue fulfilling careers and meaningful lives. 

     Among Ball State's key messages shared during this event is our University's efforts to help Indiana employers develop a talent pipeline through our Skills Infusion program, as well as the mentoring and Immersive Learning opportunities we provide to our students.

     This year at Ball State Day at the Statehouse, we held a special ceremony to publicly recognize the Ball State County Ambassador Program—which complements our University's important work. In our ambassador program, every Indiana county can appoint a current Ball State student to represent that county. In return, these student ambassadors are asked to promote their local communities through interactions they have with their fellow students.

     Ball State Day at the Statehouse is a public event. I encourage anyone who wants to share their positive Ball State story—or learn more about our University’s impact on Indiana—to join us at next year’s event.

     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’s Charles W. Brown Planetarium —Indiana’s largest planetarium—will host a full slate of free activities in anticipation of Muncie’s first total solar eclipse in more than 1,000 years. From April 5-7, the planetarium will present a series of shows, programs, workshops, and lectures about the total solar eclipse, which will occur in Muncie on the afternoon of April 8.

     More campus eclipse-related events will be added to the University’s online calendar  in the coming days and weeks. For those looking to experience the total eclipse on April 8, Ball State is encouraging visitors to participate in the programming being hosted by the City of Muncie and the Muncie Visitors Bureau. More information, including resources, viewing sites, lodging, activities, and more—can be found on the Muncie Eclipse website. Read more in this Ball State press release.

     Conducted by Ball State’s Bowen Center for Public Affairs, the Hoosier Survey is an annual non-partisan public policy study that represents the pulse of the state regarding the most pressing issues facing Indiana residents. This is the only Indiana-specific survey in the state that examines Hoosiers’ opinions on a variety of national, state, and local issues. Several demographics are collected with each survey, including gender, political party, ideology, age, education, race, income, and religious service attendance. The entire 2023 Hoosier Survey results—which includes questions regarding thoughts on marijuana use, abortion, President Joe Biden, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, and more—can be found on the Bowen Center for Public Affairs website. Read more in this Ball State press release. 

     Dr. April Hay joined Ball State University as its new university registrar on Feb. 5. Dr. Hay has more than 20 years of experience in the registrar profession, most recently serving as registrar at Indiana State University for the past 13 years. A member of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), Dr. Hay began her professional career at Indiana State in 2003, serving as assistant registrar. She was promoted to associate registrar (2006) and then assistant dean of the College of Graduate and Professional Studies (2009) before being named the university’s registrar in 2010. Dr. Hay earned her bachelor’s (Business Administration), master’s (Business Administration), and doctorate (Curriculum and Instruction) degrees from Indiana State. Read more in this Ball State press release.

     The David Owsley Museum of Art (DOMA) at Ball State University presents a selection of paintings and sculptures from the Haukohl family collection—the largest collection of Florentine Baroque art of the late 16th to the early 18th centuries outside of Italy—from Feb. 22 through May 19, 2024. Assembled over more than 35 years by Houston-based art collector and co-founder of the Medici Archive Project, Sir Mark Fehrs Haukohl, Beyond the Medici: The Haukohl Family Collection  illustrates how the Florentine artists of that era influenced European art history, politics, and philosophy to a far greater extent than has previously been perceived. The exhibition features paintings and sculptures depicting allegories, religious narratives, genre scenes, and portraits that display refined sentiments and skillful execution. Read more about this exhibition coming to DOMA in this Ball State press release.

     Ball State University’s Department of Biology has received a significant donation of $20,000 from the Todd Siebert Memorial Foundation. The foundation, aimed at advancing research in C9ORF72 -linked Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), was established in honor of Todd Siebert, who lost his battle with ALS in 2021 at the age of 51. The generous grant marks the formation of the Smaldino ALS/FTD Research Project Fund at the Ball State University Foundation.

     Dr. Philip Smaldino, associate professor of cell biology at Ball State and the primary investigator leading the C9ORF72 ALS research project , expressed his gratitude for the foundation’s support during its visit to campus on Dec. 7, 2023. The foundation was represented by Tina Siebert, widow of Todd Siebert, and Erin Eckerle, president of the Todd Siebert Memorial Foundation. The funds provided by the Todd Siebert Memorial Foundation will empower Dr. Smaldino and his team to develop innovative strategies for therapeutic targeting of DHX36, a key enzyme associated with ALS. The ultimate goal is to contribute to the understanding and treatment of this devastating neurodegenerative disease, for which there is currently no cure. Read more in this Ball State press release.

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