This month, Ball State had visits from two of the University’s notable graduates—David Letterman, ’69, and Randy Pond, ’77—who returned to campus to share their insights and talents. I am grateful to them for being so generous with their time and for sharing these intangible gifts.
Mr. Letterman appeared at Emens Auditorium May 1 for the free, public premiere of the original, student-produced documentary “Clear Reception,” which features Mr. Letterman and focuses on the art of glass. Mr. Letterman made multiple visits to campus during the 2021-22 school year to collaborate with students and supervising staff on this innovative project. Read more about the documentary in this Ball State press release.
Mr. Pond, who is corporate vice president of finance at AMD, returned to campus to speak at the main ceremony at Ball State’s 2023 Spring Commencement on May 6. In his speech, he encouraged our graduates to lead engaging and fulfilling lives. Mr. Pond also received the President’s Medal of Distinction—one of Ball State’s highest honors—in recognition of his professional achievements and generous service.
What a pleasure it is to send our graduating Cardinals off to pursue fulfilling careers and meaningful lives. And what a blessing it is when they return to Ball State to contribute in various ways to our campus and surrounding community.
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Geoffrey S. Mearns
President
Ball State University
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Ball State President Marks Six Years as University’s Leader
May 15 marked the sixth anniversary of President Geoffrey S. Mearns’ first day serving as president of Ball State University.
In an email and video to University faculty and staff distributed on May 15, President Mearns reflected on the challenges—including a global pandemic—and successes—including facility enhancements and growth in enrollment—our campus community has experienced in the last six years.
He contemplated some of the great plans ahead of Ball State—including the revitalization of the Village and renovations of several of the University’s academic buildings. Additionally, he expressed deep gratitude for the hard work and contributions of the University’s faculty and staff.
View the email and video online.
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Administrative Coordinator Named 2023 A. Jane Morton Award Recipient
Melissa Hull, administrative coordinator in the Department of English, has been named the 2023 recipient of the A. Jane Morton Award for Excellence in Staff Performance. Each year, the A. Jane Morton Award honoree is selected from a group of nominated active full-time exempt and non-exempt staff personnel who have been University employees for at least five years. The award—one of Ball State’s most prestigious honors—recognizes a continual demonstration of outstanding efforts of one person to all segments of the University community. Those who nominated Ms. Hull lauded her as a caring and dedicated professional, citing numerous examples to support this praise.
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Governmental Relations & Industry Engagement |
Stay Current on the Latest Statehouse News
The Office of Governmental Relations & Industry Engagement invites you to subscribe to its weekly newsletter, Statehouse Update. The newsletter provides updates on key legislation being followed by the University and insights into the legislative process. Sign up or view past editions of the newsletter.
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Our Call to Beneficence Podcast |
Latest Episode of Our Call to Beneficence Features Ball State Graduate and AMD Corporate VP, Randy Pond
Randy Pond—corporate vice president, finance at AMD—is the guest on the May 2023 episode of the monthly podcast Our Call to Beneficence, hosted by Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns. This episode is available now.
Mr. Pond, ’77, graduated from Miller College of Business with degrees in Accounting and Economics. Previously, he was chief financial officer and operating officer of Pensando Systems, a start-up company in Silicon Valley, where he also served on the board. Mr. Pond also spent 23 years with Cisco Systems, with the final role of executive vice president of Operations, Processes, and Systems.
Mr. Pond was the keynote speaker at the main ceremony of Ball State’s Spring 2023 Commencement held May 6 on the Old Quad. The day prior, he was awarded the President’s Medal of Distinction. Also during this visit to campus, Mr. Pond was interviewed for Our Call to Beneficence.
All episodes of the Our Call to Beneficence podcast are available on multiple platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. Subscriptions and reviews are also encouraged to help grow the audience for this podcast.
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Upskilling, Personal Enrichment Opportunities Available Through Lifetime Learning
Lifetime Learning by Ball State prepares people with in-demand work skills, as well as personal enrichment to improve overall wellbeing. Below are two of many opportunities:
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- Numerous Technology Training Courses
Lifetime Learning by Ball State offers online self-led courses as pathways to recognized industry credentials for today’s in-demand technologies through online partner SkillStorm. Add tech skills or break into the field with 20- to 30-hour courses in Java, SQL, Mobile App Development, Introduction to AWS (Amazon Web Services), and more. Or take a 90-hour Introduction to Coding course. Learn more and register online.
- “What's on Your Plate: Food Story Writing” Three-Day Workshop in July
Lifetime Learning by Ball State is offering this three-day, in-person course in which participants will talk and write about the intersection of food and culture and engage in food storytelling. Nonfiction essays, food memoirs, and poetry will be used as writing prompts. There will be exploration of how ethnic, family, or religious cultures—even zip codes—impact what fills shopping carts and pantries. The workshop sessions will be held 6:30-8 p.m. on July 11, 18, and 25 at the Ball State University Fishers Center. The workshop cost of $75 includes all three days. Learn more and register online.
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For more course and workshop opportunities, visit Lifetime Learning by Ball State’s Spring 2023 online catalog.
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Ball State University Foundation |
Fundraising Record Set during One Ball State Day 2023
One Ball State Day (OBSD) 2023 was extremely successful, with the amount raised surpassing $1.2 million—the largest in OBSD history. More than 7,400 gifts were made during this 24-hour fundraising event held April 5. Gifts and OBSD participation of faculty, staff, student and their families, alumni, and friends of Ball State were key to the success.
Here are several other noteworthy facts about OBSD 2023:
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- Number of gifts from Ball State students: 220
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Number of gifts from Ball State employees: 2,510 (There were more employee donors this year than last year.)
- Number of employee ambassadors: More than 115
- Percentage of academic department representation among employee ambassadors: 100%
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Number of matches/challenges issued: 147 (a record)—representing a 14.8% increase over 2022 and accounts for a 9% increase in challenge dollars.
- Percentage of deans, coaches, and cabinet members who issued matches and/or challenges: 100% (many department chairs and faculty did matches/challenges as well.)
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Colleges with the largest donor increases over OBSD 2022: Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning, College of Health, College of Sciences and Humanities
- Sports with the most gifts: Field hockey, gymnastics, men’s golf, men’s baseball
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Institutional Research and Decision Support Launches Blog and Data Warehousing, Adds Two Staffers
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The Office of Institution Research and Decision Support (IRDS) recently launched the blog Data Insider, which focuses on what is going on in the world of analysis and analytics at Ball State.
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There are new developments in data warehousing involving the processes and integrations needed to support analysis and analytics. The first offering to the community, the Core dashboards, were rolled out for access in late 2022. There are nearly 190 people trained to use the Core dashboards to help inform their work in accreditation, institutional effectiveness, and student success.
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Data warehouse implementation is being leveraged to make effective use of data science. Through IRDS’ partnership with HelioCampus, advanced machine learning will be used to help predict the strongest factors in student attrition at a student level. This information will be used to target interventions to retain students more effectively and improve overall student retention.
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IRDS has hired two new staffers: Lisa Hensel, research assistant; and Jonathan Voth, research associate. Learn more about Ms. Hensel and Mr. Voth in this IRDS Data Insider blog.
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LEAD Academy Graduates 21 Participants this Spring
Twenty-one participants from across the Ball State campus graduated from the Leadership Excellence and Development (LEAD) program this Spring upon completion of the program on May 3:
Nickolas Atlas, director of Student Services; Jim Klenner, associate director of Research Integrity, and Biosafety Officer; Kristin Ramsey, assistant director and project manager of The Virginia B. Ball Center for Creative Inquiry; Desiree Soptelean, secretary to the director, Center for Information and Communication Studies, Emma Crumley, associate director of Athletics/director of Athletic Development; Kate Webber, senior director of Alumni Engagement and Strategic Initiatives; McKenzie Carman, Human Resources Partner, Will Foster, Amy Hardesty, associate director of Operations and Quality Control; Anthony Rench, Associate Director Of Environmental Health And Safety; Sam Rowe, assistant director of Accounts Payable; Kamille Webb, assistant director of Business Affairs Strategic Initiatives; Cole Heady, director of Decision Support; Alex Kluber, director of Institutional Research; Courney Barrett, associate director of Training; Alicia Miller, assistant director of Global Initiatives; Kevonna Tyler, assistant General Counsel-Public Access Officer and Freedom of Expression Coordinator; Domenic Centofanti, senior videographer and editor in the University Marketing and Communications Division; Jon Glesing, chief client services officer in the University Marketing and Communications Division; Lt. Matt Gaither, Ball State University Police; and Gabrielle Lloyd, director of the Multicultural Center.
To date, there have been 127 LEAD graduates. Questions about the LEAD program can be directed to Charity Coffman, assistant director of Organizational Development and Learning.
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R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning |
ECAP Wins Solar Decathlon Build Challenge for Eco-Friendly Duplex That will Be Home for Two Families in Indianapolis
R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning (ECAP) is celebrating a major victory as its team of students and faculty won the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® 2023 Build Challenge. The team's project, an eco-friendly duplex called “Alley House,” was chosen as the overall winning project among 15 entries from top universities around the world. Alley House is located at 201 N. Temple Ave. on the Near Eastside of Indianapolis. The duplex will be affordable housing for two families soon.
The Solar Decathlon is an international competition challenging teams to design and build net-zero energy homes that generate at least as much energy onsite as they consume. In addition to the grand prize, Alley House earned ECAP teams additional first- or second-place awards in six of the 10 contest areas.
ECAP also had two teams participating in the Solar Decathlon Design Challenge, earning prizes for their designs in the Education Building Division (second place); and Office Building Division, (third place). A full list of winners in the 2023 Design Challenge contests is online.
Learn more about Alley House and ECAP’s 2023 Solar Decathlon victories in this entry on ECAP’s blog site.
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Miller College of Business |
MCOB Shares Student Learning Outcomes, Inspires Faculty to ‘Close the Loop’
Miller College of Business (MCOB) held an Assurance of Learning (AOL) Idea Fair & Reception on April 19 to foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing among faculty members. The event shared student-learning outcomes and encouraged faculty to explore new ways of closing the loop in their classes.
At the event, each outcome had a dedicated table to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the student-learning outcomes. Staffed by knowledgeable steering committee members, each table offered handouts featuring recent results, insights, and idea.
The Idea Fair provided a fruitful platform for attendees to exchange ideas, discuss best practices, and explore innovative approaches to enhance student-learning outcomes. Faculty were encouraged to reflect on their teaching practices and consider new strategies to ensure a more effective and impactful learning experience for their students. The college plans on making this a reoccurring event.
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College of Communication, Information, and Media |
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The Ball State Esports varsity team swept Miami Ohio in four games to win the Esports Collegiate Overwatch 2 Championship on April 29. Ball State’s program was also recognized at the 2023 Esports Collegiate Awards in Texas on May 7, when it was named “Program of the Year.”
- The Speech Team placed ninth in the 2023 National Forensics Association (NFA) Championship held April 13-17 at Bradley University in Illinois. Students Jordan Denagall and Hayden Adams won their respective categories and others earned second, fourth, and fifth places.
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The Broadcast Education Association (BEA) ranked the College of Communication, Information, and Media (CCIM) among the top 10 sports, documentary and overall programs. CCIM placed eighth nationally out of 103 ranked institutions in “2022 Top Winning Overall Programs.” CCIM also placed second in the nation in “Top Winning Sports Programs,” and seventh in “2022 Top Winning Documentary Programs.”
- McKinley Avenue Agency students were recognized in the College Media Business & Advertising Managers competition:
- Karissa Wiegand, First Place: Best PR Director
- Jose Leyva, Third Place: Best Sales Director
- Katie Harp, Honorable Mention: Best Designer
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Accolades, Awards, and a Scholarship
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Recent Ball State graduates Imani Brissett and Sawyer True participated in the 2023 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in Washington, D.C., in April. Imani Brissett won The College of Fellows Jane Alexander Award for Acting, in association with the College of Fellows of the American Theatre, and The Mark Twain Scholarship for Comic Performance. In addition, Imani, assisted by Sawyer True, received first place in The Irene Ryan National Acting Scholarship.
- The Wrecking Crew Trumpet Ensemble was selected to perform at this summer’s International Trumpet Guild Conference in Minneapolis, Minn. The ensemble was selected after a review of video submissions from around the country. The annual event draws over 3,000 musicians, including international soloists, professors, ensembles, and students from all over the world.
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David Owsley Museum of Art (DOMA) student employee and recent Ball State graduate Hannah Sprenger has been named the Ball State Student Employee of the Year for 2023. In addition, she was chosen as runner-up for the Student Employee of the Year in the Critical Thinking category by the Midwest Association of Student Employment Administrators (MASEA).
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College of Health Hosts Summer Program
The College of Health is continuing to host programs over the Summer to boost health and wellness:
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The Interprofessional Community Clinic(ICC) will be open 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Scheduling appointments, filling out forms, and learning more about ICC’s services can be done online.
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The Healthy Lifestyle Center’s HABITS Podcast will have new episodes available in June and July on a variety of health topics. Find all episodes online.
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Cardinal Wellness, a College of Health community partner, will offer health assessments, Zumba, and strength and conditioning classes from 6-8 p.m. every Monday and Thursday at Harvest Christian Church, 1010 E. Centennial Ave., in Muncie until June 8. Then, activities will be relocated to Tuhey Pool, 500 North St. in Muncie, with aqua Zumba classes 6-7 p.m. every Monday and Thursday. Also, visit Cardinal Wellness July 10-22 at the Delaware County Fair.
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College of Sciences and Humanities |
Criminal Justice and Criminology Department Hosts ‘Stop the Bleed’ Event
Students in Dr. Amy Beckett’s CJC 398 Human Services course and nurses from IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital held a “Stop the Bleed” event at the end of April at Ball State’s North Quad. Stop the Bleed is a program that provides certification for administering life-saving emergency care in the event of a shooting. Nearly 100 event participants received certification.
The event was attended by students, faculty, and staff throughout the day. Facilitators trained individuals and provided vital information on what to do in an active-shooter situation, how to administer a tourniquet, and on other related topics.
CSH Students, Faculty Receive Immersive Learning Awards
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2023 Teachers College Outstanding Awards Winners Announced
Outstanding Research Award – Rachel Geesa, Department of Educational Leadership
Outstanding Inclusive Excellence Award – Kirsten Robbins, Department of Elementary Education
Outstanding Service Award – Nicole Martin, Department of Elementary Education
Outstanding Teaching Award – Rebecca Brown, Department of Elementary Education
Outstanding University Schools Teaching Award – Robert Jones, Burris Laboratory School
Outstanding Professional Staff Award – Taylor Hubble, Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities
Outstanding Staff Award – Anna Sammelson, Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities
Equity and Excellence in Education Dissertation Award – Bobby Steele; Dissertation Chair – Amanda Latz
Dean’s Citation for Outstanding Service
Stephanie Nagelkirk, Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities
Heather Abernathy, Burris Laboratory School
Dean’s Citation for Outstanding Leadership
Linda Martin, Department of Elementary Education
Richard Seymour, Department of Educational Studies
Teachers College Associate Dean, Dr. Lowery, Co-Authors Book
Kendra Lowery, associate dean for Equity and Engagement and associate professor of Educational Leadership, co-authored the book, Engraving School Districts With the Cultural Wealth and Social Justice Advocacy of Latina/o/x School Leaders: Stories From the Field. The book explores the cultural wealth of Latina/o/x school leaders and opportunities for school districts that hire and support them. Dr. Lowery co-authored the book with Silvia Romero-Johnson, an educational leader in the field of K-12 education.
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Ball State-Ivy Tech Honors Partnership Established
The Ball State Honors College and Ivy Tech Community College’s statewide honors program recently finalized an articulation agreement which establishes the Ball State-Ivy Tech Honors partnership. Spearheaded by Dr. Emily Ruth Rutter, associate dean of Ball State Honors College, this new partnership eases the transfer of honors credits for students who have earned their Ivy Tech diploma or certificate. This Summer, two incoming students are availing themselves of this opportunity by transferring their Ivy Tech Honors credits to Ball State Honors College.
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Recently Launched Collection Spotlight Features Diversity Award-Winning Books
University Libraries has launched a collection spotlight to help people discover new physical and electronic books, and diversity award-winning books. There are 23 diversity award categories, including ALA (American Library Association) Stonewall Book Award, Women’s Prize for Fiction, Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, Frederick Douglass Book Prize, and more.
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