May 29, 2025

    Earlier this month, approximately 2,800 graduates earned their degrees from our University. As they depart our campus, they now enter a new stage of life in pursuit of fulfilling careers and meaningful lives.

    I am grateful to all of my colleagues who, each and every year, help our graduates embark upon this new life chapter. I am especially grateful to our Career Center staff for their work in helping prepare our new graduates for the variety of career paths that await them. According to our First Destination Report, which is compiled by our Career Center, 91 percent of Spring 2024 graduates reported placement. Of those reporting employment, 78 percent chose to live and work in Indiana. This statistic is especially meaningful given the impact of our graduates on the economy of our state.

    In recognition of their work, the Career Center team recently received the 2025 Career Service Pursuit of Excellence Award from The Career Leadership Collective. This award recognizes colleges and universities that embody a holistic and long-standing commitment and pursuit of excellence in career services.

    This month, our Career Center colleagues also hosted the annual conference of the Career Development Professionals of Indiana, which was held May 20 on our campus. As I shared in my message to conference attendees, “I am grateful to our career services team for their hard work and their commitment to producing outstanding professional outcomes for our students. And I am very proud of the many ways in which our career services team are national leaders in this important work.”

Sincerely,

Geoffrey S. Mearns
President
Ball State University

Update on Ball State’s Village Revitalization Plan to be Shared at Public Presentation on June 4

Ball State University President Geoffrey S. Mearns invites members of the campus and greater Muncie community to attend a public update on the University’s revitalization efforts in The Village—the commercial district located next to campus and IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital.

The event will take place at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4, in the Legacy Room on the third floor of Cornerstone Center for the Arts, located at 520 E. Main Street in Muncie. Parking is available in the Cornerstone lots off Washington Street.

At the June 4 update, President Mearns will provide a progress report on key projects currently under construction and preview upcoming phases of development. The presentation will be followed by a brief Q&A session. Learn more in this Ball State press release.

We Fly Fest to Offer Free Food, Fun, Entertainment, and Campus Tours on June 7

Ball State University will host its first We Fly Fest from 5-8 p.m. on Saturday, June 7. This free, on-campus event is open to the public and will include campus tours, entertainment, live music, informational booths, games, and other family-friendly activities. The event will begin at Ball State’s Brown Family Amphitheater, where guests can enjoy games and activities, food trucks, information tables, and a live DJ.

Fest attendees may explore campus through several self-guided tours or the Student Experience bus tour. Featured destinations on the self-guided tours include the Dr. Joe & Alice Rinard Orchid Greenhouse, the Marilyn K. Glick Center for Glass, the David Owsley Museum of Art, Christy Woods, and the Environmental Education Center. The Student Experience tour will highlight student housing, recreation, athletics, academic buildings, and more.

Additionally, the University’s Charles W. Brown Planetarium will offer three showings during We Fly Fest: One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure—a favorite among children—at 3:30 p.m., and two showings of the staff’s program pick, We Are Stars, at 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The evening will conclude with a free concert by the Ball State Studio Band at the Brown Family Amphitheater beginning at 7 p.m.

Read more in this Ball State press release.

Latest Episode of ‘Our Call to Beneficence’ Features Ball State Graduate, Award-winning Architect Craig Hartman

Craig Hartman, ’73, is the guest on the May 2025 episode of the monthly podcast “Our Call to Beneficence,” hosted by Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns. This episode is available now. All episodes of the “Our Call to Beneficence” podcast are available on multiple platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 

Mr. Hartman is an internationally known, award-winning architect who has earned critical acclaim for several of his works, including the design of the International Terminal at the San Francisco Airport, the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, Calif., and the American Embassy in Beijing. His work has earned more than 50 national and international honors, including seven National American Institute of Architects (AIA) Honors Awards and a 2000 Federal Design Achievement Award.

Also, Mr. Hartman earned the citation as the youngest recipient of the AIA Maybeck Award for lifetime achievement and three 2009 AIA National Design Honors Awards with Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, LLP.

Mr. Hartman earned his bachelor’s degree from Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning in 1973. In 2009, Ball State bestowed upon him an honorary doctorate of art.

His honors at Ball State include being named the Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning's Distinguished Alumnus in 1998 and Ball State's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2001. Earlier this month, he also received the President’s Medal of Distinction, one of the highest honors bestowed by the University.

Ball State Names Vice President for University’s New Division of People and Culture

Mark Liebling has been appointed vice president for the new Division of People and Culture. Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns announced Mr. Liebling’s appointment on May 15. Mr. Liebling will assume his new title on June 2, and the new Division of People and Culture will be operational on July 1. Until then, he will continue to serve in his current role.

Since August 2024, Mr. Liebling has served as interim associate vice president for people and culture. During that time, Mr. Liebling has led the ongoing implementation of Workday, a new technology that will enable us to provide more efficient support for many traditional human resource functions. In addition to his experience in higher education, Mr. Liebling has extensive experience in business and industry, including at Microsoft and several international financial services companies.

Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns established the new Division of People and Culture a few months ago to elevate the important work of empowering University faculty and staff to find greater fulfillment in their work and find more meaning in their lives. 

Read more in this Ball State press release.

Workday—new system for HR, Benefits, Payroll, and Student Information Services—Kicks Off July 1 for Employees

Ball State’s new system Workday will streamline human resources, benefits, payroll, and student information services. Workday will go live in July. Training is available now.

Workday will replace the Banner Human Resources module and many supplemental systems, offering a more user-friendly experience. Employees will benefit from new processes for:

 Questions can be emailed to Workday@bsu.edu. 

LEAD Academy Graduates 27 Participants in the Spring 2025 Cohort

Twenty-seven participants from across the Ball State campus graduated from the Leadership Excellence and Development (LEAD) program this Spring upon its completion on May 7.

Participating in the Spring 2025 cohort were: Hailey Beard, Aly Bondurant, Jill Bradley-Levine, Zachariah Brumfield, Jill Cooper, Jennifer Grinstead, Chan Gu, Lara Hillenberg, Brooke Himes, Augusta Isley, Jayson Jarrett, Elle Kreamer, Jennifer Masters, Dana McKinney, Darlene Melvin, Dan Morency, Seth Morrison, Kevin Patrick, Kirsten Rich, Kaleigh Richardson, Brittnie Sell, Jim Shimkus, Bianca Sulanke, Laura Suman, Amber Turner, Ryan Vaughn, and Kelsie Walker.

Designed for current, aspiring, and future leaders at Ball State, the LEAD program was launched in Spring 2021 to align with the University’s Strategic Plan and Ball State’s Professional Development Enhancement program. To date, there have been more than 175 LEAD graduates. Questions about the LEAD program can be directed to Charity Coffman, assistant director of organizational development and learning, at ccoffman@bsu.edu.

TELUS Support is Available for Employees

TELUS Health helps Ball State employees by offering information resources on some legal topics. Employees with questions about divorce, real estate, writing a will, estate planning, handling a legal dispute, or finding a lawyer in your area can get help from TELUS Health. Call 888-456-1324 or visit bsu.lifeworks.com. Log in using your Ball State email and password.

Discover New Opportunities with Lifetime Learning's Spring 2025 Catalog

Ball State Lifetime Learning's Spring 2025 catalog—available now—contains courses designed to help adult learners thrive in today's evolving job market, including artificial intelligence (AI) skills courses. Lifetime Learning’s non-credit courses are tailored to meet the needs of adult learners, whether they want to enhance their professional skills or explore new career paths.

The catalog includes new courses, such as Professional Bookkeeper with QuickBooks to streamline financial management skills, and Customer Experience Training for tourism, designed to elevate service standards in the growing tourism industry and beyond. Additionally, the Conference Planning: From Vision to Execution course will equip learners with the tools to organize standout events, even when event planning is not a person’s usual job function. The Child Development Associate (CDA) credential provides a comprehensive foundation to those supporting early childhood education needs. Visit the Lifetime Learning website to browse the entire catalog and register online.

Summer Programs, Resources Available for Faculty
Learn about teaching with Canvas, or get a refresher, by enrolling in the Canvas Foundations self-paced course. This five-module course introduces and encourages practice with the foundational tools available for designing and delivering courses. 

Additional professional development resources—including the self-paced Make Your Canvas Course Accessible course—are available in the Faculty Development Offerings.

Stay connected this Summer by joining colleagues for the 2025 Summer Conversation Hours. Podcasts will serve as conversation starters during these Zoom sessions held at 11 a.m. on June 3, June 17, and July 1. Register to receive the podcast link and the Zoom meeting information in advance.

2025 Outstanding Immersive Learning Faculty Awards

2025 Outstanding Immersive Learning Student Team Awards

Rinker Center for Global Affairs Launches Mini-Course on Collaborative Online International Learning 

Dr. Alicia Miller, and Dr. Dorna Eshrati, Rinker Center 2024-25 Faculty Fellow, created and launched a self-paced, eight-week online mini-course on Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL). COIL is a project-based pedagogical tool designed to incorporate intercultural learning in coursework between Ball State students and international partners. The mini-course covers developing a collaboration plan, finding an international partner, integrating intercultural learning into your course, and how your course can be designated as a High Impact Practice. Applications for the Fall 2025 cohort are due by Sept. 30. All full-time instructors are eligible and will receive $250 RIA funds. To apply, preview the mini-course, or ask questions, contact Dr. Alicia Miller, director of global initiatives and operations.

Get AI Questions Answered at New Digital AI Hub

Artificial intelligence (AI) seems to be the decade's most pressing and simultaneously confusing topic. To help simplify the relationship between AI and Ball State, the Office of Information Technology has created a digital AI hub to answer questions. At the digital hub, visitors can find a wide range of resources, including information about AI initiatives at Ball State, general information about AI, events based around the conversation of AI, and more. This website is made to take the fear out of the unknown and offers resources to help people use AI to their advantage. Explore the digital AI hub and share how you use AI in your studies, research, or projects.

Buy Season Tickets Now for Cardinals Football This Fall

Ball State Football returns to Scheumann Stadium this Fall. Experience the action with season tickets. From Family Weekend on Sept. 13 to MACtion under the lights on Nov. 5, don’t miss out on any of the excitement this Fall.

Season ticket holders enjoy:

Get your season tickets online now.

Leadership and Honors 

Upcycled and Inspired: Students’ Sustainable Creations Shine at Indianapolis International Airport

Nine students from the Fashion Industry Studies program, led by Prof. Audrey Robbins, were recently featured in a Recycled Runway fashion exhibition at the Indianapolis International Airport, held April 14-25 in partnership with Indy Design Week. Each piece on display was crafted entirely from upcycled, recycled, and reimagined materials; no new fabrics were used.

The students celebrated their creativity and commitment to sustainability with an Earth Day ribbon-cutting ceremony. They also participated in a fireside chat panel discussion with Polina Osherov, editor in chief of Pattern Magazine, and were interviewed by news outlets including WISH-TV, WTHR, and The Ball State Daily News. 

Professor Elected as Vice President for the Americas of the Decision Sciences Institute

Qiannong (Chan) Gu, professor in the Department of Information Systems and Operations Management, has been elected vice president for the Americas of the Decision Sciences Institute (DSI) for the 2025-27 term.

Prof. Gu has previously served as president of the Midwest Decision Sciences Institute (MWDSI), a regional subdivision of DSI, and currently holds the position of past president within MWDSI. This prestigious new role reflects Prof. Gu’s ongoing dedication and significant contributions to the advancement of the decision sciences field.

BEA Festival of Media Arts Recognizes CCIM Among Top Winning Programs

The Broadcast Education Association announced its 2025 national rankings of schools. Based on the last five years of BEA’s Festival of Media Arts, Ball State earned the following recognitions:

Center for Emerging Media, Design and Development Calls for Teaching, Scholarship, and Service Proposals for Semi-Quincentennial

In 2026, the U.S. will celebrate its semi-quincentennial. Emerging Media, Design and Development (EMDD) students have started a project for this historic anniversary—and faculty across Ball State can join in working to capture, reveal, and archive the sentiments of a pivotal moment in U.S. history. Any tenure-line, contract, or adjunct faculty member teaching a course, conducting University-based scholarship, or engaging in community service projects at Ball State during the 2026 calendar year is invited to submit a proposal for funding to create a course, research, or community service project connected to the semi-quincentennial. More information is available in this document. Questions can be directed to Kevin Moloney, associate professor in the Center for Emerging Media Design and Development at the School of Journalism and Strategic Communication, at ktmoloney@bsu.edu. 

Nominations are Open for 2025 Muncie Mayor’s Arts Awards

Nominations are being accepted for the 2025 Muncie Mayor’s Arts Awards, the city’s highest honor for contributions to the arts. Artists of all disciplines, educators, patrons, volunteers, organizations, and businesses whose creative efforts benefit Muncie are eligible. The awards celebrate the role of the arts in community life and aim to uplift local creativity, leadership, and engagement. Submissions are due by 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 1. Questions can be directed to Lexi Musselman, communications manager at the College of Fine Arts, at lexi.musselman@bsu.edu.

Associate Dean Drew Friedman Delivers Speech in Germany

Drew Friedman, associate dean of the College of Fine Arts, traveled to Giessen, Germany, to deliver the laudatory speech for the 2025 Hein Heckroth Stage Design Prize winners, Vegard Vinge and Ida Müller. His remarks will be translated and published in the Norwegian Shakespeare Journal, and Theater der Zeit, a prominent German theater magazine. This international recognition reflects Ball State’s growing influence in global theater and design conversations.

School of Art Named a Top Graphic Design Program

For the seventh year in a row, Ball State’s Graphic Design program has been named one of GDUSA’s Top Graphic Design Schools of 2025. The recognition honors programs that go beyond fundamentals, encouraging innovation and preparing students for a changing creative landscape. Being listed alongside leading institutions is a testament to the talent and dedication of Ball State’s students, faculty, and alumni.

Free Fitness Classes Available This Summer

The Healthy Lifestyle Center and Cardinal Wellness will have free fitness classes this Summer. It has expanded its offerings to include the Southside Middle School Sports Field at 1601 E. 26th St., where it will be offering line dancing Mondays and Wednesdays at 9 a.m.; outdoor Yoga Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m.; and Ultimate Frisbee Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Contact Dr. Shannon Powers at smpowers@bsu.edu to learn more or ask questions.

College of Health Announces Red Feather Award Winners

The College of Health recently announced the first Red Feather Award winners from the Class of 2025. The following students were chosen because they exemplify excellence and model the beneficence pledge:

Ball State’s Total Solar Eclipse Participation Wins Award

The Charles Brown Planetarium team was officially involved in a Webby award-winning project. NASA’s 2024 Total Solar Eclipse Campaign, which featured telescope footage streamed by Ball State faculty and staff, won two awards this year. Check out the full announcement online.

Summer Professional Development Opportunities for STEM Students Offered

The professional development program REACH: Research Experience and Career Horizons will be offered this Summer at 3 p.m. on Tuesdays, May 20-July 8, in the Foundational Sciences Building, Room 253. This program is available to students to help them bridge their research experience and career opportunities by developing a portfolio, learning how to communicate about their research, and identifying opportunities. Students can direct questions to Dr. Nicole Christofield at nrchristofie@bsu.edu.

Political Science Student Receives Competitive Udall Scholarship

Ball State junior Shaina Miller has been named a Udall Scholar. The Udall Scholarship is the nation's most prestigious award for students pursuing careers in environmentalism, Tribal public policy, and Tribal health care. Ms. Miller is one of only 55 students from across the United States selected as a Udall Scholar this year—and she is Ball State's first Udall Scholar since 2022.

Ms. Miller is studying political science and pre-law, with minors in sustainability and history with a concentration in public administration. She hopes to become an administrative law judge for the Environmental Protection Agency.

Awards and Honors

At the Teachers College End of the Year Celebration, held on May 1, in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center Ballroom, outstanding faculty, staff, and one recent graduate were recognized for their excellence and impact across the college.

Outstanding Award recipients:

Dean’s Citations were presented to:

Samantha Lopez, a December 2024 doctoral graduate in Educational Leadership, received the Access and Opportunity in Education Dissertation Award for her dissertation: Understanding Why and How Women Determine to Stay in Student Affairs After Having Children: A Narrative Inquiry. Her work was chaired by Prof. Amanda Latz.

 The Wall Street Journal Subscriptions Available Campuswide 

University Libraries, Ball State University, and The Wall Street Journal have partnered to provide a school-sponsored WSJ subscription to all Ball State University students, faculty, and staff. Through the partnership, subscribers will have full digital access to WSJ’s award-winning journalism via WSJ.com and the app, plus a wide variety of curated content, from podcasts and newsletters to career insights and personal finance advice. Create an account online.

Those who currently pay for an existing WSJ subscription may call 1-800-JOURNAL and mention that they are switching to their school-sponsored subscription. Partial refunds will be made.

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