March 31, 2022
Stories of Gratitude
Great things happen when members of our campus collaborate with community partners. One recent example of our University’s commitment to helping others is the installation of a new Book Nook at Open Door Health Services.
This project is part of Heart of Indiana United Way’s Book Nook Program, which is designed to promote literacy by placing stocked bookcases in various locations across the city. These locations feature waiting areas and include beauty shops, doctors’ offices, car repair shops, and laundromats.
Ball State carpenter Bill Broyles contributed to the program by building 10 bookcases during last year’s Day of Action—all of which have been stocked with books and literacy kits prepared by Ball State volunteers.
I am grateful to Mr. Broyles for contributing his carpentry skills to create these bookcases. I also appreciate knowing local children who select books from the Book Nooks can track their reading progress using bookmarks created by students from the graphics art management program in our School of Art. These bookmarks feature the artwork of students from Muncie Community Schools, which makes them all the more special.
On March 17, 2022, the Book Nook at Open Door was dedicated in memory of Ball State retiree Brian Scott, who passed away in 2021. Mr. Scott was a passionate volunteer and longtime supporter of the United Way.
I encourage others in our campus community to follow the examples of Mr. Broyles and Mr. Scott. Let’s continue to demonstrate our commitment to improving the lives of our friends, neighbors, and colleagues through our actions and gifts. The next opportunity for us to help someone is waiting to be seized.
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Sincerely,
Geoffrey S. Mearns
President
Ball State University
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One Ball State Day 2022 Set for April 5
This year’s One Ball State Day (OBSD)—the award-winning annual 24-hour online fundraising event held each April—is being held April 5. OBSD is a time when alumni, students, faculty, staff, and other supporters are encouraged to make a financial gift to the Ball State area or areas of choice. For example: gifts can be made in support of a specific school, college, department, or organization; or to support student emergency aid.
OBSD also features giving challenges—contests that will earn additional funds for OBSD causes on this special day. Donors can share their experience by posting on social media with #OneBallState, encouraging others to give.
This year’s fundraising goal is $1 million and 10,000-plus total gifts. Last year, $905,000 was raised through OBSD.
Campus Conversation Open Forums Set for April 21, 27
Two Campus Conversation open forums—opportunities to engage in dialogue with Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns—have been scheduled. The first forum will be at 2 p.m. on April 21 in the Ball Brothers Foundation Hospitality Suite at Emens Auditorium. The second forum will be at 8:30 a.m. on April 27 in Cardinal Hall B of the L.A. Pittenger Student Center.
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Our Call to Beneficence Podcast
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New Episode of Our Call to Beneficence Features Dick Emens, Son of Ball State’s Sixth President, John R. Emens
Dick Emens—the son of Ball State University’s sixth president, John R. Emens, and longtime supporter of the University—is the guest on the next episode of the monthly podcast Our Call to Beneficence.
The podcast features conversations between host, Ball State University President Geoffrey S. Mearns, and graduates and friends of Ball State who embody the spirit of Beneficence through their professional success and personal service. The episode featuring Mr. Emens is now available.
In this episode, Mr. Emens shares his memories of growing up on Ball State’s campus, thoughts on his father’s lengthy tenure as University president, and why Dick Emens and his wife, Bea, have remained involved with Ball State. Mr. and Mrs. Emens are attorneys who practice law together in Ohio.
Also, President Mearns asks Mr. Emens about his inspiration for creating a Ball State scholarship in honor of his father and mother. The John R. and Aline B. Emens Leadership Scholarship program recognizes students who have demonstrated leadership in their high schools and communities. Scholarship recipients are encouraged to continue developing leadership skills while pursuing their undergraduate degrees at Ball State.
All episodes of the Our Call to Beneficence podcast are available online, as well as 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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Live a Healthy Lifestyle and Earn Rewards
Ball State is invested in creating a culture of wellbeing that helps employees lead a meaningful and engaged life. One way we accomplish this is through our Working Well programs and their participation incentives. Qualifying employees are able to collect a financial incentive along with wellness rewards that can be redeemed for on-campus programs such as Recreation Services, campus ticket offices such as Emens and Athletics, and more.
- The BeWell program provides cash back in your December paycheck just for completing your annual physical with your primary care doctor and creating an account in Lifeworks; and
- The LiveWell program provides Ball State rewards for participating in a variety of wellbeing activities.
You are welcome to participate in both the BeWell and LiveWell programs every year. Submit the required documentation by Oct. 31, 2022. For more details, including accessibility to forms, visit the Working Well website or call 765-285-9355.
Registration Open for April 15 Administrative Staff Conference
Registration is open for the 4th Annual Staff Conference on April 15 at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center. Come together with other colleagues for a time of learning and sharing experiences, as we recognize and honor the significant contributions of our Staff employees. There will be a morning session (8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.), an identical afternoon session (11a.m.- 4 p.m.), or a full day session option. This conference will include one-hour breakout sessions focused on different training topics. A boxed lunch will be provided for this event. This conference is sponsored by Ball State Staff Council, University Human Resource Services, and Business Affairs. Send questions to Breanne Holloway, assistant director of Organizational Development and Learning, at learndev@bsu.edu.
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| Ball State's Response to COVID-19
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All employees are strongly encouraged to get a COVID-19 vaccination and then attest to their full vaccination using our online form. For more COVID-19 information, plans, and resources for faculty, staff, students, and campus visitors, visit the Ball State Cardinals Care website.
On-Campus Vaccine Clinic days in April
The vaccine clinic at the ICC offers the Moderna booster shot as well as the Moderna vaccine series. Call Interprofessional Community Clinics at 765-285-4422 with questions.
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Stay current on latest Statehouse news
The Office of Governmental Relations 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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R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and PlanningCAP Student Teams Advance to Finals in Solar Decathlon Competition
All six of the College of Architecture and Planning‘s (CAP) student teams competing in this year’s Solar Decathlon Design Challenge—a U.S. Department of Energy competition—are advancing to the finals in the categories of New Housing, Retrofit Housing, Attached Housing, and Office Building and Education Building. Five of the six teams are participating in the design challenge portion of the competition, and one team is competing in the build challenge.
Each year, multi-disciplinary teams of students from CAP compete in the Solar Decathlon Design Challenge by designing high-performance, low-carbon, and affordable homes. The proposed location for CAP’s home build is in the Near Eastside neighborhood of Englewood in Indianapolis.
Celebration of 50th Anniversary of CAP’s First Graduating Class Planned for April
The R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the college’s first graduating class. CAP is welcoming members of its 1971 class back to campus April 11-13 for a series of events and get-togethers. Participating ’71 grads will have opportunities to engage with current CAP students, faculty, and staff, and enjoy time together in the Architecture Building and on Ball State’s campus.
Miller College of BusinessCutting Edge Conversations Set for April 13
Miller College of Business (MCOB) is hosting its “Cutting Edge Conversations“ webinar on April 13. The webinar is open to all, and will feature three MCOB professors who will offer their thoughts and research on three issues discussed today on social media, in newspapers, and on the airwaves. Professors Ben Angelo, Mike Goldsby, and Erik Nesson will share their insights and analysis in a way that will be immediately understandable to all audiences. Sessions include:
- Tone at the Trump: The Impact of President Trump’s Idiolect on the Discourse of Conference Calls
Ben Angelo, Assistant Professor of Accounting - Entrepreneurial Social Responsibility
Mike Goldsby, Chief Entrepreneurship Officer and Stoops Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship and Professor of Management - Do NBA Players Have a Hot Hand? The Importance of Location, Location, Location
Erik Nesson, Associate Professor of Economics
College of Communication, Information, and MediaSpring 2022 Letterman Lecture Series to Feature Journalist John Quiñones, April 11
His lecture, “From the Barrio to Network Television: The Power of Never Taking ‘No’ for an Answer” is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Pruis Hall. The event is free and open to the public, but general admission tickets are required for entry into this event. Ticket information is available on Ball State University’s online events calendar.
Student Speech Team Wins 2022 State Championship
Accolades and Achievement- Garrett Looker—a graduate of Digital Storytelling in 2021 and Ball State’s journalism undergraduate program in 2019—earned the Ball State University Foundation’s “Outstanding Creative Project” award for 2021-22. On April 4, he will receive a plaque and a $400 honorarium. Mr. Looker won for his project, Covenants of the Land.
- Riley Carroll, graduate student in the Department of Communication Studies, earned second place in the fourth annual Three-Minute Thesis competition on March 3.
College of Fine ArtsFinal Two Arts Alive Presentations Scheduled for April
- April 9: Applied Mechanics is a Philadelphia-based immersive theatre company that makes stories to expand the possibility of liberation for all beings. The theatre company will present “The Colonialists” at the David Owsley Museum of Art, at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on April 9. Tickets are available at the College of Fine Arts Box Office in Sursa Hall, noon to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, or by calling 765-285-8749.
- April 14: Nick Cave is an artist, educator, and foremost a messenger, working between the visual and performing arts through a wide range of mediums including sculpture, installation, video, sound, and performance. His virtual conversation with professional and personal partner Bob Faust—principal and creative director for Faust, a Chicago-based design studio with a focus on cultural branding—will be shown in the Fine Arts Building, Frank C. and Elizabeth B. Ball Recital Hall, at 6 p.m. on April 14. Tickets are not required.
College of HealthCollege of Health Establishes Center for Substance Use Research and Community Initiatives
Webinar Planned for Interprofessional Healthcare Month in April
Events Planned for Interprofessional Healthcare Month in April
The College of Health is celebrating Interprofessional Healthcare month in April with several free events, speakers and activities. Registration is requested in order to attend.
- Kirkpatrick Lecturer, Dr. Barry Franklin, with a presentation titled, GPS for Success: Behavioral Skills, Strategies, and Secrets of Super-achievers. 4-5 p.m. on April 4 in Ball State’s Student Center Ballroom. Register.
- Introducing Medical Improv as an Experiential Teaching Modality. In this two-hour interactive session, faculty will experience how Medical Improv works and learn how to facilitate and vary three to four simple activities. From 3-5 p.m. on April 6 in the Student Center Ballroom. Register.
College of Sciences and HumanitiesReligious Studies Professor to be Co-founder of New Journal
The journal, QTR: A Journal of Queer and Transgender Studies in Religion, will be founded by Dr. Joseph Marchal, a Ball State religious studies professor, and Melissa M. Wilcox, a religious studies professor at University of California in Riverside. The first papers published in the journal will be selected from presentations at the conference “Queer and Transgender Studies in Religion in the 2020s: The State of the Field” in May. The first issue is expected to appear in 2023.
Public Conversations on Antiracism Planned
President Biden Appoints Ball State Fellow, Graduate to Board of Independent Federal Agency
U.S. President Joe Biden has appointed Gregory S. Fehribach—Distinguished Fellow in Inclusive Excellence and adjunct faculty in Sociology at Ball State, and Ball State graduate ‘81 MA ‘83—to the Architectural and Transportation Barrier Compliance Access Board. This access board is an independent federal agency focused on accessibility for people with disabilities. The White House announcement of Mr. Fehribach’s appointment was made Feb. 7.
Teachers CollegeAccolades, Grant Awards and Published Writings- Dr. Jerrell Cassady, professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, was recently awarded a 2022 Excellence in Assessment Recognition, in the category of Distinction in Assessment, for his effective use of assessment processes leading to substantial and positive changes.
- Bethany Clegg, Instructor of Physical Education and Health at Burris Laboratory School, was awarded a Robert P. Bell Education Grant to support a project-based learning activity where the students will design and build a putt-putt golf course. The cross-curricular project incorporates STEM activities into the physical education curriculum.
- Dr. Lauren Mims, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, published “I Can be Unapologetically Who I Am: A Study of Friendship Among Black Undergraduate Women at PWIs in Emerging Adulthood.”
- Mistie Potts, from the Department of Elementary Education, and Deidra Bibbs, from the Department of Educational Psychology, placed in the top 10 in Ball State’s 2022 Three-Minute Thesis Competition, in which graduate students must convey the essence and importance of their master’s thesis or dissertation research in an engaging way in three minutes using one static PowerPoint slide. Ms. Potts won third place in the final round of the competition.
Honors CollegeAnnual Honors College Meyer Lecture Features Concentration Camp Survivor
Nazi concentration camp survivor Frank Grunwald will speak at this year’s Honors College Meyer Lecture. In his presentation, Mr. Grunwald will share his four-year experience surviving Nazi occupation through five concentration camps, including Auschwitz. The event is scheduled for 4 p.m. on April 4 in the Art and Journalism Building, Room 175. The lecture is offered in memory of Bruce F. and Ildiko B. Meyer. Dr. Bruce Meyer served as dean of the Honors College from 1996 until his death in 1998. His wife, Ildiko, earned a master’s degree in Psychology from Ball State, and was a school psychologist for New Castle and Muncie Community Schools.
Honors Students to Perform at Musical Showcase for Campus Community
Honors students from various fields of study will come together to present a musical showcase for the Ball State campus community at 5 p.m. on April 27 in Hahn Recital Hall. The performance, Historical Events and the Creative Impulse: Honors Students Musical Showcase, comprises music and spoken words that reflect and commemorate world-changing historical events. Richard Rodgers, Gustav Mahler, Frédéric Chopin, and Thomas Yee are among the composers included in the program. Contact Dr. Galit Gertsenzon at ggertsenzon@bsu.edu for more information.
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