News for Ball State Faculty and Staff
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Stories of Gratitude
March 31, 2021
As we approach the end of our Spring semester, I write to express my gratitude to all of you for supporting our students’ academic success.
Despite a year of unprecedented challenges, you kept students engaged and on-track. I am particularly grateful to our staff in Academic Advising, the Office of Retention and Graduation, and Disability Services.
These dedicated employees have served our students in a time of physical distancing and virtual meetings through innovation, hard work, and selfless service. They are connecting with students more frequently than in the past, and at deeper levels, too. For example, between Summer and Fall 2020, our academic advisors recorded more than 15,000 visits with students, helping them manage academic and personal challenges, directing them to resources, and advocating for their well-being.
I believe that the most challenging days of the COVID-19 pandemic are almost over. I am fortunate to have navigated this trying time alongside people so driven to see our students succeed, no matter what the obstacle.
To all of you who have played a part in advising, encouraging, educating, inspiring, and guiding our students, thank you. Your commitment to act for the benefit of others defines who we are as a University.
Sincerely,
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Ball State Response to COVID-19
COVID-19 Dashboard
COVID-19 cases have shown a slight decrease and remain at low levels See the dashboard.
Ball State is hosting on-campus vaccination clinic
On March 19, Ball State University began serving as a COVID-19 vaccination site with a clinic on campus. The College of Health Interprofessional Community Clinics is hosting the vaccination clinic under the authorization of the Delaware County Health Department with financial support from the Ball Brothers Foundation.
Individuals must meet the state’s eligibility criteria to schedule an appointment at the clinic on our campus. Vaccines are distributed by appointment only. Individuals seeking an appointment should visit ourshot.in.gov or call 211.
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Strategic Plan Update
Living Our Enduring Values
At Ball State University, we acknowledge Inclusive Excellence as one of our enduring values and a fundamental part of accomplishing Destination 2040: Our Flight Path. We want to create a supportive and diverse community and culture at Ball State, recognizing each community member’s intrinsic values.
To that end, we are embarking on a year-long initiative to celebrate and reaffirm our values. This process entails a series of events, including the return of Beneficence Dialogues, launching a Ball State Culture website, and a social media/awareness campaign. The We Soar initiative will culminate in a campus-wide Culture and Climate Survey in Spring 2022. We look forward to taking flight with you.
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For Your Benefit
Working Well can help you manage stress
April is Stress Awareness Month. We all experience stress—at any age and throughout life. Too much stress can affect your health and well-being and can cause symptoms such as sleep problems, stomachaches, headaches, irritability, feeling anxious, and more. Refer to Working Well, where you can access a variety of resources to help you and your family manage stress.
Oftentimes our stress level can be bigger than we anticipate and we might want to speak with a professional. You and your family members have free access to Lifeworks. Call 888-456-1324 and speak with a counselor. LifeWorks is confidential and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. (Lifeworks is a single sign-on (SSO) so please use your Ball State username and password.)
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Upcoming Events
Esports Center ribbon cutting is April 5
President Mearns and College of Communication, Information, and Media Dean Paaige K. Turner invite everyone to watch the Esports Center Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony at 4 p.m. on Monday, April 5. You can watch the livestream at bsu.edu/live.
One Ball State Day is April 6
Share your Cardinal pride by making a gift as a part of One Ball State Day (OBSD). The University’s annual 24-hour online fundraising event is on April 6. On this day, alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends of Ball State are encouraged to show their excitement and make a gift to the area that means the most to them. Learn more about One Ball State Day.
Spring Homecoming runs April 26-May 1
Ball State University’s Homecoming 2020 is rescheduled for Spring 2021. The week-long celebration will be April 26–May 1, culminating with the annual Spring football game. The majority of the events will be virtual and some will be available to stream through the Ball State website or on the University’s social media platforms. Check out a listing of events and get info on how to access them online.
Shepherd Tree Dedication, April 27
On Tuesday, April 27, the University is dedicating six trees in recognition of the generous contributions of Quinntin Shepherd, ’04. The ceremony will take place at 4 p.m. on the east side of the Jo Ann Gora Student Recreation and Wellness Center.
Quinntin “Quinn” Shepherd, ’04, serves as Managing Partner and CEO of Shepherd Insurance. Please respond to the Office of the President by calling 765-285-5555 or emailing rsvp@bsu.edu.
Ball State hosts Commencement, May 7, 8, and 15
Ball State will hold a series of smaller, outdoor commencement ceremonies at Scheumann Stadium for all members of the Class of 2020 and for our Spring 2021 graduates. The ceremonies will take place on May 7, 8, and 15 and will be outdoors, rain or shine. All graduates and attendees of Spring Commencement exercises will be required to wear masks. Learn more at the Commencement website.
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R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning
Urban Planning students help educate high schoolers
Department of Urban Planning students will introduce planning to high schoolers beginning this summer thanks to a $24,248 grant from the Ball State University Discovery Group. The project, headed by Chair Scott Truex, is an outgrowth of his training with the Urban Land Institute in the teaching of their UrbanPlan workshop, which simulates the decision-making processes that surround city planning issues using a fictional town and role playing. Truex introduced the UrbanPlan workshops in his PLAN 100 courses this year. Department alumni are among the professional jurors providing feedback to students in the courses.
Architecture prof praised for preserving Black history
Olon Dotson, Associate Professor of Architecture, has been featured in Building Excellence magazine and by the Indiana chapter of the American Institute of Architects for his work to preserve Black history and culture on Indiana Avenue in Indianapolis. Dotson is among a group pressing for development that preserves the history of Madame C.J. Walker and the Black community on the site, in part by creating a trailhead and learning opportunities along the Indianapolis Cultural Trail.
CAP Lecture Series continues, April 12
Carolyn Coleman will wrap up the 2020-2021 CAP lecture series with a look at how cities will move forward in a post-pandemic world. The virtual lecture will be online at 4 p.m. on Monday, April 12.
Coleman, who holds a law degree from Indiana University, served as deputy mayor of Indianapolis from 2000-2005, where she focused on affordable housing, economic development, infrastructure, and community engagement initiatives. For a link to join the lecture, write caplectures@bsu.edu.
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Miller College of Business
Faculty achievements
- Reza Houston, Assistant Professor of Finance, has recently become an Affiliated Faculty member with George Mason’s Center for Government Contracting. The Center is the only academic research organization focusing on federal procurement. Houston’s research in government contracting focuses on the impact receipt of federal procurement contracts has on firms’ performance and behavior.
- Richard Scoresby, Assistant Professor of Management, received the Southwest Academy of Management’s Distinguished Paper Award for his submission, “Inventor Mobility to Entrepreneurial and Established Firms: The Joint Effects of Individual and Firm-level Knowledge Attributes on Employee Mobility.”
- Ronda Smith, Assistant Professor of Management, was selected by the Midwest Academy of Management (MAM) past presidents to join the editorial team for a Special Issue partnership between MAM and the Journal of Managerial Issues. The theme for the 2021 MAM conference is “Leading, Managing, and Learning in View of Today’s Grand Challenges.”
Student tech group wins award
The Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) student-chapter won the “Premier Student Organization” Award for 2020. Only five chapters received this award in 2020. It is based on having excellent chapter operations and student involvement in several categories of chapter operations and professional development opportunities. The Premier Award goes to those organizations for which the judges recognize performance significantly above and beyond expectations of model organizations. AITP is the student group associated with the computer information systems major.
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College of Communication, Information, and Media
Faculty spotlights
- Associate Professor of Journalism Adam Kuban is the 2021 recipient of the Brian Douglas Hiltunen Faculty Award for the Outstanding Contribution to the Scholarship of Engagement. Learn more.
- CCIM Dean Paaige Turner took part in the second Inclusive Excellence Discussion hosted by Provost Susana Rivera-Mills. Watch the highlights.
- Associate Teaching Professor of Communication Studies Peggy Fisher is retiring this May after 26 years at Ball State. This faculty spotlight honors her contributions inside the classroom, and to the Muncie Community as a whole.
Alumni spotlights
TCOM graduate and songwriter Tiara Thomas and singer-songwriter H.E.R. won song of the year at the 2021 Grammy Awards for “I Can’t Breathe,” which became an anthem of the Black Lives Matter movement. They also received an Oscar nomination for best original song for “Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah. Read more.
2019 journalism graduate and NBC15 News Reporter Brittney Ermon received an Emmy Award for her work covering the aftermath of the destruction in downtown Madison that happened in the wake of George Floyd’s death. See her tweet.
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College of Fine Arts
Check out the School of Art’s visiting artist lecture, April 8
A visiting artist lecture with Las Hermanas Iglesias is scheduled for 6-7 p.m. on Thursday, April 8. You can watch via Zoom or check out the recorded livestream at the School of Art Live website.
School of Music students create memorial project
Students in the School of Music’s Entrepreneurial Certificate program have created the Hank Miller Memorial Project, which will reach out to young adults who may be struggling with depression. Guided by mental health professionals, this campaign will provide a podcast, social media campaign, website, plus links and resources that inform students who may be struggling where they can get help. Learn more on the project’s Facebook page.
Trombonist earns grant
Assistant Professor of Music Performance (Trombone) Chris Van Hof received an Aspire Junior Faculty Creative Arts Grant in the last year to commission five new works for tenor and bass trombone duo. Dr. Van Hof and his duo partner will premiere all five new works at the International Trombone Festival in Columbus, Georgia, this July. The grant funding also supported professional video and audio recordings of the five new pieces, as well as four additional pieces the duo had already commissioned and premiered in 2018. This will represent an album’s-worth of material for the duo, including works by those traditionally underrepresented, including composers who are women, Black, Latinx, and LGBTQ.
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College of Health
Ball State announces new Dean of College of Health
Dr. Scott Edward Rutledge will join the academic leadership team at Ball State University as Dean of the College of Health, effective July 1, 2021. Rutledge recently served as Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the College of Public Health at Temple University. Read the full press release.
Bowman appears on CBS Sunday Morning
Sharon Bowman, Chair of the Department of Counseling Psychology, Social Psychology and Counseling, appeared on an episode of CBS Sunday Morning on March 14. She offered expert advice on overcoming sleep deprivation and insomnia that many people are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more.
Kinesiology professor wins award
Lawrence Judge, Professor of Kinesiology, has been named the 2021 winner of the Midwest Society of Health and Physical Education (SHAPE) Scholar Award.
Register for online Interprofessional Education and Practice events
The College of Health is sponsoring three free virtual events for the observation of Interprofessional Education and Practice week. These events are free and open to faculty, staff, and students.
- April 12: Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral Training (SBIRT) for Adolescents.
- April 13: Bring Your Strengths to Life & Live More Fully.
- April 15: Spring IPE Event.
All sessions take place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.
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College of Sciences and Humanities
Department of Physics and Astronomy launches dual-degree program
The Department of Physics and Astronomy has an exciting new program coming soon. This five-year, dual-degree program will be offered in partnership with Anderson University (AU). Students will earn a Physics or Astronomy degree from BSU, and a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Engineering degree from AU. We anticipate this will be very popular and drive new enrollments in Physics and Astronomy.
Philosophy Outreach Project earns grant
Assistant Professor of Philosophy Sarah Vitale‘s Philosophy Outreach Project (POP) has been awarded almost $18,000 through the Provost Immersive Learning Sustained Grant program. The funding is for Fall 2021 through Spring 2024. This is a testament to Vitale’s outstanding leadership in the Philosophy and Religious Studies Department, as it assures that future students will continue to benefit from the imaginative POP initiative.
Women’s and Gender Program gains publicity
The Women’s and Gender Studies program is having a much-deserved moment. Program Director Elizabeth Agnew was recently interviewed about the program for the ”Let Her Reign” edition of Fort Wayne Magazine.
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Teachers College
Burris student wins MLK essay contest
Caitlin Carter, an eighth-grade student at Burris Laboratory School, won the first-place award for the Martin Luther King (MLK) Dream Team’s 2021 MLK essay contest at the middle school level. The title of her essay is “A Celebration of Community Through Music.”
Burris student wins Ball State PBS Spelling Bee
Burris eighth grader Alesya Rathinasamy won the 2021 Ball State PBS Spelling Bee. Champion spellers from more than 40 schools from Delaware, Blackford, Jay, Randolph, Madison, and Henry counties competed in the “first round” of competition. The top 10 spellers competed for the title at Sursa Performance Hall. Rathinasamy will go on to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Graduate School honors two Teachers College faculty members
The Graduate School has honored two Teachers College faculty with awards. Rachel Geesa, Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership, was selected as the recipient of the 2020-21 Graduate Faculty Award for Inclusive Excellence, and Evette Simmons-Reed, Assistant Professor of Applied Behavior Analysis in the Department of Special Education was selected as the recipient of the 2020-2021 Graduate Faculty Mentor Award.
Emens Distinguished Professorship Series
The Teachers College 2021 Emens Distinguished Professorship Series continues from 4-6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 31 on Zoom with Dr. Lorri M. R. J. Santamaría from the Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project, and Dr. Cristina Santamaría Graff from Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, presenting: “Co-Decolonizing Research Methods: Toward Research Sustaining Indigenous and ‘Other’ Community Engaged Ways of Knowing.” Register to attend.
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Immersive Learning
Immersive Learning Student Advisory Board nominations due April 12
The Immersive Learning office is committed to providing quality immersion experiences, and we are looking for students who can help. If you know a student leader in your college or department who may like to serve on the Immersive Learning Student Advisory Board, please nominate that person soon.
Members of the Immersive Learning Student Advisory Board connect with peers from their college and serve as a sounding board for program suggestions, project proposals, and student recruitment, as well as accessibility and inclusion plans related to immersive learning courses. These student ambassadors will also represent immersive learning at campus-wide events.
Two representatives will be chosen from each college and will serve beginning Fall 2021. Self-nominations will be accepted. A 3.0 cumulative grade point average is required. Past experience with immersive learning projects is a plus. Please include a student transcript with this application. To learn more about member requirements and the nomination process, visit the Advisory Board website. To nominate yourself or someone else, complete the online form. If you have questions, please contact Suzanne Plesha at 285-2870 or splesha@bsu.edu.
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Honors College
Honors College hosts dialogue on race
The Honors College continues its commitment to foster a sense of belonging for all. Responding to a year of protest and dialogue about race, Assistant Teaching Professor Jackson Bartlett designed and taught special sections of HONR 199 on Understanding Race, Challenging Racism. The class last Fall helped 75 students place themselves in this conversation, adding context, concepts, and questions about the role race plays in society, and how students can challenge racism.
The Honors College will provide this opportunity to 75 additional students next Fall and support an undergraduate research study on the course’s impact. Following the recent Emens-Meyer Lecture by Dena Simmons, 30 students, alumni, and faculty volunteered to participate in small-group online discussions as they read the 2019 book by historian Ibram X. Kendi, How to Be an Antiracist. This book club initiative will conclude with an online event on April 30.
RSVP to watch the Honors College documentary
Join the Honors College from 5-6 p.m. on Monday, April 19, for the Zoom premiere of a new half-hour documentary, Well Rounded: A History of the Ball State Honors College. Created by the students of a Fall 2020 Honors College colloquium, this video builds on the work of previous students and faculty. Please RSVP to cyoung@bsu.edu to receive a Zoom invitation.
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| Achieving Academic Excellence
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Kristin Barry
Assistant Professor of Architecture Kristin Barry teaches courses in architecture history/theory and design. She received her doctorate in history of art and architecture from Pennsylvania State University. Barry has worked as an archaeological architect in Greece, France, Israel, Egypt, and Turkey.
Barry’s research interests are firmly rooted in the physical interpretation of history through applied design. She explores the methods through which the built environment can illustrate history for a less-specialized audience.
While Barry’s students benefit from her research experiences, they don’t learn through old-fashion lectures.
“In my classes, we don’t spend time in the classroom when possible,” she said. “What I try to do is to give them hands-on experiences that deal with history. When we visit a site, we go to the archives to read old documents. We visit the buildings that have stood the test of time. I think when students see and feel, they are more engaged.”
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