News to Use:

• On August 31, the Ball State football team will play Indiana University at noon in Lucas Oil Stadium. I look forward to cheering on the Cardinals during a game that promises to be an exciting home opener. For more information, visit ballstatesports.com.
• This month, Ball State University joined a statewide initiative to bring college-educated professionals back to Indiana. Ball State and other universities are asking our alumni who now live out of the state to come home. The state of Indiana has invested in Ball State, and now I am asking our alumni to consider investing in Indiana by living and working here. I invite you to watch my short video message to alumni who live outside Indiana.
• In July, we saw another accomplishment in our partnership with the Muncie Community Schools. The MCS Board of Trustees approved the first pay increase for teachers in eight years. And we’re looking forward to the Innovation Summit on September 25-26 at Muncie’s Horizon Center. Administrators, teachers, and community stakeholders will gather to develop and implement effective strategies to support student success and community wellbeing. Three nationally recognized experts will share their insights: George Couros, author of The Innovator’s Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity; Jennifer Blatz, president and CEO of StriveTogether; and Robert Jackson, an author and educator known for his No More Excuses teaching approach.
• On September 6, we will hold a groundbreaking ceremony at 4 p.m. for the Foundational Sciences Building, a new $87.5 million facility that will help meet the growing demand for STEM professionals in Indiana. The five-story, 208,000-square-foot structure next to the new Health Professions Building will be the home of the chemistry and biology departments and feature aquatics and imaging suites, collaborative space, a research library and computer labs, and teaching and research laboratories.
• On October 18 at 3 p.m., during Homecoming week, we will dedicate the newly constructed four-story, 165,000-square-foot Health Professions Building. The $62.5 million structure features classrooms, laboratories, offices, a resource hub, simulation labs/suites, and clinical spaces. Most importantly, it is designed for interprofessional education—physical and educational interaction between academic departments within the College of Health.
• The next day, October 19 at 11 a.m., we will break ground on our new Multicultural Center, east of Bracken Library, at the heart of campus where it belongs. The $4 million, two-story, 10,000-square-foot center, which will open in 2020, will contain a multipurpose meeting room, program kitchen space, connected food-service venue, a library, student organization collaborative space, and a conference room.
• In September, our University will serve our neighbors by supporting the United Way of Delaware and Henry Counties. On September 6, the day after the United Way kicks off its campaign in downtown Muncie, volunteers from Ball State will participate in the Day of Action throughout the area. A few days later, on September 10, our University will start our on-campus campaign to generate contributions from faculty and staff. We hope to raise $200,000 to help the United Way with its ambitious goal to end generational poverty.