We Fly

By: Geoffrey S. Mearns— As president of Ball State University, I am pleased to report that our faculty, staff, and students have been hard at work laying the groundwork for our University’s new strategic plan—a plan that will shape the vision for what Ball State will become in our second century. Our strategic planning process, titled “Spreading Our Wings,” got underway earlier this year. Throughout the Spring, we held eight open forums on campus, each focusing on a different strategic…

By: Ball State University — Muncie, IN — Ball State University will have a public forum June 12 in connection with the selection process for the new Muncie Community Schools (MCS) board. The forum will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at Muncie Central High School, 801 N. Walnut St., and it will be livestreamed at bsu.edu/live. Finalists for the school board will share why they are interested in serving. The Ball State Board of Trustees will meet June 25, 2018, to…

By: Marc Ransford— Muncie, IN—Ready to sing, dance and learn? Film lover and Ball State telecommunications professor Vanessa Ament will provide on-air film introductions in June when Turner Classic Movies (TCM) pays homage to Hollywood musicals during “Mad about Musicals,” which is part of a free online course created by the university. Ament, the Edmund F. and Virginia B.Ball Endowed Chair of Telecommunications, will introduce films during the first week of June with TCM host Ben Mankiewicz and promises her…

By: Marc Ransford— Muncie, IN – Geoffrey S. Mearns, the president of Ball State University, has selected Beth Goetz as the new Athletics Director. Ms. Goetz will join Ball State in June after serving as the chief operating officer of the University of Connecticut’s (UConn) athletics department since 2016. She will succeed Mark Sandy, who is retiring. President Mearns said he selected Ms. Goetz after a thorough national search, noting her extensive leadership experience, including key positions held at Butler…

By: Ball State University— Muncie, IN — The Ball State University Board of Trustees passed a resolution today to accept the responsibility to appoint a new school board to manage the Muncie Community Schools (“MCS”). The community is already showing its support by collaborating with Ball State to help MCS thrive. Rick Hall, chair of the Board of Trustees, noted that this is the first time a public university has assumed such a responsibility for local public schools. “Ball State…

By: Marc Ransford— Muncie, IN – During today’s Spring Commencement ceremony, Ball State University President Geoffrey S. Mearns told the Class of 2018 to always remember the core values they learned from the University’s Beneficence Pledge. From the stage of the Arts Terrace on the Old Quad, the president also urged the 3,300 graduates to serve their neighbors, commit themselves to a life of excellence and to serve others. “But, always remember that professional success and personal satisfaction require more…

By: Marc Ransford— Muncie, IN – Entrepreneur and philanthropist Robert G. Hunt, a 1969 graduate of Ball State, will give the University’s main address May 5, 2018 at Spring Commencement. Hunt, who also will be awarded an honorary doctorate will speak during the ceremonies. Commencement begins at 10 a.m. on the Old Quad. Hunt is chairman emeritus of Hunt Construction Group, which was established by his grandfather. The company, now known as AECOM Hunt, is recognized as one of the…

By: Marc Ransford— Muncie, IN – Ball State University has selected Dr. Paaige K. Turner as the new dean of the College of Communication, Information, and Media. The former associate dean of the School of Communications at Webster University begins July 15 at Ball State, replacing Roger Lavery, who is retiring. “We believe that Paaige is an excellent addition to the University and the College of Communication, Information, and Media,” said Marilyn M. Buck, interim provost and interim executive vice…

By: Marc Ransford— Muncie, IN—The next chapter for Indiana’s forests may be based on the need by Hoosiers for more outdoor space for recreation, says Ron Morris, a Ball State University history professor and co-editor with public historian Glory-June Greiff of a new book, “The History of Indiana State Forests.” The hardback book, which contains 144 full-color photographs by Glory-June Greiff, is the first of its kind, examining the history of Indiana’s state forests. Its analysis draws upon interdisciplinary material…