By BSU Marketing & Communications—
MUNCIE, IN – Dr. Dom Caristi, Professor Emeritus of Media at Ball State University, has been named the winner of the 2023 Distinguished Education Service Award (DESA) from the Broadcast Education Association (BEA).
The DESA is awarded to an individual who has made a significant and lasting contribution to the American system of electronic media education. The award will be presented to Dr. Caristi during BEA’s 2023 annual convention awards ceremony on Saturday, April 15, 2023.
Dr. Caristi joins Dr. Joe Misiewicz (2017), Emeritus Chair of the Department of Telecommunications, as recent DESA recipients from Ball State.
“I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to Dom Caristi for this well-deserved honor,” said Dr. Paaige Turner, dean of Ball State’s College of Communication, Information, and Media. “Throughout his career—including more than two decades as a member of our faculty at Ball State—Dom was a passionate educator and trusted colleague who remained focused on empowering his students to have fulfilling careers and meaningful lives.”
Dr. Caristi retired from Ball State in 2022 after 24 years of service as a faculty member. While at Ball State, he received the Outstanding Faculty Member Award (2012) and the Outstanding Faculty Service Award (2020). He previously taught at Saint Mary’s of Minnesota, Iowa State University, and Missouri Southern, where he also managed the university’s low-power television station.
Dr. Caristi was a Fulbright Professor in Slovenia in 1995 and Greece in 2009 and served as a Fulbright Ambassador for six years. He was also a visiting professor in Italy with the Kentucky Institute for International Studies and AHA-International. Dr. Caristi served fellowships with the Radio Television News Directors Association and the National Association of Television Program Executives. In 1998, he received the Distinguished Service Award from the Iowa Broadcasters Association.
A BEA member for more than 30 years, Dr. Caristi served on its Board of Directors from 1997-2002, including a term as its Vice President. He is also a founding member of the Digital Policy Institute.
Dr. Caristi earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami (Communications), his master’s degree from the University of Central Missouri (Mass Communication), and his doctorate from the University of Iowa (Journalism & Mass Communication). He lives in Muncie with his wife, Kim.
About Ball State
Founded in 1918 and located in Muncie, Ball State University is one of Indiana’s premier universities and an economic driver for the state. Ball State’s 20,000 students come from all over Indiana, the nation, and the world. The 790-acre campus is large enough to accommodate first-rate facilities and 19 NCAA Division I sports, but our welcoming and inclusive campus is small enough to ensure the friendliness, personal attention, and access that are the hallmarks of the University. Destination 2040: Our Flight Path establishes Ball State’s ambitious goals for our second century.
