A $50,000 estate gift from a former Ball State University professor will create a scholarship program in the communication studies department.

The Richard G. Nitcavic Scholarship will provide financial assistance to students majoring or minoring in communication studies.

Nitcavic, who died in 2005, had taught at Ball State for 30 years. He was department chair for 15 years, served as the parliamentarian of University Senate for 18 years, directed the university's basic public speaking course and wrote a textbook, "Fundamentals of Public Communication."

He received his doctorate and master's degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia and was a lifetime member of the International Communication Association, National Communication Association and the Central States Communication Association.

(Note to Editors: For more information, contact Phillip Purcell, vice president for planned giving and endowment stewardship, at ppurcell@bsu.edu or (765) 285-8312.)