January 26, 2021
New rankings released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report list Ball State University as one of the top online education providers in the nation, according to a release.
January 22, 2021
East Central Indiana is getting its chance to be recognized as a “talent region” by the state of Indiana. The distinction comes with promises by local leaders to find ways to attract and keep talented workers.
January 22, 2021
Locally, some good news has been heard on the pandemic front, with fewer people needing COVID hospitalization here in Muncie.
January 19, 2021
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced plans for a regional investment program that would be similar to a popular initiative the Legislature chose two years ago not to keep funding.
January 5, 2021
Steven Horowitz, a distinguished professor of free enterprise, said the tournament is a big deal for Indiana. "Without that tournament, those hotel rooms, catering and everything else would be doing nothing," he said. "And so the net gain here is really big."
January 4, 2021
Steve Horwitz, an economics professor at Ball State University, said it's hard to estimate the economic impact without knowing whether there will be fans present. He called the nine-figure estimate reasonable. Either way, he said, the decision is a significant boost for the local economy.
Note: Story originated with the Indianapolis Star.
January 4, 2021
Peyton Manning is one of the greatest and most famous football players of all-time. He has hosted Saturday Night Live , appeared in countless commercials and, oh yeah, won a couple of Super Bowls. The second season of Peyton’s Places is in full swing and it follows the NFL great around the country as he explores the history of the National Football League, one piece at a time. The sixth episode is a little different, as Peyton’s guest is not an NFL player, but rather legendary talkshow host David Letterman, a Ball State graduate.
January 3, 2021
You may remember Stupid Human Tricks, the bit David Letterman had on his TV show in which people displayed largely useless skills. (Former Pacers coach Frank Vogel knows.) Letterman has brought that sensibility to football, with the help of Indianapolis Colts legend Peyton Manning. The certain Hall of Fame quarterback joined Indy-native Letterman at Ball State -- Letterman's alma mater -- for an episode of "Peyton's Places" on ESPN+.
December 31, 2020
Unlike the Spanish flu, Covid-19 struck humanity in an era of hyper self-awareness. Swaddled with smartphones, 5G, and user-generated digital media, millions of people were equipped to understand how huge of a deal this was, and had the tools to document it. For that reason, the coronavirus crisis will likely create a different kind of impression in the historical record than its predecessors, said James Connolly, a professor of history at Ball State University and director of its Center for Middletown Studies, which produces research about economic and community life in small cities.
December 29, 2020
Sotiris Hji-Avgoustis, a professor of hospitality and food management at Ball State University, has been researching the pandemic’s effects on the restaurant and events-tourism industry in the Indianapolis area and across the state. He’s found that pandemic safety guidelines and plunging demand have kneecapped a crucial state industry, with staffing levels at a paltry 70 percent of their peak.
December 29, 2020
Taylor, senior director, sports production, Ball State Sports Link, Ball State University, is to be honest with administrators and, more important, with yourself. “Be opportunistic but, most important, be honest,” says Taylor, whose student program produces many of the live broadcasts of Ball State sports that appear on ESPN+ as part of a deal between ESPN and the Mid-American Conference.
December 23, 2020
A professor at Ball State University in Indiana is working with researchers at the University of California at Irvine to create a new software that can alert users to COVID-19 issues in a building or campus. Katie Johnston reports.
Note: This story originated with CBS 2 in Los Angeles.
December 21, 2020
The planetarium at Ball State is helping families set the stage for the celestial event that happens on Monday when Jupiter and Saturn will align in what is known as the "Christmas Star," or "Star of Bethlehem." This event has been labeled “The Great Conjunction,” said Dayna Thompson, director of the Charles W. Brown Planetarium at Ball State University.
December 21, 2020
Andy Luttrell, a psychological science professor, pens a column for Psychology Today. In the column, he explains how to get people to care about economic inequality.
December 20, 2020
Ball State is going bowling on New Year's Eve. The champion of the Mid-American Conference has accepted an invitation to the Arizona Bowl. The Cardinals will face Mountain West Conference champion San Jose State at 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 31 at Arizona Stadium in Tucson.
December 18, 2020
Associate Professor of Computer Technology Chris Davison is working with researchers at the University of California at Irvine to create a system called TIPPERS. It uses Wi-Fi with a mobile device that can monitor where people are complying with social distancing – or not – and to show crowded spaces.
December 18, 2020
President Geoffrey Mearns gave a brief observation on the fall term, updated his health report after having tested positive for COVID-19 last week, and shared a memorable Christmas story from his family.
December 16, 2020
With an open contest, it could go either way, depending upon who runs and the national mood,” Chad Kinsella, a professor of political science. “Given that Joe Biden will occupy the White House and the party in power tends to underperform, it will likely be a good year for Republicans."
December 16, 2020
Sotiris Hji-Avgoustis, a professor of hospitality and food management, discovered that 41% of restaurant owners surveyed in the Hoosier state had financial problems so severe because of coronavirus they could soon close. The coronavirus pandemic has proven to be so devastating that nearly half of the 300,000 Hoosiers who normally work in restaurants have been unemployed or stuck with drastically reduced hours.
December 15, 2020
Ball State's Chad Kinsella, a political science professor, discussed Monday's electoral college action. Kinsella talked reviewed the definition of “faithless electors,” whether or not electoral votes unfairly water down voters’ power in high population states, and if President Donald Trump has any chance of overturning the outcome.
December 15, 2020
More than 40 percent of restaurants in Indiana might shut their doors permanently before the end of 2020, according to research conducted by Sotiris Hji-Avgoustis, a professor of hospitality and food management in the Miller College of Business. According to a preliminary analysis, 41 percent of restaurant owners reported financial problems so severe that they might have to shutter operations by the end of the year.
December 15, 2020
A panel charged by Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry with studying police reform and racial justice continues to have tough conversations in the wake of last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests. If survey responses of Hoosiers statewide are any indication, the commission should find broad support for recommended reforms. The Hoosier Survey, conducted annually by Ball State’s Bowen Center for Public Affairs, reveals strong support for changes in policing. Respondents were presented with a list of four proposals and asked whether they favor or oppose each.
December 14, 2020
“The beauty of our campus is one of the many reasons students choose Ball State University,” said President Geoffrey Mearns. “The Brown Family Amphitheater will strengthen that appeal. It will also deepen our commitment to inspiring students by providing a variety of performances as well as a gathering space for outdoor activities, which will encourage innovation.”
December 14, 2020
More than 325,000 Hoosiers will lose unemployment benefits as the CARES Act expires on Dec. 26, said Michael Hicks, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State. He said it will be the worst one-month shock to personal income in state history, coming at a likely peak of the Coronavirus outbreak.
December 13, 2020
A professor at Ball State has been working with a team from UC Irvine to create new software that can alert users to COVID-19 issues in a building or campus.
“If you take the average household, we have TV’s that are broadcasting, smartphones that are in our house broadcasting,” sats Ball State Associate Professor Chris Davison.