Topics: Alumni, Emerging Media, College of Communication Information and Media

August 30, 2010

Distinguished Ball State alumnus David Letterman, host of CBS's "Late Show," will return to his alma mater on Friday, Sept. 17, to host a conversation with Twitter co-founder Biz Stone about social media. The exchange between the late night broadcaster and Internet pioneer is part of the David Letterman Distinguished Professional Lecture and Workshop Series, established by the university in 2008. It will take place beginning at 7:30 p.m. in Emens Auditorium on campus. 

Admission is free for Ball State students, faculty and staff. The university anticipates high demand for seating in the roughly 3,300-capacity auditorium. Tickets must be secured in advance. For information on obtaining tickets, click here.

"When we established the Letterman lecture series, our intention was to provide students with opportunities to learn from leading experts about the newest developments in emerging media, which play an increasingly central role in the way we learn, work and play around the globe," said President Jo Ann M. Gora. "Clearly, David Letterman — whose career in network television entertainment spans more than three decades — and Biz Stone — who co-founded Twitter, a real-time information network that currently boasts more than 145 million registered users worldwide — qualify as two of the most informed people on the planet when it comes to modern media's impact on 21st century society. Their joint visit to campus represents an extraordinary opportunity for our students and the broader campus community to tap their knowledge and experience, gaining fresh insights on the state of emerging media today and what may be in store in the years ahead."

In 2007, Ball State dedicated its new $21 million communication and media building in Letterman's honor, in what Gora described as a "public demonstration of our admiration and respect for such an accomplished and loyal alumnus." The late-night TV host and his mother, Dorothy Mengering, participated in the dedication ceremony, with Letterman praising the facility and its leading-edge studios and equipment as "the future of communication."

Letterman's ongoing relationship with Ball State includes his funding of annual $10,000, $5,000 and $3,333 scholarships for three telecommunications students in the College of Communication, Information, and Media (CCIM) who submit a short film, screenplay, series of storyboards or other creative project in order to qualify for one of the much sought-after awards.

About the David Letterman Distinguished Professional Lecture and Workshop Series

Since its debut, the lecture and workshop series has brought a succession of national experts in the area of emerging media to campus for important exchanges with students and faculty. The series' guests so far include legendary ABC News correspondent and "Nightline" anchor Ted Koppel, best-selling "The Art of Innovation" author Tom Kelley, and former MSNBC.com director of multimedia Brian Storm.  This will be the first appearance in the series for Letterman, a 1969 alumnus of Ball State. 

About Biz Stone

Biz Stone is co-founder of Twitter, a real-time information network powered by people around the world. For the past decade, Stone has been developing large scale projects that facilitate the open exchange of information.

In 2003, Stone was recruited by Google where he met and collaborated with Twitter co-founder Evan Williams — the pair would later exit the search company. Twitter was founded in 2007.

Stone has published two books on the origins and social significance of our changing communication landscape and has lectured around the world.