Seven faculty members at Ball State University have been
selected as honorees for this year’s Liberal Education and America’s Promise
(LEAP) Indiana Faculty Awards.
Dr. Adam Kuban,
professor of Journalism, was
selected as this year’s LEAP Indiana Paragon Award recipient, while six Ball
State faculty members were recognized as part of the LEAP Indiana COVID
Character Honors program.
“We are extremely proud of our faculty members whose work
and dedication as educators is being recognized by LEAP Indiana,” said Dr. Susana Rivera-Mills, Ball
State’s provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “At
Ball State, our engaged faculty and staff are dedicated to our students’
success from day one. I am grateful to work with talented educators who promote
a vibrant culture of wellbeing that helps our campus community lead engaged and
meaningful lives.”
LEAP Indiana Paragon Award
The LEAP Indiana Paragon Award honors the sustained
professional achievement of an individual who exemplifies LEAP Indiana's
mission and vision as a teacher or teaching and learning advocate.
LEAP Indiana aims to establish
and foster connections among diverse faculty, from all Indiana colleges and
universities, who are passionate about teaching and the exploration of
innovative pedagogies aligned with AAC&U's LEAP States Initiative.
Dr. Kuban has taught for more
than 17 years as instructor of record for a wide array of media-oriented
courses at Iowa State University, the University of Utah, and Ball State, where
he has earned numerous awards and accolades for his contributions to the
scholarship of engagement.
Since 2014, Dr. Kuban has
worked with more than 40 students and several community partners to prepare and
deliver accepted presentations at 20 academic conferences and juried film
festivals, leading to prestigious recognition for the University and its College of
Communication, Information, and Media.
“I’m extremely honored, of
course, to have won the 2022 LEAP Indiana Paragon Award—but also humbled by
it,” Dr. Kuban said. “I learned that I
was selected among instructors from institutions across the state for this
honor, and having been at Ball State for 12 years, I’m very aware that we have
incredibly talented educators at my University but also throughout the Hoosier
State.
“I’m grateful for my colleagues
at Ball State as well as those with whom I’ve collaborated for
inter-institutional projects and partnerships. Their ideas and their support
keep me driven and motivated,” Dr. Kuban continued. “Also, I want to thank LEAP
Indiana and, by extension, the American Association of Colleges &
Universities, for recognizing us educators for the copious time and effort that
we invest in our students.”
LEAP Indiana COVID Character Honors
LEAP Indiana this year also
recognized several faculty members across the state for its COVID Character
Honors program. Nominees were selected by LEAP chapter members, who submitted
stories about colleagues who assisted one or more students during the
challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ball State faculty members
selected to receive this honor were: