UPDATE: Due to expected inclement weather, Thursday’s beam-signing ceremony for the Center for Innovation and Collaboration has been postponed to 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 6, at the corner of Ashland and Martin Avenues.
Ball State University will host a public beam signing for a new Center for Innovation and Collaboration at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 6. The Center is part of the University’s Village revitalization project, which will feature new entertainment venues, as well as spaces for living, working, and dining.
When the Center for Innovation and Collaboration opens in Fall 2026, the 31,400-square-foot building will serve as a hub for some of Ball State’s most innovative programs. Faculty, staff, and students will use the space alongside community and corporate partners as they work to solve real-world problems and to explore new collaborative opportunities.
The building’s three floors will feature a large prototyping studio; physical computing and immersive technology labs; and meeting spaces of varying size to accommodate workshops, training, project work, and co-working spaces. The building also provides a direct physical link to Ball State’s East Mall, improving accessibility and promoting connectivity between the academic and business communities.
“I had a vision of our University providing a location like this one to facilitate greater interactions between our faculty, staff, and students and the people and companies in our community that want to engage with them,” President Geoffrey S. Mearns said. “When the Center opens, we will empower more people—our faculty and staff, students, graduates, neighbors and friends—to see themselves as innovators, in their own way.”
Dr. Jennifer Palilonis serves as the Center’s interim director. She is leading the advisory group that is creating programming, project planning, and educational opportunities for the campus and Muncie communities during the Center’s inaugural year.
“It’s thrilling to help shape the future of our new Center for Innovation and Collaboration,” Dr. Palilonis said. “This facility will be a vibrant space where the best of Ball State’s commitment to interdisciplinary learning, media innovation, and collaboration can flourish. The Center will serve as a hub for connection and creativity.”
Currently, two community organizations—the Muncie-Delaware County Black Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Development Center of East Central Indiana—will have office space in the Center alongside the University’s initial collaborators.
The Center’s mission includes providing a long-term, sustainable platform for regional economic impact, workforce development, and training opportunities for jobs in emerging industries vital to East Central Indiana. Over time, other campus units and community organizations will also be invited to develop projects and programming in the Center.
The beam signing is open to all members of the Ball State community and to the public. The ceremony will include remarks from President Mearns, Provost Dr. Anand R. Marri, and Dr. Palilonis, as well as an opportunity for attendees to sign the commemorative beam.