As the Summer semester came to a close, we received a nice note from TCOM’s Tim Underhill — After submitting grades for his last summer class, Tim took a walk on campus and captured a fly-by video of the David Letterman, Ball Communication and Art & Journalism buildings. We cannot resist sharing his video that communicates the celebratory mood many faculty members feel after submitting their grades. Enjoy!

For the rest of the good news, read on.

Students & Alumni

  • Congratulations to our 120 Summer graduates!

  • CICS recognized the following students at their virtual graduation ceremony:
  • Communication Studies rising Senior Jordyn Blythe received the Richard G. Nitcavic Diversity scholarship which is awarded to COMM students that show dedication and impact on working with issues of diversity. Jordyn recently joined the Ball State Antiracism and Intersectionality Advisory Council.
  • Communication Studies ’20 grad Abigail Gibbs was recognized by her department with an Outstanding Professional Award.
  • The department of Communication Studies recognized Mylie Brennan, a recent Communication Studies alumna, as both their Outstanding Graduate Student award and Outstanding Researcher award recipient.
  • CICS graduate students Bryan Fortriede, Lindsey Neeley, Jake Skinner turned a paper written for Steve Jones’ ICS620 class into a published article. Titled “How Blockchain Solutions Can Improve the Education Sector”, the article was published in IEEE—the world’s largest technical professional organization for the advancement of technology.
  • The official selection for the Indy Shorts International Film Festival (July 21-26) featured 8 films created by Cardinals. This year, the event offered socially-distanced screenings with online and drive-in sessions. You can watch the 40-second drone highlight video of the drive-in screening portion at this link.
  • After its June 30 digital world premiere, Transatlantic Storytelling 2020, made its first appearance on linear television with six different showings on the ISC Sports Network in Indiana.

Faculty and Staff

  • The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) selected Associate Professor of Telecommunications Miao Guo as one of ten Institute Diverse Leadership Fellows for 2020-2021.
  • CICS’ Dennis Trinkle hosted a virtual IT Leadership Lab where a panel of IT experts discussed how to lead in the new normal. Key takeouts from the session can be found on CICS’ Twitter feed under the hashtag #CICSLeads.
  • The Virginia B. Ball Center for Creative Inquiry announced the appointment of three distinguished faculty to begin two-year terms as Virginia Ball Center Fellows this fall. Drs. Jayne Beilke (Educational Studies), Timothy Berg (Honors College), and Jon Truitt (School of Music) will join current VBC fellows Dr. Melinda Messineo (Sociology) and Juli Metzger (Journalism) in a cohort dedicated to offering transdisciplinary classes and projects, team-teaching across the university, and developing cutting-edge pedagogical practices that engage with complex societal problems in collaboration with Ball State undergraduates. During spring 2020, current VBC fellows Melinda Messineo and Juli Metzger partnered with VBC Director Jennifer Blackmer to pilot the new first-year seminar. Their course, called Creative Inquiry, explored the intersections between applied research, storytelling and the artistic process, and was offered to a diverse group of seventy-five undergraduates from a variety of majors. During spring semester 2021, professors Messineo and Metzger will offer their large transdisciplinary project exploring community news deserts and their impact on underserved communities in the information age.

CCIM Units

  • CCIM received two Strategic Imperative Fund grants:
    • Ball State Esports Venue, Varsity Team, Curriculum: This initiative spearheaded by Alex Kartman will prepare our students for careers in the fast-growing industry of esports. The University will develop curriculum that advances the skills and knowledge needed for this new industry.
    • University Pilot for Creation of Transdisciplinary Alternative Credentials: This university pilot led by Jenn Palilonis involves multiple CCIM departments collaborating to develop a suite of micro-credentials, learning modules, workshops, and certificates that span six graduate programs.
  • On July 1, 1980, the Department of Telecommunications began operation as an academic department with Dr. John Kurtz as chair. Happy 40th birthday, TCOM!
  • CICS celebrated their 2020 graduates with a virtual graduation ceremony. Highlights from the virtual event were captured here.
  • The Department of Telecommunications now welcomes applications for the Director of Esports position as part of the Mid-American Conference new Esports Collegiate Conference. Details here.

CCIM in the News

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