Ball State University Research

News about research and sponsored projects from the office of Sponsored Projects Administration

Month: November 2014

  • The Awesome Power of Yeast Genetics
    November 7, 2014 by

    Cells divide and organisms grow. We learn this early in science classes. But what happens when an organism is done growing? How do the cells know when to stop dividing? What do cells do if they make a mistake? “In our cells, we have proteins that are made all the time, and sometimes those proteins […]

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  • Our Impact on Rivers and Lakes
    November 6, 2014 by

    Melody Bernot started studying pharmaceutical and personal care product contaminants in aquatic ecosystems when a graduate student of hers expressed an interest in the subject. The two worked together to craft rational hypotheses—all of which were subsequently proven wrong. This intrigued Bernot, associate professor of biology and Ball State’s Researcher of the Year, enough that she kept […]

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  • Muncie as Middletown, USA: Distinct for Being Average
    November 5, 2014 by

    Muncie entered the spotlight in the 1920s when Robert and Helen Lynd studied the city as a “typical” American community affected by industrialization. They dubbed it Middletown, and Muncie became emblematic of the “true America.” “It really gives the town a distinctiveness, ironically, that draws the attention of a lot people,” says Jim Connolly, director of the Center […]

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  • Preschoolers Go Outside and Learn
    November 4, 2014 by

    Kids these days. Always with their heads down, playing with an electronic device, or begging their parents to turn the TV to the newest cartoon. What happened to playing outside, making forts from branches, and finding shapes in clouds? Associate Professor of Architecture Pam Harwood wants to bring these outdoor joys to the next generation. She and […]

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  • Artist Uses Glass to Take You to the Scene
    November 2, 2014 by

    White-capped blue waves rushing to golden sand. Red buoys guiding boats along. Seagulls calling overhead and the sound of the waves washing along the shore. These sights and sounds remind us of the beach. Evoking a sense of place, of being there, is what artist Brent Cole seeks. “It has been said that with art usually we […]

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  • The Narrative of Dance
    November 1, 2014 by

    Dance, for choreographer Christie Zimmerman, is about sharing stories. “Dance is this universal language—the idea of using bodies in motion to communicate things is something everyone can understand and grasp,” says Zimmerman, an assistant professor of dance and this year’s Outstanding Creative Endeavor awardee. Dance has been part of Zimmerman’s life since she was 3 years […]

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