Ball State University Research

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

Author: Danielle Behrens

  • Defense against Technology Threats
    November 6, 2015 by

    We can lock our doors, install home security systems, and fend off intruders with guard dogs, but none of those measures can shield our digital world—a world containing precious information about our lives, our work, and our money. New Internet threats emerge all the time, and industries must employ the latest security measures to combat […]

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  • Measuring Health Inequality with Economics
    November 5, 2015 by

    How can economics be used to help alleviate poverty and increase the health of and opportunities for people around the world? Economists like Erik Nesson, assistant professor of economics, devote their research to assisting others. “We’re looking at ways to get children in developing countries vaccinated. We’re asking what’s the best way to increase the education of […]

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  • Creating a New Frankenstein
    November 4, 2015 by

    Outstanding Creative Endeavor Award Drew Vidal and Michael Elliott brought Dr. Frankenstein’s murderous monster to life, and for that, they received the 2015 Outstanding Creative Endeavor Award. Elliott and Vidal created an original, movement-based production of Frankenstein over a mere eight-week period in the fall of 2013. Vidal, assistant professor of theatre, directed and edited the show while […]

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  • A Possible Treatment When Antibiotics Don’t Work
    November 3, 2015 by

    *Insert Videos from website* Outstanding Researcher of the Year Antibiotics certainly save lives, but long-term and widespread use of the drugs has caused some bacteria to adapt and become harder to kill. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that 2 million people become infected with antibiotic resistant bacteria every year in the United States, […]

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  • Calories, Bias, and Autism
    November 2, 2015 by

    Aspire Internal Grants Support Varied Faculty Research Ball State University’s junior faculty research could have great impacts on countless lives. The 2014-15 junior faculty research competition awardees are working to improve fitness technology like Fitbits, studying consumers’ trust and misperceptions of news based on their news source preferences, and helping architects and interior designers create […]

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  • Drones for Disaster Relief
    November 1, 2015 by

    Disaster strikes. Earthquakes. Floods. Hurricanes. Explosions. Thousands of people need immediate help, but widespread destruction can mean they’re not found for weeks. How can workers assess such situations more quickly and start aid sooner? Drones. Fleets of drones. “For those scenarios, it is hard for people to get in. This kind of research is very, […]

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  • 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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