Author: srshipley

TWO WORLDS COLLIDE

October 14, 2018 by srshipley

How science created a theatrical genius Energy. That’s the mot juste that describes Jennifer Blackmer, the 2018 recipient of the Outstanding Creative Endeavor Award. This yearly award is given to a current faculty member who is nominated by colleagues. A selection committee evaluates each application and announces the recipient at the annual Fall Opening Convocation. […]

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Think Dating Is Bad? Try Being a Fish Exposed to Toxins

October 13, 2018 by srshipley

For fish, dating is all in the fish dance and it’s ability to attract a mate. If the dance isn’t good, the fish are less likely to attract a mate. As an early career researcher in evolutionary biology, Dr. Jess Ward is investigating the evolution and function of behavioral interactions, like courtship rituals and predator-prey […]

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Turning Sulfur into a Functional Material

October 12, 2018 by srshipley

To be a woman in a STEM field was the norm for Dr. Courtney “Cori” Jenkins, whose mom and sister are both engineers. “I came from a family where it wasn’t a question of whether or not you could do it.” Jenkins discovered that while engineering may not have been her career track, chemistry was, […]

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Teaching Independence Through Exercise

October 11, 2018 by srshipley

At 23 years old, Jessica Reed, who has autism, is learning how to be more independent. “I don’t think she’ll ever be able to live alone,” said Jessica’s mom, Patty. “She will always need somebody to be there to support her and supervise her due to safety, but yes, it is important for her to […]

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Literary Failures and the Men Behind Them

October 10, 2018 by srshipley

Ben Bascom may hold a doctorate in English, but he’s also a quasi-historian who’s working on a book about the failed literary endeavors of five tragic figures from the early United States. “In many ways, the figures I work on thought they were as unique or culturally significant as someone like Benjamin Franklin, but in […]

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Investigating Nucleic Acid Nanoparticles

October 9, 2018 by srshipley

Imagine the height of a dime sliced 1 million times—that’s a nanometer. Dr. Emil Khisamutdinov is investigating the nucleic acid nano-world as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry at Ball State. “In our lab, we create different sizes and shapes of nanoparticles made of nucleic acid biopolymer.” Known to store genetic information, DNA […]

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Angling to Sustain the World’s Inland and Recreational Fisheries

October 8, 2018 by srshipley

Whether it’s Lake Michigan, Prairie Creek Reservoir, or the White River, some people swear by their local fishing holes, to “find the best bass, catfish, (insert fish name) here.” Because they love the sport, it’s common for anglers to practice regulated fishing. State agencies can fine those who take more than their limit, don’t adhere […]

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Fighting Health Disparities in Indiana

October 7, 2018 by srshipley

Time and time again research has proven the detrimental and, at times, fatal health disparities within minority communities compared to their white counterparts, whether it be infant mortality, obesity, or access to health care, among others. “For some reason racial and ethnic minorities have a huge disadvantage,” said Dr. Jagdish Khubchandani, associate professor of health […]

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COPPER COMMUNICATION

October 6, 2018 by srshipley

Social networking in today’s world means Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter. But hundreds of years ago, the indigenous tribes of North America had a different kind of social networking, and one Ball State archaeologist and his students are on the hunt for how copper played a role. Yes, copper. Anthropology professor Dr. Mark Hill used […]

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Thinking About the Past

October 5, 2018 by srshipley

The infectious worldview of this year’s outstanding research award recipient, Dr. Joseph Marchal With an almost old-fashioned finesse— wave-like hand gestures and an uneven baritone voice—Dr. Joseph Marchal, associate professor of religious studies, introduces his academic scholarship with a simple description: “I live half my life in the first century and the other, in the […]

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