One hundred days ago, President Geoffrey S. Mearns officially began his duties as Ball State’s 17th President. From a voice assistant for Frog Baby, to the Board of Trustees approving a new residence hall, here are seven events that occurred while Mearns transitioned into his position:
Renovated Johnson West Complex opens at Ball State
After beginning renovations in 2015, Schmidt/Wilson opened its doors to new residents Aug. 17. The new complex houses the theatre, dance and design Living Learning Communities. The completion of the project will allow the university to replace LaFollette Complex.
LaFollette Brick Project raises $15,000 for scholarship
The demolition of Mysch/Hurst and Woody/Shales will help LaFollette’s legacy live on through Housing and Residence Life’s LaFollete Brick Project, which funds the Thelma Miller scholarship. So far, the university has raised $15,000 from brick purchases and donations.
David Letterman donates over 1,000 items to Ball State
In 2015, Ball State alumnus David Letterman announced the donation of over 1,000 memorabilia items to Ball State. Since August 2016, pieces of the collection have arrived and are currently being appraised, researched and archived. Emmy Awards, audio, video and photo collections, along with signed photos of Barack and Michelle Obama are just a few pieces Letterman donated to the university.
Board of Trustees approves North Residential Neighborhood, new departments
The Board of Trustees approved phase one of the new North Residential neighborhood which includes: a new dining facility, residence hall and road reconstruction. The projects are scheduled to begin in the summer of 2018 and are slated for completion by 2020. Trustees also approved two new departments — the Department of Construction Management and Interior Design and the Department of Family, Consumer and Technology Education.
IT's interactive voice assistant helps new students on campus
Over the summer, Ball State’s Information Technology services created Frog Baby for Alexa, an interactive voice assistant to help incoming students. The voice assistant was created to allow students interact with campus in a new way.
Rec Center undergoing weight room renovation project, repurposing racquetball courts
After a high demand of requests, the Jo Ann Gora Student Wellness Center renovated the weight room over the summer. In addition to weight room renovations, racquetball courts being repurposed was also discussed in order to have the space to serve more people.
Emens front lawn gets an update to go along with expansion project
As the John R. Emens Auditorium’s expansion project was coming to a close, the makeover of the front lawn began. The makeover was to repair any damage done to the lawn during expansion construction and to make Emens more attractive and inviting.
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