BALLSTATEUNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL GAZETTE
Graduate School News & Updates
A
WORD
FROM OUR DEAN
freshwater mussel popu
tion in the White River in Muncie, and the improvement of therapy techniques to help traumatized children heal. I love learning about the wide variety of academic pursuits taking place at Ball State and seeing the enthusiasm of our graduate students as they explain the life-changing importance of their work. The Graduate School at Ball State is a pillar of strength for the university during these times of constant change and volatility Our enrollments remain very strong, with nearly 6000 students enrolled in classes this semester Our graduate students remain a vital source of energy and inspiration to our academic community And, the quality of our programs continues to receive national recognition, especially with our recent rankings in the US News and World Report Later in the year, in April, we will celebrate our students’ accomplishments at our annual Recognition Ceremony, where we will announce the winners of all of our major teaching and research awards for graduate students, as well as the third group of awardees for our new Graduate School Capstone Completion Summer Fellowship These fellowships are made possible by donors to the Graduate School and directly support students in their final year of graduate school as they comp
projects I hope you enjoy reading
3MT: THREE MINUTE THESIS
In the Three Minute
3
MT FINALISTS & WINNERS
First Place: Alena Miškinis, Kinesiology
Topic: Exploring the Effects of Rest Breaks Among Pianists in the Practice Room
Second Place: Abby Shaw, Landscape Architecture
Topic: Riverbed Revival: Landscape Archi
Freshwater Mussel Restoration in Muncie, Indiana
Third Place & People’s Choice: Hayden Adams, Communication Studies
Ideological Criticism of @stazzyfit
Finalists
Topic: Reconceptualizing Masculinity in Relation to Cis
and Transness: An
Haifa Hanzala, Counseling Psychology, Social Psychology and Counseling Topic: Turning Toward the Lemons: Affective Attending and Neural Pathways of Posttraumatic Healing
Hyungseok Jang, Media
Topic: Almost Human, Not Quite: Exp
Jewel Johnson, Biology
Topic: The “Egg-strodinary” Social Life of Eggs
Summer Davis, Biology
Topic: Identifying Potential Anti-fungal Targets to Battle Invasive Candidiasis
Andy Morrow, Educational Leadership
Topic: Recalculating: Driving Without a Map in the “Gray Zone” of Academic
Advising
Shanta Paul, Biology
Topic: Hunting for “Modern Miracles”: The Race to Fight Against AntibioticResistant Bacteria
Eve Kopsolias, Journalism and Strategic Communication
Topic: Fostering Happiness in ACE-Affected Youth 2026
BECAUSE OF BALL STATE
One Ball State Day is quickly approaching, and the Graduate School is ready to participate! All donations will go direct
and social media pages.
DONATE FOR STUDENT SUCCESS
One Ball State Day is fast approaching! Help students like Michele achieve their goals. Make plans to support the Graduate School
Research Fund!
BEYOND THE NEST
Michele Clark, Clinical Mental Health Counseling
What led you to your graduate program at BSU?
I attended BSU for my undergrad, and loved the psychology program. When I started
researching grad school options, it was obvious that Ball State was the best fit for my needs and career goals I loved that I could double-major in Social Psychology and Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and that we had so much hands-on experience
early in our grad school careers!
What was your proudest memory as a BSU grad student?
My proudest moments were working with clients As part of the Clinical Mental Health
Counseling program, we started working with clients in the Practicum Clinic during our first year We were given so much guidance and support, and I had many proud moments that confirmed I was in the right field
How have you been able to use your graduate degree from BSU?
I have used not only my graduate degree, but also the significant life skills that I developed during my program My career began as a trauma counselor at a domestic violence shelter However, within a few years of working there, I was asked to run a small nonprofit that had recently launched. The organization was still very young, but I was intrigued by the mission and ultimately decided to leave my job and sign on as the
Executive Director -- without benefits or salary! I successfully guided the organization for several years before leveraging my new skills and connections to work as the
Communications Director for the City I was a National Awardee for Women in
Communications 2022, and I am currently a college-level Psychology professor at Ivy
Tech Throughout many career changes and unexpected opportunities, the skills I learned at Ball State -- especially professionalism, communication, and integrity -guided my path
What advice or wisdom do you have to share with current BSU grad students?
My biggest piece of advice is to get involved with the community! Muncie is a wonderful place to launch a career and put down roots, and I am immensely glad that I stayed. Many of my most impactful connections came from "nontraditional networking" -- joining social groups in the community and pursuing my hobbies and passions in public spaces Organic friendships and connections w
than any networking event!
BECAUSE OF BALL STATE
BEYOND THE NEST
We asked our alumni: What advice do you have for current graduate students? Here is what they said:
Jake Brehmer, MA in Environmental Science
BS ‘14, MA ‘17
Current Role: Sustainability Project Manager, IU Health
“I have two things come to mind The first is to always look for graduate assistantships or a teaching assistantship. You should try to get the school
pay for an advanced degree My second piece of adv
y
’t know exactly what you want to do I w
environmental field, as just a general idea of
tly what I want to do, and I found my spot. It’s okay if you don’t know what you want to do at 18
or even 22 Don’t stress out ”
Heather Ervin, MA Applied Gerontology BSW ‘11, MA ‘18
Current Role: Director of Social Services, Bethel Pointe Health & Rehabilitation Center “Keep pushing! It seems almost impossible at times, but after you're finished with your degree, you will look back and think, ‘I did that!’”
Denny Morrison, MA Exercise Physiology & PhD in Counseling Psychology BS ‘73, MA ‘74, MA ’84, PhD ‘86
Current Role: CEO, Morrison Consulting “There is a light at the end of the tunnel I know grad students are really busy and their heads are down working on their degree requirements But, if at all possible, find ways to stay in touch with people who are in the field doing the job that you’re going to do, because academia is often so internally focused that they are not aware of things that are happening in the field that you’re going into and doing that prepares you for what you’re going into. ”
BECAUSE OF BALL STATE
BEYOND THE NEST
We asked our alumni: What advice do you have for current graduate students? Here is what they said:
Floyd Springer, MA in CICS MS ‘01
Current Role: Executive Director, IT - Manufacturing and Quality, Eli Lily “Patience. There are a lot of startups and a lot of consulting roles that come and go. When given the opportunity, really lean into it That's something I'll continue to recommend to students When we are given an opportunity, and we think it's the finish line, it's not It's the starting line Yes, take time, celebrate, but remember you are just starting out.”
Kelly Agnew, MA in Elementary Education
BS ‘96, MA ‘01
Current Role: Master Teacher, West View Elementary School “Follow your dreams and think big. This job, although heartbreakingly hard at times, is what I was
meant to do. In education as in life, nothing stays the same. Change is inevitable. As Ball State graduates, it is up to us to stay flexible and adapt to changes that happen in our professions. As I
near my 22nd year of teaching, I am more passionate about learning how to effectively reach and teach my students than ever before I know that the winds and sometimes storms of change can
make it seem difficult to keep moving forward in our careers However, those are the times when it is most vital to encourage and confide in those colleagues who are in it with you. There are always ways to learn and improve your craft.”
Kyle Kedra, MA in Sports Administration BS ‘17, MA ‘19 Current Role: Associate Director of Philanthropy Experience, Ball State Athletics “As you pursue your degrees and beyond, regardless of the program, I would say be serious and don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you want to learn more about a specific interest you have, just reach out and ask So often, individuals will connect you with someone or give you advice or even just chat with you about your interests If you have a passion for something, just get out of your comfort zone and pursue it ”
GRADUATE STUDENTS DOING INCREDIBLE WORK
Recently, the Graduate School put out a call to students, advisors, program directors, and faculty to share the amazing work our students are doing We had an overwhelming response and are excited to highlight the work of our current graduate students:
Eunsong Kim, Music, shared that she earned 3 place and audience awards at the Wittgenstein Memorial International Piano Competition: Professional Division Additionally, she participated in a piano solo recital hosted by the Phoenix Piano Club in Paradise Valley, AZ; presented at Desert Skies music education program; and presented at the Indiana Music Teacher Association conference. rd
Benjamin Gyamfi, Accounting, shared that he earned a Project Management Professional certification and was awarded the 2024-25 Student Research of the Year Award from Ball State CICS Benjamin also published an article for the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Caroline Vincenty, Kinesiology, shared that she has two first-author abstracts submitted and accepted for the American Physiological Society Summit 2026 and will present both in the upcoming conference Additionally, she received the Student Advancement Scholarship from the National Strength and Conditioning Association Foundation. ***
Morgan Keller, Communication Studies, shared that she has three presentations at the 2026 Central States Communication Association Conference
***
Marius Igitangaza Ngabo, Landscape Architecture, shared that he was recognized as the 2025 LAF Olm
Scholar and the 2025 CELA University-Level Fountain Scholar He received the 2025 ASLA Student Merit Award and the 2025 Alliance for Historic Landscape Preservation Scholarship He graduated Summa Cum Laude ***
Hyungseok Jang, Media, presented at the 2026 BEA Research Symposium on the
and consumers. ***
Dorothy Gidisu, Environment, Geology, and Natural Resources, earned the Indiana Watershed Leadership Academic Scholarship She also presented at the Geological Society of America Triple Joint Annual Meeting, the 139 Annual Indiana Academy of Science Conference, and the 27 Annual Indiana Lake Management Conference th th
***
Conor Dailey, Environment, Geology, and Natural Resources, received the 2025-2026 Fulbright U S Postgraduate Award to Lancaster University.
*** Anuoluwapo Bankole, Educational Leadership, presented at the 50 ASHE Conference and earned a publication in the American Journal of Qualitative Research th
BLOGS & SOCIAL MEDIA
Our Digital and Professional Development Graduate Assistant, Henry Whitmore, is hard at work keeping our blog and social media platforms up to date! Follow us here: WordPress: https://blogs.bsu.edu/gradschool Instagram/Facebook: @gradschool bsu