Maegan Pollonais at Rinard Orchid Greenhouse

Opera singer Maegan Pollonais has battled the same tired stereotype since she left Trinidad in 2008. Some Americans misunderstand Caribbean music and underestimate the rich cultural experiences of Caribbean people. The success of a 1956 song by Jamaican-American crooner Harry Belafonte is partly to blame. “People think you’re from the Caribbean and all you sing […]

When Jeffrey Dick, ’13, was in third grade, he made a sketch of himself as an explorer, wearing an Indiana Jones hat and cutting through the lush jungle in search of things not yet discovered. These days, Dick dons a pair of safety goggles in place of a fedora and wields sophisticated analytical and statistical […]

Dr. Alex Kaufman joined Ball State in 2018 as the Reed D. Voran Distinguished Professor of Humanities and teaches in the Honors College and the Department of English. He is co-editor of a book series on outlaws in literature, history, and culture and co-founder of a scholarly journal on Robin Hood studies. Below, he answers questions about the  enduring saga of Robin […]

Photo of Jessica Fraser, director of the Indiana Institute for Working Families

She’s the Rocky Balboa of the Indiana Statehouse. Like any tenacious underdog, Jessica Fraser, MA ’06, understands that winning against a stronger opponent requires a 12-round strategy and that you’re going to get knocked down along the way. But what Fraser lacks in power she makes up for in team-building, preparation, and grit. Fraser, who […]

Victory Village rendering

Tony Roberts wants to solve veteran homelessness. With a big heart, charismatic personality, and bold ideas, Roberts can claim many of the required qualifications to lead such a daunting task. But he lacked technical expertise in the areas of developing properties and building communities. “It is going to take Ball State to make this work,” […]

Packing up his parents’ belongings was tough. Eight years ago, Ball State alumnus Eric Nesheim, ’73, sold his childhood home in Marion, Indiana. His mother had died two years previously and his father had moved to Colorado to live with Eric’s sister. It was time for Eric, a retired art instructor, to close the estate. […]