Jim Davis is seen leading a lecture at Ball State in October 2016 in Sursa Hall.

The artist behind the iconic comic strip and merchandising empire, who began teaching at the School of Art in the fall, will speak at 7 p.m. in Sursa Hall.

Housing and Residence Life employee Darcia Ash cleans a show kitchen using a chemical-free cleaning agent.

The cleaning solution used in all 10 residence halls reduces costs by more than $100,000 a year and is kinder to employees and the environment.

Ball State junior Elizabeth Wyman works with telecommunications instructor Terry Heifetz and journalism instructor Juli Metzger on the project, titled “Unmasked: The Stigma of Meth.”

Journalism and telecommunications students produce a magazine, documentary and website that spotlight glimmers of hope in Delaware County.

Jim Lowe, Ball State’s associate vice president of facilities planning and management, stands in the belly of the South District Energy Station

Once deemed unfeasible, the possibly largest-of-its-kind system boasts 1,000 miles of piping and $2 million in yearly energy savings vs. coal-fired boilers.

A student uses a mannequin at the School of Nursing's Simulation and Information Technology Center to check vital signs as a nursing instructor shows another student how to take a blood pressure reading.

Future nurses at the school’s Simulation and Information Technology Center learn to address heart attacks, births and other medical situations.

Students pick green beans on the organic farm at the Juanita Hults Environmental Learning Center.

From seed to harvest to market, the newly created plot outside Albany, Indiana, provides students with the know-how to flourish in a farm-to-table economy.

Collage of photos from Ball State Magazine's 10 most read stories in 2016.

The new year promises many more, but take a moment to revisit the stories that you, our readers, made our top 10 of 2016.