Hope Churchill is a senior studying business administration in our Miller College of Business. She’s also our current student representative on the Board of Trustees. In this role, Hope serves as the voice of her peers, advocating for her fellow Ball State students and bringing their perspectives to the board. 

As she prepares to graduate in May, Hope reflects on her Ball State journey and her service to our University. She shares how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced her high school and college experiences—and how more students on campus are stepping up as leaders now that the pandemic has receded. 

When asked what she loves most about Ball State, Hope also shares her appreciation for the University’s distinct culture, which is shaped by the Midwestern hospitality of our faculty, staff, and students and a shared commitment to the Beneficence Pledge. 

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Jeff Feltman is a distinguished Ball State graduate who has had an impressive career in foreign affairs and international diplomacy. Currently, Jeff is the John C. Whitehead Visiting Fellow in international diplomacy in the Foreign Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, and he's a senior fellow at the UN Foundation, both of which are based in Washington, D.C.

Over the course of his impressive career, Jeff served as the UN's undersecretary general for political affairs and as U.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa. During our conversation, I ask Jeff about his undergraduate experience at Ball State and how it prepared him for the Foreign Service. We also talk about his diplomatic posts in the Department of State, including his experience as ambassador to Lebanon from 2004 to 2008.

And we discuss the Ball State professors who encouraged Jeff to pursue his challenging and rewarding career in the Foreign Service. Among his mentors was Warren Vander Hill, a long-time professor and distinguished administrator who died in July. This month, Jeff joined the University community in attending an on-campus memorial for Dr. Vander Hill. Jeff and several of his classmates also created an endowed fund in honor of Dr. Vander Hill. The fund will support internships, research, and other experiential opportunities for Ball State students. 

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Paris McCurdy is a graduate who played a pivotal role in Ball State's own March Madness Cinderella Story. Paris was a senior for the Cardinals when he and his teammates won the MAC Championship and went on to compete in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.

As our basketball teams prepare to kick off another season of play, Paris reflects on his memories of that remarkable ’89-’90 season and about the valuable role he played in getting the Cardinals to the Sweet 16. He also talks about his career playing professional basketball in Europe and his current role as our University's director of community diversity initiatives. 

Finally, looking back on his own days as a Ball State student, Paris shares his pride in the changes that have since transpired on our campus, from the facilities to the demographics of our freshman class. 

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Roy Weaver spent nearly 30 years serving Ball State University—first as a faculty member and then as an administrator. He was the associate dean of our Teachers College for 10 years, before serving another 16 years as dean.

In addition to his passion for serving Ball State students, Roy has a passion for Ball State football, which celebrates its 100th season in 2024. Roy’s appreciation for the Cardinals inspired him to co-write a book about Timmy Brown, a former All-American football player for Ball State who later became an NFL champion for the Philadelphia Eagles.

In this episode, Roy recounts memories from his educational and professional journey at Ball State. He also shares more about the work that went into writing Running Against the Grain: The Story of Philadelphia Eagle and Movie Star Timmy Brown and why he felt compelled to write this biography of the late football player-turned-Hollywood star.

Roy’s book about Timmy Brown is available for purchase at www.eagle22.org. If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review to support the show. 

Since 2016, Mike McDaniel has been a dedicated member of the Ball State Board of Trustees. He is also a proud two-time graduate of our University, where he met the professor who became the mentor who shaped his future career in state politics. 

Mike recently finished his final legislative session as the executive director of governmental affairs for Krieg DeVault, a law firm based in Indianapolis. Before working for Krieg DeVault, Mike’s 51-year career in government relations and administration included his seven years of service as the chair of the Indiana Republican Party.

In this episode, Mike shares personal highlights of growing up in Muncie and his favorite memories of his time spent as a Ball State student. He also shares colorful stories about his career in politics, from running campaigns for state officials to favorite experiences with past U.S. Presidents. 

Mike also discusses the time he spent working for his alma mater, serving as a liaison for lawmakers, along with accomplishments he’s most proud of achieving on behalf of Ball State in his roles as a political advocate and a trustee. 

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Brady Sallee became the head women’s basketball coach at Ball State University in 2012. Since then, he has established a culture of excellence for the Cardinals, a culture that is rooted in fundamentals and teamwork. For years now, Brady has broken records in Ball State Athletics. He is the only head coach to take his team to nine postseason tournaments, and with 237 victories, he is the winningest basketball coach in Ball State University.   

In this episode, Brady shares how his recruiting skills helped him to advance in his career and how coming to Ball State represented an excellent opportunity to compete at the next level. He also shares some of his favorite Cardinal victories and how he began his tradition of treating players to ice cream after every win. 

Later in the conversation, Brady shares how his “Seven Pillars” helped him to build a strong program at Ball State. And he reveals how his family’s new business venture in The Village, Everbowl, has strengthened their ties to the Muncie community. 

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Hollis Hughes is very well known by many members of the Ball State University community. As a two-time graduate, Hollis had the distinction of serving on the University’s Board of Trustees for more than two decades. Previously, he served as a board member of the Ball State University Foundation, the Alumni Council, and the Black Alumni Council.

Hollis studied at Ball State at a time when segregated housing policies existed on our campus and in our community. In this episode, he shares how a university employee helped him to navigate those challenging circumstances. He also reveals how Ball State taught him valuable lessons that helped him transcend cultural barriers throughout his life. 

Later in the conversation, Hollis shares his opinions about some of the biggest developments at the University to coincide with his volunteer service as a trustee. And he discusses why serving others—at work and in the community—is how he’s been able to accomplish goals on behalf of his colleagues, his community, and his alma mater. 

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Anand Marri serves as Ball State’s Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, a position for which he is responsible for the University’s academic mission, including supporting leadership for all academic units. 

When he accepted the role in October 2023, Dr. Marri was no stranger to Ball State. He previously served three years as dean of the Teachers College, during which time enrollment in the college increased and faculty and staff generated a significant increase in external funding to support their research.

In this episode, Dr. Marri talks about the rewards and challenges of his new role and why he chose to leave behind a tenured professorship at Columbia University to advance his career as an administrator at Ball State. He also shares stories about his childhood spent growing up in the New York City borough of Queens. And he reveals details of how his pursuit of a career in education has taken him from the East Coast to the West Coast with stops in the Midwest along the way. 

If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review to support the show. 

Over the past three decades of his career at Ball State, Jim Lowe has dedicated himself to ensuring the functionality, comfort, safety, and sustainability of every building that makes up the University’s campus. 

As the associate vice president for facilities planning and management, Jim is responsible for the day-to-day operations and maintenance of the University’s facilities—and for planning, designing, and constructing our future buildings.  

Jim’s career has encompassed a series of milestones, from implementing an influential program to address the maintenance of the University’s buildings to overseeing the implementation of the University’s distinctive geothermal energy system. 

In this episode, Jim talks about these accomplishments and more, as well his appreciation for his hometown of Muncie. He also reveals why he gives back to the community to the extent that he does, through his service on many boards, including the board that governs Muncie Community Schools. 

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Over the past three seasons, President Geoffrey S. Mearns has been the one asking his guests questions on “Our Call to Beneficence.” For this episode of the podcast, his two youngest children, his twins Geoffrey Jr. and Molly, turn the tables by interviewing him.

“Our goal in doing this was to hopefully give people a side of you that they might not know,” Geoffrey Jr. tells his father at the outset of their conversation. With that objective in mind, the President’s son and daughter ask him a host of questions about his upbringing, their family, and why he chose to become a lawyer before transitioning to a career in higher education.  

The trio end their time together by discussing what Beneficence means to President Mearns and why, based on personal experience, he believes that Ball State is such a distinctive and special place. 

If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review to support the show.