Plants, Planets, and Paintings:

Ball State’s Hidden Gems

Ball State provides tremendous value to students, faculty, and staff as well as visitors to campus from the local community and beyond. Three engaging on-campus options are located on the west side of the University. Explore these cultural enrichment sites for free.

David Owsley Museum of Art

• Browse more than 11,000 works representing 5,000 years of civilization

• Artwork from all seven continents displayed

• Collection constantly rotating

• Focus on diversity

• Displays national-level exhibitions

DOMA’s Associate Director Wins Two Awards

Managing student employees may be a small line in the job description of Rachel Buckmaster, ’95, associate director of the David Owsley Museum of Art (DOMA). But she does not take the duty lightly—and others have noticed.

Ms. Buckmaster won the 2022 Ball State Student Employment Supervisor of the Year Award and the corresponding award from the Midwest Association of Student Employment Administrators (MASEA).

Dr. Joe and Alice Rinard Orchid Greenhouse

• Enjoy the largest collegiate collection of orchids in the U.S.—over 2,100!

• Always in full bloom, even in the Winter

• Visit the new expansion that immerses guests in a simulated tropical rainforest

• Free Saturday programs in the Nature Lab for families

• Live animals! Bees, turtles, frogs, and fish

• Art exhibits by Ball State students and local artists

Charles W. Brown Planetarium

• Explore the night sky in the largest planetarium in Indiana

• Learn space trivia to impress your friends

• Experience a realistic night sky, free from light pollution

• Be a scientist and explore science concepts at the pre-show, hands-on activity stations

• Understand how history and culture are reflected in astronomy

• More specifically, visit for the Celestial Event: Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024, starting at 1:52 p.m.

“Rachel prioritizes our well-being while providing as much care as she can give,” said Brennan Hill, student guard at DOMA. “She takes the time to know every worker. The museum feels like home, and the staff is like family.”

Ms. Buckmaster supervises 35-40 student guards, interns, and assistants each semester.

In addition, she serves as the museum’s operations manager and handles publicity, outreach efforts, finances, and plays a significant role in museum exhibitions and acquisitions.

To Ms. Buckmaster, supervising student employees requires more than managing payroll and work schedules. She takes the time to connect with the students—learning their interests and finding ways their roles in the museum align with their goals. These connections benefit both Ms. Buckmaster and DOMA.

“Working with students helps me continue learning every day,” Ms. Buckmaster said. “Our student employees and their input are so important to the museum’s success.” — Jennifer Criss, ’98