SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE

All roads lead home. Made up entirely of alumni, the Ball State women’s basketball assistant coaching staff signifies that theme and more.

Audrey McDonald-Spencer, ’10, Jauwan Scaife, ’11 MS ’13, and Moriah Monaco, ’18, all played for the Cardinals and understand the culture surrounding one of the University’s most successful programs.

is to make it back to the NCAA Tournament, and I am honored that I can speak from experience because there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

Mr. Scaife is in his first year as an assistant coach. He played for the Ball State men’s team from 2009-13 and was a Second-Team All-MAC selection as a senior.

In that regard, what’s your broadcasting style?

My degrees are through the Sports Link program, and I follow the “SEE” method that I learned there: Storytelling, Entertainment, and Engagement. I try hard to put my audience at the game.

You’re only the third person in this role in some 50 years. How does that feel?

I’m honored beyond words. Someone jokingly asked me if I’d ever wear sweaters in the booth like Morry did, but I’m just humbled to sit in the same seat as he and Joel did.

Who’s your biggest supporter and fan?

That’s easy. Without the love of my wife Gabi (’19), I wouldn’t be where I am today. I’m the luckiest guy in the world. — Dan Forst, ’85

Consistent Success

Under the direction of head coach Brady Sallee, the Ball State women’s basketball team is among the winningest programs in the Mid-American Conference. Upon his arrival in 2012 through the 2021-22 season, the Cardinals amassed seven postseason appearances.

Ball State also produced its all-time leading scorer (Nathalie Fontaine, ’16), all-time leading rebounder (Oshlynn Brown, ’21) and all-time assists leader (Carmen Grande, ’17).

“I believe having a staff made up entirely of Ball State alums is truly priceless,” said 11th-year head coach Brady Sallee. “When they explain how special this University is, they are speaking from experience.”

Ms. McDonald-Spencer is the longesttenured assistant coach at seven years. She was a key member of the 2008-09 Cardinals team that finished with a 26-9 record and shocked powerhouse Tennessee, 71-55, in the NCAA Tournament—one of the most significant victories in the history of Ball State Athletics.

“I will sometimes talk to recruits about that Tennessee game, but I stress to them that actions speak louder than words,” Ms. McDonald-Spencer said. “Our goal each year

“I’m a Muncie Central grad and have walked the same sidewalks that my prospective recruits would walk,” Mr. Scaife said. “My prospects see the love I have for Ball State and appreciate what I was able to accomplish here.”

Ms. Monaco, now in her second year as an assistant coach, was a two-time all-conference honoree at Ball State from 2015-18 and played in 126 games.

“All of the assistant coaches have a unique perspective to bring to the table, and mine is that I actually played for Coach Sallee,” Ms. Monaco said. “Coach Sallee makes you a better player and a better person, and when you combine that with my love for Ball State, I can deliver a compelling message to our prospective players.” — Dan Forst, ’85

Alumna Working With Colts

When Jillian Hacker, ’18, started last July as outreach services coordinator at Forté Sports Medicine and Orthopedics in Indianapolis, little did she know her first day would hold a huge surprise.

Forté serves as the team physicians for the Indianapolis Colts, and before Ms. Hacker could get settled at her desk, she was offered the opportunity to be the first-ever athletic trainer for the Colts’ cheerleading squad.

“I was both shocked and elated,” said Ms. Hacker, who earned her bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science at Ball State. “Forté knew of my athletic training background and felt I’d be the perfect fit to work with the Colts cheerleaders.”

Since taking on her position, Ms. Hacker has spent considerable time with the cheerleaders. Not only is she present for the squad’s two practices per week, but she is also a resource during Colts’ home games, arriving at Lucas Oil Stadium as early as 6 a.m. for a 1 p.m. kickoff.

“I’m always close by during the game,” she said. “And it’s just an incredible thrill for me to get to do this.”

As an athletic trainer for a high-performing team, Ms. Hacker also draws from her own experience as a student-athlete at Ball State, where she was a four-year letter winner on the gymnastics team. — Dan Forst, ’85

Community Engagement

Ball State University’s Office of Community Engagement serves as the backbone for the East Central Indiana Talent Collaborative, a regional collective impact initiative designed to improve talent attraction, talent development, and talent connection in partnership with more than 150 key stakeholders (including businesses, organizations, groups, and community leaders) with 19 coalitions in nine counties —Blackford, Delaware, Fayette, Grant, Henry, Jay, Randolph, Rush, and Wayne.

Ball State Dance Marathon

raised $662,763 for Riley Children’s Foundation during the last two years

Value from Our Colleges

College of Communication, Information, and Media

Ball State Daily News recently celebrated

100

Years

of reporting by students, helping to inform both campus and local community

35+ student run organizations

many of which provide value to public audiences

R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning

Students routinely work with community partners. As an example, for 18 semesters a Renovation of Residential Structures course has designed the renovations of 47 houses in Muncie for community partners.

College of Health

Interprofessional Community Clinics provided services to Muncie and Delaware County community members with more than 11,000 appointments booked in 2021-2022.

Campus-wide community engagement projects in 2022

In the last two years, more than 2,300 students have participated in community service for a combined 48,000 hours of service

BALL STATE CAMPAIGN

In 2022, more than 640 students & employees participated in the United Way Day of Action, resulting in 1,200 hours of volunteer work

Nearly $300,000 raised over the last two years

Since 2014, Ball State United Way campaigns have raised more than $1.31 MILLION (not including matching funds)

In 23 years of Immersive Learning programs, students have executed nearly

3,500 PROJECTS many with community partners

Academic Support for Community Supporting the Indiana Economy of freshman ’22 class from Indiana 91% of Spring ’22 graduates remained in Indiana after gaining employment

78% 58% of those projects have happened in East Central Indiana of Teachers College graduates remain in Indiana to teach

Federal grants for $2.6 million and $1.5 million recently awarded from U.S. Department of Education to support inclusive approach for schools to identify and support gifted students with disabilities and professional development for teachers to promote student learning in American civics, history, and geography, as well as media literacy, respectively.

Teachers College oversees Burris Laboratory School and the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities—both consistently ranked among the nation’s top high schools.

College of Fine Arts

More than 300 PERFORMANCES by the College of Fine Arts each year, all available to the public.

The David Owsley Museum of Art , accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, houses more than 11,000 works of art.

Teachers College Miller College of Business

Miller College of Business students in Computer Information Systems built a powerful cluster computer and used it to test complex software for the U.S. Department of Defense

Those students have continued to use the computer to work with area businesses.

Graduates are engaged in 3,200 clinical hours annually in the Counseling Practicum Clinic. The clinic is a part of the Interprofessional Community Clinics and is open to the public.

70% Licensed certified speech-language pathologists in Indiana that are Ball State grads

College of Sciences and Humanities

The Charles W. Brown Planetarium is the largest in Indiana with more than 20,000 visitors per year

The state-of-the-art projector can simulate a night sky with 10 million stars, and the facility can seat 150 people per show. All programs are free.

Since 1998, nearly 400 alumni from the Military Science program have been commissioned as officers, with 55% going on to active duty and 45% going into the National Guard

Public Service

The Bowen Center for Public Affairs surveys Indiana residents annually about their political and social concerns. The results help inform the General Assembly and other elected state officials.

Executive Education workshops and training programs pull from each discipline within Miller College of Business to feature content like innovation, teambuilding, management, entrepreneurship, accounting, marketing, and more to meet the specific needs of business leaders.