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Our Call to Beneficence

Author: Ball State University

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Our Call to Beneficence is a podcast hosted by Geoffrey S. Mearns, the president of Ball State University. The podcast features conversations with Ball State graduates and friends who embody the spirit of Beneficence through their professional success and their personal service.
32 Episodes
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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. If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review to support the show. 
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. If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review to support the show. 
Betsy Ross is a Ball State graduate who became one of the first women to break into national sports news. Today, she is the president of Game Day Communications, a sports and entertainment communications firm based in Cincinnati. Betsy graduated from Ball State in 1972 with a degree in journalism. After working in print and television media in South Bend, Indiana, she became a television news anchor and reporter for the NBC affiliate in Cincinnati. In this episode, Betsy shares how her coverage of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta caught the eye of producers at ESPN. She also shares more about the business she later founded, Game Day Communications, and why she was inspired to write a book honoring the accomplishments of female athletes who made possible the opportunities that women in sports have today. Betsy also shares highlights from some of her favorite interviews from her decades-long career as a journalist, including the inspiring words that tennis legend Billie Jean King shared with her that Betsy has never forgotten. If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review to support the show.
Jim Champy is a leading expert on management issues involving business engineering, a topic for which he wrote a New York Times best-selling book that has sold more than two million copies. In addition to being the co-author of Reengineering the Corporation, Jim was most recently chairman emeritus of consulting for Dell Services. Before that, he was chairman of consulting and head of strategy for Perot Systems.In this episode, Jim shares how his college education prepared him to launch his first business, Index, a consulting practice he founded with a few hundred dollars with his classmates from MIT. Today, Jim continues to consult with business executives of major companies seeking to improve business performance. He also gives back as a philanthropist and as a mentor, including to Ball State students. Jim also shares the story of how his long-standing engagement with Ball State began with one business student seeking his advice—and his reasons for why he chooses to remain involved in influencing the lives of so many more of our students.  
Dr. Lee Ann Kwiatkowski—or Dr. K as she is affectionately known in the community—serves as the director of public education and CEO for Muncie Community Schools (MCS).When she accepted the role in July 2019, Dr. K assumed leadership of the innovative partnership between MCS and Ball State. Over the past five years, she has helped the district make good progress in achieving our collective goals: student enrollment at MCS has stabilized; budgets have been balanced annually; and compensation for teachers and staff has increased by more than 30 percent.In this episode, Dr. K talks about what inspired her to lead MCS in this distinctive administrative role. She also reveals more about her background and career, for which she has spent 35 years working in public education in Indiana.Dr. K also shares what she views as the challenges and rewards of her demanding profession, as well as her goals for the coming years for MCS.If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review to support the show.  
Greg Fehribach is an attorney and the founder of The Fehribach Group, a consulting firm specializing in accessibility, universal design, and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. He is also a proud two-time graduate of Ball State who made history as the first student with a disability to be elected to serve as the University’s student body president.On this new season of “Our Call to Beneficence,” Greg talks about how the accessibility of Ball State’s campus in the 1970s made him think he had “died and gone to heaven.” Greg’s positive student experience compelled him to serve on the University’s Board of Trustees from 2004 to 2007.Greg also describes how his Ball State education prepared him for his career as an attorney and as a disability rights advocate at the state and national level. Most recently, as chair of the United States Access Board, Greg helped craft federal guidelines to make our Nation’s streets more accessible and safer for people with disabilities.If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review to support the show.  
Dwight Smith is an innovative producer of reality television shows in Hollywood. He’s also a proud graduate who, in his own words, grew up as a “Ball State baby.” In this episode, Dwight talks about how our University fostered his love for the entertainment industry and how one of his favorite professors helped him launch his career in Hollywood.Dwight also describes the evolution of the production company Mission Control Media, which he co-owns with the same business partner he’s worked with for more than 15 years. In that time, their company has created multiple hit programs for networks including SyFy, NBC, and Netflix. The newest show they’re about to launch is a home renovation challenge for HGTV that ties into one of the most anticipated film releases of 2023. If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review to support the show.  
Randy Pond is an accomplished Ball State graduate who presently serves as the chair of our University’s comprehensive fundraising campaign.As our May Commencement speaker, Randy inspired our graduates with his story about being a first-generation college student. After graduating from Ball State in 1977, he embarked upon a successful and fulfilling career that allowed him to serve as a corporate leader for one of the largest and fastest growing technology companies in the world. In this episode, Randy talks about how his Ball State education changed his life. He also reveals why he moved to the West Coast and what he has loved about working in the tech industry. Randy also shares more about his involvement in charitable and civic organizations in California, as well as his reason for giving back to his alma mater in the spirit of beneficence. If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review to support the show. 
Earlier this month, Jeff Mitchell began his tenure as Ball State’s new director of athletics. Already he has identified his vision for the next era of Ball State Athletics—a vision inspired by his previous experience leading athletics departments at universities across the country. In this episode, Jeff talks about playing baseball in his youth and how his passion for the sport led to becoming a student-athlete at Millsaps College. And he reveals how his commitment to Millsaps’ athletics department—and to being qualified for future professional opportunities—allowed his career to flourish. He also shares how his administrative experiences at Santa Clara University and Southern Mississippi University have given him the confidence and the conviction to accelerate the success of Ball State Athletics. And when asked about his second career as a college sports announcer, Jeff gives listeners a sample of how he would get the job done.  If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review to support the show.  
Mali Jeffers graduated from Ball State University in 2004. Since then, she has combined her passion for art and design with her skills in advertising and marketing to serve as co-founder of GANGGANG, a cultural developmental firm. Together with her husband, Alan Bacon, Mali is committed to building culture and community in her hometown of Indianapolis. Since founding GANGGANG in 2020, Mali’s firm has contributed works of public art and performances in conjunction with the 2021 NCAA men’s basketball tournament in Indianapolis. GANGGANG has also staged two successful iterations of BUTTER, a multi-day fine art fair that has garnered national media attention from Forbes and the New York Times.  In this episode, Mali shares more about her desire to elevate artists of color and her dedication to using the arts as a means of bringing people together. Mali also discusses the meaning behind GANGGANG’s name—how the word “gang” reflects the journey that she and Alan are taking as entrepreneurs who are dedicated to equity in the arts. If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review to support the show. 
Kate Doerksen is a 2005 graduate of Ball State who, as a Cardinal, excelled on the court and in the classroom. As a star on our women’s basketball team, Kate earned several MAC Honors, as well as a spot in our Athletics Hall of Fame. While majoring in entrepreneurship at Ball State, Kate was empowered by her professors to believe she had the grit and the passion required to start her own business. And while she was earning her MBA from Stanford, she did exactly that as the founder of Ditto, an e-commerce website for glasses.In this episode, Kate shares what drew her to Ball State and what she enjoyed most about playing Division 1 basketball followed by her short stint in the WNBA.Kate also discusses her career path from Wall Street to wanting to become an innovative leader in the retail industry, providing valuable insights into why being an entrepreneur is “not for the faint of heart.” And Kate shares why she remains so involved with her alma mater, most notably in her new role as a member of the Ball State University Foundation Board. If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review to support the show.  
Stedman Graham is an author, an educator, and an entrepreneur. After earning his undergraduate degree from Hardin-Simmons University in Texas, Stedman served in the Army, mostly overseas, where he also played in the European professional basketball league. While in the military, Stedman also earned his master’s degree in education from Ball State.In this episode, Stedman shares why he chose to attend Ball State. He also talks about creating his nine-step plan for success—a plan he travels the globe sharing with others—and how his approach to “identity leadership” prepared him for his relationship with Oprah Winfrey, one of the most famous women in the world. If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review to support the show. 
Michael Lewis was hired as Ball State’s new men’s basketball coach in March. Coach Lewis’ arrival ushers in a new chapter of leadership for Ball State Athletics. It’s also an exciting new chapter for Michael, who has returned to his home state after spending the past three years serving as an assistant coach at UCLA. In this episode, Coach Lewis talks about his youth playing basketball in Jasper, Indiana, his days as a star point guard for IU, and his experience as an assistant coach at the Division I Level for the past 18 years. He also shares his impressions of this year’s Cardinals, which games this coming season have him most excited, and why he wants his players to view him as more than just their coach. If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review to support the show. 
Dan Towriss graduated from Ball State in 1994 with a degree in actuarial science. Over the course of his career, he’s led a number of successful insurance company acquisitions and earned a reputation for growth and a return on investment. Today, he is the CEO and President of Group 1001, an insurance holding company based in Indianapolis with assets valued at more than $58 billion.In addition to his commitment to his profession, Dan has a passion for sports and philanthropy. Currently, he serves on the board of two national nonprofit organizations, the Cal Ripkin Senior Foundation, as well as RISE, an organization dedicated to empowering the sports community to eliminate racism and champion social justice. In this episode, Dan talks about baseball being the formative game of his youth, how Ball State shaped him into the business leader he’s become, and how he’s been inspired to give back to our University—and to Muncie, where he grew up.Dan also talks about the business relationships he’s fostered with some of the biggest sporting enterprises in the state—including the Indianapolis 500—and how those relationships have strengthened his resolve to be an involved partner in the community. If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review to support the show. 
Ashley C. Ford is a New York Times-best selling author, podcaster, and educator. Her debut memoir, “Somebody’s Daughter,” chronicles her life growing up as a young Black girl in Fort Wayne, Indiana.Ashley’s book was chosen by Oprah Winfrey for publication under her imprint, “An Oprah Book.” In addition to being on a first-name basis with the former queen of daytime talk TV, Ashley has written national magazine features about other celebrities, politicians, and athletes, including actress Anne Hathaway, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Serena Williams. In this episode, Ashley talks about the challenges in her childhood, and why writing about them made her feel less alone and better equipped to process the emotional impact of those memories.Ashley also shares about her undergraduate experience at Ball State and how the positive opportunities she experienced at our University have made her want to give back to her community today. You can learn more about Ashley at https://www.ashleycford.net. You can follow Ashley on Twitter at @iSmashFizzle and President Mearns at @PresidentMearns. If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review to support the show.  
Don Yaeger is a New York Times best-selling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and leadership coach whose clients include executives in the banking, tech, and entertainment industries.After graduating from Ball State, Don worked as a newspaper reporter before he was hired as a writer and associate editor for Sports Illustrated, the world’s most popular weekly sports magazine. Don parlayed his career at the magazine into a successful second career writing the life stories of some of the biggest names in sports.In this episode, Don talks about how his youth took him from Hawaii to Muncie, Indiana, about the Ball State professor and staff member who were instrumental to helping him chart his life path, and what it was like to see his byline for the first time in the pages of Sports Illustrated. Don shares the meaningful experience of writing the autobiography of his hero, Walter Payton, and what inspired him to start his own podcast, “Corporate Competitor.” He also reveals the characteristics of greatness that he’s witnessed in many of the athletes he’s interviewed along with the advice he’d give to Ball State students pursuing their own fulfilling careers.You can learn more about Don at https://donyaeger.com. You can follow Don on Twitter at @DonYaeger and President Mearns at @PresidentMearns. If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review to support the show. 
Vince Bertram is a native of New Castle, Indiana. He earned four degrees at Ball State University, including a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in educational administration. After graduating from Ball State, Vince spent 20 years in education as a teacher, a principal, and a superintendent. Today, he serves as President & CEO of Project Lead The Way (PLTW), an Indianapolis-based nonprofit organization that provides a transformative learning experience for PreK-12 students and teachers across the country.In this episode, Vince talks about his upbringing, what inspired him to become a teacher and a coach, and his memories of working with legendary coaches John Wooden and Rick Majerus.Vince describes some of the influential educators he met as a student at Ball State and the moment he knew he was ready to leave his successful career as a school administrator to lead PLTW.  Vince also shares his thoughts about Ball State’s innovative partnership with Muncie Community Schools and weighs in on how our country might address inequities in our educational system as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. You can learn more about Project Lead The Way at www.pltw.org. You can follow Vince on Twitter at @vincebertram and President Mearns at @PresidentMearns. If you enjoy this episode, please leave a review to support the show. 
Our Call to Beneficence is a podcast that features Ball State University President Geoffrey S. Mearns interviewing guests who embody the spirit of Beneficence through their professional success and their personal service.Beneficence means the quality of doing good through service and philanthropy. At our university, Beneficence is also the iconic statue on our campus that serves as a tangible symbol of our mission and our commitment to our enduring values: excellence, innovation, courage, integrity, inclusiveness, social responsibility, and gratitude.Enjoy these conversations with educators, innovators, creatives, and professionals who will inform and inspire you. If you’d like to connect with President Mearns, find him on Twitter (@PresidentMearns). And if you like what you hear on this podcast, please leave us a review.  
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. 
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