August 2022 News
Congratulations to the Indiana Academy’s National Merit Semifinalists!
Wednesday, August 31, 2022
The National Merit Scholarship Program is an annual competition for recognition and scholarships that is open to all U.S. high school students that meet entry requirements. Semifinalists named in each year’s Merit Scholarship competition show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The 16,000 semifinalists are the highest-scoring entrants in each state and represent less than 1% of each state’s high school seniors.
We are happy to announce that the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities will be celebrating four of our very own as 2023 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists! Congratulations to Charles Behrman, Henry Cooper, Lauren Couch, and Karisten Poole for being named semifinalists. We are so proud of these four students and the many others that choose to explore the Academy by being curious, eager to investigate, willing to be challenged, and poised to persist.
Bravo, well done, and hearty congratulations to Charles, Henry, Lauren, and Karisten.
Norton Among Top 25 Teachers in Indiana
Thursday, August 18, 2022
This summer, the Indiana Academy nominated Academy Lecturer of Chemistry ChristyAnn Norton for the 2023 Indiana Teacher of the Year Award. On August 18, she was recognized as a top 25 finalist. Congratulations!
Academic Super Bowl Results
Monday, May 9, 2022
Saturday, May 7, the Indiana Association of School Principals (IASP) held the state championship for Academic Super Bowl. The Indiana Academy had teams qualify for the state competition in Mathematics, English, Science, Fine Arts, and Interdisciplinary.
The Mathematics team took first place. English took second place, with the second tie-breaker separating them from first place. Science took third place, with the third tie-breaker separating them from second place. Fine Arts took fourth place, with the first tie-breaker separating them from third place. The Interdisciplinary (ID) team took 1st place.
Students attending this competition were Llla Beghtel (English, Fine Arts, and ID), Bryn Deibel (Math Captain, Science, and ID), Emily Denny (English), Uma Kandallu (English Captain and ID), Gunvanth Kandula (Science Captain and ID), Adrienne McKay (Fine Arts), Tyler Robertson (Fine Arts Captain, Math, and ID), Neharika Upadhyay (Science and ID), Rachel Watson (English and Fine Arts), and Justin Xia (ID Captain, Math, and Science).
Other students involved in Academic Super Bowl this year include Elijah Buck, Joseph Ciceu, Jaehun Kim, Tristan Morris, Jarett Rusznak, Jonathan Slater, Ezekiel Ulrich, Olivia Walker, and Yifei Wang.
Congratulations to coach Ms. Jessica Edrington and her teams, and special thanks to Mr. Steve Schuh for helping to drive the students to Purdue and back!
Academy Senior Named Purdue Beering Scholar
Thursday, May 5, 2022
Indiana Academy senior Autumn Reynolds has been awarded a Steven C. Beering Scholarship, which covers the full educational expenses for a bachelor’s degree, one master’s degree, and either a Ph.D. or professional degree in medicine, veterinary medicine or pharmacy at Purdue University, as well as funding for a study abroad experience. Autumn is from Michigan City, Indiana, and will also be a member of the Purdue Honors College, where she plans to study Public Health.
Scholarship recipients are selected through an invitation-only process once they are admitted to Purdue. A committee reviews applications and determines the recipients based on high school credentials and leadership skills. The program was created by Purdue’s ninth president, Dr. Steven C. Beering, who raised private funds for the endowment.
Congratulations Autumn!
Indiana Academy Recognized by U.S. News & World Report Among Top Indiana High Schools
Friday, April 29, 2022
MUNCIE, Indiana – The Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities and Burris Laboratory School are once again receiving national recognition.
U.S. News & World Report recently ranked the Indiana Academy (No. 2) and Burris (No. 7) among the top high schools in Indiana in its “2022 Best U.S. High Schools” listing. Both schools are operated by Ball State University’s Teachers College.
“These excellent rankings are a testament to the hard work being done by our students, faculty, and staff at both institutions on a daily basis,” said Dr. Anand R. Marri, Teachers College dean. “At Ball State, we value being a good neighbor. Through our school partnerships with the Indiana Academy and Burris, we continue to engage our community, serve teachers and students, and advance education throughout Indiana.”
The annual U.S. News & World Report “Best U.S. High Schools” rankings are determined by students’ outcomes in state assessments, college-level exam scores, and graduation rates. The Indiana Academy ranked as the No. 2 school in the state largely due to its state assessment performance and proficiency—both of which ranked tied for first in the state—and its 98-percent graduation rate.
Earlier this year, the Indiana Academy—a residential high school for approximately 300 gifted and talented juniors and seniors from across the State of Indiana—was also ranked by Niche as the No. 1 public high school in Indiana.
“Since its founding in 1988 by the Indiana General Assembly, the Indiana Academy has consistently been an incubator for excellence,” said Dr. Dain Kavars, the Indiana Academy’s executive director. “Our diverse community of students live in our exceptional learning community, where they are challenged by our stimulating curricula that blends tradition with innovation. I’m proud to see that hard work recognized once again by U.S. News & World Report.”
Burris, which ranked ninth in the state in last year’s U.S. News & World Report “Best U.S. High Schools” listing, was able to improve two spots in this year’s rankings in part because of its students’ increased participation in Advanced Placement (AP) classes—from 70 percent in 2021 to 76 percent this year. Participation and assessment scores in AP classes are the most weighted elements considered for the rankings.
Founded in 1929 by Teachers College, Burris is now operated and managed by Ball State as a laboratory school for the University.
“This ranking reflects the ongoing partnership between our educators, staff, and students to create a collaborative environment of respect that challenges everyone to excel,” said Dr. Abigail Comber, interim principal at Burris. “Our collaboration with community partners has enabled our educators to model the academic rigor and continuous improvement mindset that is necessary for success.”
Nationally, the Indiana Academy ranked 218th overall, while Burris ranked 419th, out of almost 24,000 total public high schools evaluated in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Academy Students Sweep Math Competition
Thursday, April 28, 2022
Seniors Will Amos and Sophia Lotzow and juniors Elijah Buck and Charles Behrman represented the Indiana Academy at the Indiana High School State Math Contest on Saturday, April 23. The contest, sponsored by the Indiana Council of Teachers of Mathematics (ICTM), was held at 10 sites across the state. The Academy students competed at the Ball State University site.
The Academy swept the Comprehensive Category for the BSU regional, with Buck placing first, Lotzow second, Behrman third, and Amos fourth. Statewide results will be announced soon. The performers in the top 5% for the state will be recognized at the ICTM Outstanding Scholars Award Ceremony at the Indiana Statehouse in June.
Congratulations to our outstanding students!
Academy TSA Crowned Technology Bowl State Champions
Monday, April 25, 2022
Saturday and Sunday, April 23-24, the Indiana Academy Technology Student Association (TSA) team attended and competed in a two-day virtual workshop/technology competition, where they won the Technology Bowl State Championship. Overall, the team finished fourth when including points from other events.
Congratulations to Bryn Deibel, Nico Minnich, and Luke Monroe, and their coach, Ms. Susie Cunningham!
Academic Super Bowl Teams Qualify for State
Wednesday, April 20, 2022
Tuesday, April 19th, the Indiana Academy sent teams in Math, English, Science, Fine Arts, Social Studies, and Interdisciplinary to the area Super Bowl competition at Greenfield Central High School.
The teams in Math (1st in class overall), English (1st in class overall), Science (4th in class overall), Fine Arts (4th in class overall), and Interdisciplinary (1st in class overall) qualified for the state competition on May 7th at Purdue University.
Coached by Ms. Jessica Edrington, these teams put in a lot of hours in student-led practices, and they also brought home blue ribbons for placing first at the area competition. Congratulations to the Super Bowl champions, and a special thank you to Ms. Kim Foltz and Ms. Megan Wright for driving late into the night!
Academy Faculty Receive Robert P. Bell Education Grant
Tuesday, April 19, 2022
The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County has awarded a Robert P. Bell Education Grant to Dr. Phillip Lobo and Dr. Jeff Smith to fund a project which will partner Academy students with local community organizations to educate themselves on local ecosystems and promote biodiversity.
Under the guidance of a trained botanist, students will learn about the interplay between native and invasive species, and the efforts the community makes to maintain the natural world that lives alongside us every moment. With the help of partners at the Cardinal Greenway, students will, over the course of a weekend in spring, seed the Greenway with local grasses and flowers. These include little bluestem, prairie gayfeather, purple coneflower and the endangered royal catchfly.
The method of planting is a hands-on process combining organic compost, dry clay, water and a blend of seeds. Students will measure, mix and create seed distribution pellets which can be safely thrown into disused or disturbed land to revitalize it. Later, they will follow up with these sites to track their progress, to see where their plantings have flourished or faced challenges, and why.
Congratulations to Dr. Lobo and Dr. Smith!
Isabelle Behrman in Top 2 for Ball State Student Awards
Thursday, April 7, 2022
Academy alum Isabelle Behrman (Class of 2020) was recently recognized as being in the Top 2 for Ball State’s Top 100 Student Awards for the most outstanding junior and senior undergraduates. With a double major in chemistry and Spanish at Ball State, Isabelle will be completing her undergraduate degree in only three years. She was also recently recognized as a 2022 Goldwater Scholarship recipient, a prestigious scholarship for undergraduates who intend to pursue careers in STEM research.
Isabelle plans to earn a Ph.D. in molecular engineering or material science and engineering before launching a research career aimed at creating environmentally friendly and biodegradable materials. In particular, she hopes to work on the development of new packaging materials to address problems of plastic creation and waste. At Ball State, Isabelle has been working in the lab of Dr. Robert Sammelson (an Academy parent) since the end of her freshman year, helping conduct research on a newly developed acid. She is also a member of the Women’s Tennis Team and serves as a Supplemental Instructor in organic chemistry.