Latest News
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.
One Ball State Day at the Indiana Academy a Great Success
Wednesday, April 6, 2022
April 6, 2022
Alumni, Faculty, Staff, Parents, and Friends:
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Indiana Academy on April 5 for One Ball State Day. The day was a great success thanks to your incredible support! Here are a few highlights:
- The Academy raised $40,397 from 278 unique donors giving 311 gifts, all increases from 2021.
- The Academy finished 3rd overall (out of 105 areas) on campus in total unique donors, earning $1000 in challenge money.
- The Academy finished 2nd in total dollars raised between 7 PM-Midnight, earning $1000 in challenge money.
- The Academy finished 3rd in total unique donors between 8 – 11 PM, earning $1000 in challenge money.
- The Academy received donations from 35 states and 3 countries.
- The Academy finished 1st among Teachers College departments in gifts, donors, and dollars raised.
In a few weeks, we will receive a report detailing which funds received donations. This will guide us in planning how to use these gifts to best support Indiana Academy students. Funds from donations in 2021 were used to provide additional financial aid support to students who otherwise could not attend the Academy, purchase laptops for student use, and renovate two Academy classrooms (to take place this summer). None of this is possible without your amazing support. Thank you!
Dain Kavars
Executive Director
Academy Alum Receives Goldwater Scholarship
Friday, March 25, 2022
Isabelle Behrman (IASHM 2020), a Ball State junior and Honors College student, has received a Goldwater Scholarship. The Goldwater is the nation’s most important scholarship for undergraduates who intend to pursue careers in STEM research.
Isabelle has majors in chemistry (with the American Chemical Society concentration) and Spanish. After earning a Ph.D. in molecular engineering or material science and engineering, she plans to launch a research career aimed at creating environmentally friendly and biodegradable materials. In particular, she hopes to work on 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 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. As a graduate of the Indiana Academy, Isabelle will be completing her undergraduate degree in only three years.
Isabelle is the thirteenth Ball State student to receive the Goldwater Scholarship, along with nine others who have received honorable mention. Many of these alumni have gone on to win other prestigious scholarships and established impressive careers in STEM research. Congratulations, Isabelle!
Dr. Phillip Lobo Publishes Research Paper
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Dr. Phillip Lobo, Instructor of English at the Indiana Academy, published an article online for the journal Russian Literature, titled “Between Homo & Ludens: The Dichotomy of Subjectivity in The Snail on the Slope.” The paper demonstrates “the way literature and games have both been called upon to address the problem and possibility of agency for the subjects they create” by examining the Strugatsky brothers’ novel The Snail on the Slope in the context of late-1960s Soviet society.
You can read Dr. Lobo’s paper here for free until May 5.
Academy Envirothon Team Headed to State
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
The Indiana Academy Envirothon team won the East Central Regional competition held Tuesday, March 15 at Hayes Arboretum in Richmond, and will advance to the State competition on April 27 at Connor Prairie. Ms. Megan Wright accompanied the team, which consists of Bryson Bennett, Isabella Crespo, Julie Pichonnat, Mia Vega-Isaac, Olivia Walker, and Kylie Williford.
Envirothon is a competition designed to promote environmental education. Teams compete by answering questions and studying resource problems in five environmental topics, as well as making an oral presentation at the Regional level. The top team in the State competition will represent Indiana at the National Envirothon.
Congratulations to our Envirothon team!
Academy Seniors Named Whitinger Scholars
Friday, February 18, 2022
Academy seniors Sai Hamm and Mia Vega-Isaac were named Ball State University Whitinger Scholars for the 2022-2023 academic year.
The Whitinger Scholarship is the signature scholarship of the Honors College and the most prestigious scholarship awarded by Ball State. It supplements Ball State’s Presidential Scholarship to provide full tuition and required fees plus on-campus room and board. Eight new Honors College students are selected to receive the award each year based on their academic ability, character, creativity, and potential for leadership.
Congratulations to Sai and Mia!
2022 National Merit Finalists
Monday, February 14, 2022
Three Indiana Academy seniors have been named Finalists in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship competition.
Congratulations to Sophia Lotzow, Paul Ulrich, and Justin Xia!
Four Academy Alums Among Ball State’s “Top 100” Students
Monday, February 14, 2022
Beginning this year, the Ball State University Foundation recognizes 100 outstanding junior and senior undergraduates at Ball State University who “represent Beneficence both in and out of the classroom.” Applicants are scored by a group of BSU alumni around the country. Among the 100 students chosen as the inaugural recipients of this honor are four Indiana Academy alumni, all currently seniors at BSU.
They are Isabelle Behrman ’21 (Muncie), Trinity Croy ’18 (Marion), Hannah Flanagan ’19 (Elwood), and Barbara Willey ’17 (Muncie). All of the Top 100 recipients will be recognized at a reception during One Ball State Day on April 5, 2022. Additionally, as “Top 25” students, Isabelle and Hannah will be invited to attend an awards ceremony on April 2, where the Top 10 and Top Two students will be named. Congratulations!
Dr. Bridget Lester Named Most Influential Educator by Alumni Scholarship Recipient
Thursday, February 3, 2022
Dr. Bridget Lester will receive a $1,000 professional development grant from Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) as a part of the “Realizing the Dream” scholarship program. The $3,000 scholarship recognizes first-generation Indiana college students from ICI’s 29 private, non-profit colleges and universities and is made possible by a grant from the Lilly Endowment.
Scholarship recipient Jenna Littlejohn, currently a sophomore at the University of Evansville, chose to thank Dr. Lester for her positive influence in a video released by ICI.
Dr. Lester says of Ms. Littlejohn, “I am just so happy to have gotten the opportunity to know Jenna. She will continue to have such a bright future ahead. Having the opportunity to watch our students succeed is one of the best things about being a teacher.”
Congratulations to both!