Here are some examples of completed Building Better Communities Fellows projects: Ball Memorial Hospital Nursing and Leadership Development Students on this Fellows team worked with the Ball Memorial Hospital Emergency Department and helped it move from being a “good” department to a “great” department. The project included examining the communication that existed in the unit and assessing its digital communication technologies. The group also assisted Volunteer Resources in finding a better way of reconciling volunteer expectations of their duties with those of the nurses. To aid in their research, the students spent the first five weeks of the fall semester volunteering in different units to learn more about the hospital and to experience what is was like to work in a health care setting. Students also assessed the technology available to the patients and families. For example, they examined the hospital’s Web site focusing on the emergency department content, how to better use the televisions in patient rooms, and other options for informing patients and families about the emergency department. The students presented a report of findings and recommendations to hospital administrators and the emergency department staff at the end of the semester. The faculty mentor for this project was
Peggy Fisher.
A Brown County Celebration Fellows and faculty mentors assisted Brown County businesses and community and arts leaders in planning events and writing grants for a celebration of the 100th anniversary of Theodore Clement (T.C.) Steele's work. Steele was the premiere Hoosier impressionist artist and the founder of Brown County Artist Colony. The team created an original musical based on the life of T.C. Steele, using the music of Indiana native Cole Porter. Students also created a street festival plan that includes a mission statement, marketing plan, budget, venue descriptions and suggestions, a letter of interest to be sent to potential performers, an artist application, and a sample schedule of performances at the various venues; and wrote grant proposals to be submitted to Indiana foundations and agencies. Faculty mentors for this project were
Harold Mortimer and Jeffrey Pappas.
BAA-Indianapolis Airport Cluster Computing Project The BAA-Indianapolis team analyzed the technological infrastructure at the Indianapolis International Airport, focusing on potential applications for various forms of cluster computing technology. The outcome of the project was a proposal and implementation plan for a "high availability" type cluster. The resulting system will provide virtually 24/7/365 availability of computer resources, even in the event of emergency. The network will be capable of providing continuous service even if a portion of the system is disabled, which has important applications to homeland security and emergency preparedness. The faculty mentor for this project was
Fred Kitchens.
Indiana Foodways Alliance This student team was charged with developing a multitude of materials to help launch the services, raise the awareness, and sustain the operations of the Indiana Foodways Alliance (IFA), a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to promoting culinary tourism in Indiana, preserving the Hoosier food culture, and contributing to the economic development and sustainability of small businesses in the state. Students developed a brand identity for IFA, created and published four newsletters, and designed a Web site that includes culinary trails, food news, food facts, festivals, and signature recipes. In November 2008, students facilitated an Indiana food expo at the Minnetrista Cultural Center in Muncie that was well-attended by members of the local community. The faculty mentor for this project was
Sheryl Swingley.
Indiana Charter Schools Students researched best practices in charter school facilities design. The team worked with the Office of Charter Schools at Ball State University and visited charter schools across the state of Indiana to determine the needs of teachers and students. They produced original designs and published a book based on their findings. The students presented the results of their work to charter school administrators, faculty, and students of the College of Architecture and Planning. The work accomplished during this project has been published in international journals and presented at a national charter schools conference. The faculty mentor for this project was
Pam Harwood.
Here are some examples of completed Health Fellows projects:
CS Kern Students worked two semesters with CS Kern. The summer semester involved a health assessment of the company along with a biometric screening and an employee survey. By the end of the second semester as many as eight behavior, environmental, or policy changes were implemented into the business. Examples include a company designated smoking areas and tobacco cessation policy, healthy vending machine options, and the development of an outdoor walking trail. The faculty mentor on this project was
Rhonda Murr.
Anderson Tool & Engineering This student team was charged with the formation of a corporate wellness program. Starting with a health assessment, screening, and survey, the team helped develop a company wellness committee along with laying out several policy, environmental, and behavioral change programs and policies for the company to take action on over the upcoming year. The faculty mentor on this project was
Rhonda Murr.