Just over a decade ago, Google was barely a blip on the business radar. About five years ago, YouTube had yet to distribute its first video. In 2008, a ‘surface’ sounded like the kitchen counter, not Microsoft’s breakthrough user interface. But look no further than the mobile device to which you are always tethered and those ubiquitous WiFi signals to find that emerging media today impact every corner of our lives. 

Emerging media is the evolving use of technology and digital content to enhance work, play, and learning, to broaden access to information, and to enrich personal connection by eliminating the constraints of time and location.

Ball State’s Emerging Media Initiative (EMI) is a more than $20 million investment in focusing the university’s historic strengths in this area, accelerating benefits to the state of Indiana with media-savvy human capital. Our students have access to innovative and entrepreneurial opportunities in emerging media across the curriculum. Our growing emphasis on new ideas, technology transfer, and commercialization provide the support faculty need to bring their ideas to market.

The initiative, funded through combined institutional and new private resources, has four components: leadership and sustainability, faculty and research, student opportunities, and engagement and economic development. Learn more about our vision and our successes.