MUNCIE, Ind. - Few Ball State alumni are on a first-name basis with more deans, vice presidents and faculty than Fernando Rovelo, MA ‘92.

The reason is simple: Rovelo has been instrumental in promoting one of the university’s most active exchange agreements.

Even during his student years as a Fulbright-sponsored graduate student, Rovelo promoted academic exchanges between Ball State and his home institution, the Universidad Autonomo de Ciudad Juarez (UACJ), located near the U.S./Mexican border in the state of Chihuahua. In 1990, a formal exchange agreement between the two institutions was signed, and Professor Richard Nitcavic, chairperson of the Department of Communication Studies, was named as Ball State coordinator for the agreement.

Since that time, the exchange activity has been extremely high, including inviting UACJ faculty to Ball State for advanced degree study, and sending Ball State faculty to Juarez for research and teaching.

The College of Communication, Information, and Media (CCIM) has participated actively in this exchange.

"Perhaps the most interesting aspect of our exchange," said CCIM Dean Scott Olson, "was that Professor Ron Kovac taught a course here on telecommunication infrastructure that was simultaneously taken by a dozen or so students in Juarez via broadband interactive two-way video and audio. None of this would have been possible without the leadership of Fernando.

Under direct assistance from Rovelo, the College of Business is working with AUCJ faculty and Juarez business leaders to start an International Business Center there. The memorandum of agreement to establish the Center was signed in 1999.

According to marketing department Professor Erdogan Kumcu, the center is an outcome of faculty and student exchanges since 1992.

"Rovelo’s personal efforts have been invaluable in bringing our relations to this level," said Kumcu.

Rovelo has also encouraged Ball State faculty to bring student groups to Juarez. A geology field camp led by now-retired professor Harlan Roepke and a field study for Burris Laboratory School students of Spanish led by Barbara Hart were among the several such programs undertaken since 1992.

In October, Rovelo will complete a six-year term as the chief financial officer for AUCJ, and is considering returning to Ball State to complete a doctoral degree.