Each year the Center selects four fellows from Ball State University faculty to conduct interdisciplinary seminars. We are pleased to announce the recipients for 2005-2006, our sixth year of operation.

America, The North and The South
Ana de Brea, Architecture

Ana and her students will collaborate with faculty and students from the School of Architecture, Design and Urbanism, Buenos Aires National University to create a multimedia exhibit and publication that will evoke the unique cultures of "North" and "South" America. The students will travel to Buenos Aires to work with their co-creators. While there, they will assemble their exhibit and draft the text of the catalogue—in both English and Spanish—for the opening of the exhibit in Buenos Aires. In April, Ana and her students will once again assemble their exhibit for ARTWALK, a celebration of the arts sponsored by the seminar's community partner, Muncie Urban Enterprise Association and Downtown Development Partnership.

Ana de Brea, Assistant Professor of Architecture, teaches courses in architecture and design. She has worked as a journalist, editing Architecture and Design for El Cronista  newspaper (Buenos Aires), published books and articles on South American design, and served as curator for numerous museum exhibits in Argentina.

 The Building of a Charter School: Learning Social Entrepreneurship
Justen Infinito, Educational Studies
 
Justen and her students will design a public charter school from the ground up. Following the Guidelines from Indiana’s Department of Education, the seminar will research the types of curriculum in existing charter schools, work with architects to create structural models for such schools, and collaborate with Ball State University’s Center for Entrepreneurship to develop a business plan to establish and sustain an effective charter school proposal for a group of interested citizens. The seminar will work with teachers, parents, children, community leaders and the Office of Charter Schools to create the unique character of this “dream school.” The seminar will present its plan to its client and the public at a community forum.

Justen Infinito, Assistant Professor of Educational Studies, teaches courses in the foundations and philosophy of education. She has published on ethical self-formation and moral education, and serves as the Editor of Philosophical Studies in Education.
The Human Faustus Project
Jennifer Blackmer, Theatre and Dance

Jennifer and her students will use theatre as a platform to explore the complexities of the Human Genome Project. The seminar will research the scientific and ethical implications of the Human Genome Project, work with the curators of Genetics: Decoding Life, an exhibit at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, and collaborate with experts in theatre and technology to develop ways to incorporate multimedia and animation into its production. The seminar will present several preliminary readings of its play at Muncie Civic Theatre. The final staged reading will be performed at the Indiana Repertory Theatre. The play will then be revised and fully produced as part of University Theatre’s 2006-2007 Season at Ball State University.
  
Jennifer Blackmer, Assistant Professor of Theatre and Dance, teaches courses in directing, acting and script analysis, and works as the Managing Director of University Theatre. She has written several experimental plays and directed productions of numerous classical and contemporary plays.

Streams: Data Driven Fabrications Connecting With Indiana’s White River
Kevin Klinger, Architecture

Kevin and his students will explore digital technology as a creative medium to fabricate several art installations along the White River.  The seminar will study the geographical history and cultural significance of the White River to Central Indiana and formulate creative responses to collected data. The students will simultaneously trace the evolution of manufacturing in Indiana. Then, using cutting edge technology, they will design art installations built with materials provided by their Indiana-based manufacturing partners. Streaming video and web-based archives will document the creative process and a multimedia presentation will be crafted for the opening of each installation. In addition to the seminar’s industrial partners, it will work with cultural organizations such as the Minnetrista Cultural Center and Arts Place in Portland, IN.

Kevin Klinger, Assistant Professor of Architecture, teaches courses in digital design, design communication and fabrication studies. He has published widely on all aspects of digital technology, and currently serves as president of ACADIA (the Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture, www.acadia.org).
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