CHIRPS Week

CHIRPS Week 2026

Join the Ball State community April 13-17, 2026, for CHIRPS Week, the university's annual celebration of Creative works, High Impact practices, Research Projects, and Scholarship.

This week is designed to showcase the extraordinary talents of students and faculty/staff mentors across campus and inspire interdisciplinary connection and collaboration. From innovative projects and creative endeavors to impactful research and meaningful partnerships, an impressive range of works will be presented throughout the week demonstrating academic excellence, creative prowess, and innovative contributions to society.

For questions about any CHIRPS week events or additional information, please contact Marie Thompson.

Find us on social media with #CHIRPSWeek!

See Full CHIRPS Week Schedule Below:

Schedule of Events

April 13 (Mon)

Eating (and Drinking) Star Wars - an Exhibit | 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (All week)
Burkhardt Building #201

Through food, we can remember, consume, and create meaning. This exhibit, drawn from the private collection of Jeannie Regan-Dinius, explores how the intersection of Star Wars and food reveals nearly 50 years of change in public memory, identity, commerce, and everyday life, both in a galaxy far, far away and in our own world.

College of Health Student Research and High-Impact Practice Showcase |10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Health Professions Building

Join the College of Health to celebrate the diverse accomplishments of our undergraduate and graduate students over the past year! Poster presentations will feature an array of research projects and high-impact practices, including volunteer experiences, Teacher-Scholar Program participation, practicums and internships, independent study projects, study abroad experiences, and participation in faculty-led research projects.

Immersive Learning Showcase | 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Student Center

Each spring semester, the Office of Immersive Learning hosts an Immersive Learning Showcase. This is an opportunity for immersive learning classes to exhibit the outcomes of the immersive learning projects students and faculty have worked on during the academic year. The showcase allows students to discuss their projects with a broad audience of Ball State students, staff, faculty, administrators, and the Muncie community. Additionally, recognitions for outstanding faculty, student teams, and community partners are awarded at the showcase. To participate, immersive learning faculty need to reserve a table for their class. For more information, contact Robbie Mehling (rpmehling@bsu.edu).

Guest Lecture by Jonah Susskind | 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
AB 100, 101, 200

As Director of Climate Strategy, Jonah works to build and expand disciplinary knowledge across complex topics including wildfire risk mitigation, coastal resilience, urban adaptation, and regional land management within the contexts of accelerated climate change and urbanization. He has taught at MIT and the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) and lectured at Universities around the world. His essays have appeared in books and journals including Designing With Nature Now (Lincoln Institute of Land Policy), Wood Urbanism: From the Molecular to the Territorial (Actar), Harvard Design Magazine, LA+, and Journal of Landscape Architecture. Before joining SWA and XL Lab in 2020, Jonah directed multiscalar urban research at the Leventhal Center for Advanced Urbanism at MIT. He holds a master’s degree in landscape architecture from the GSD, where his thesis on urban timber management won an ASLA Honor Award. He also holds a BFA in critical visual studies from Pratt Institute.
Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning guest lecture series is free and open to the public.

Are you planning an event on this day? Contact Marie Thompson to add your event information.

April 14 (TUE)

BFA Studio Art Senior Capstone Exhibitions I, II, and III | 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Continues through Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday)
Arts and Journalism Building

The School of Art invites the public to attend its series of rotating BFA Studio Art exhibitions between April 14 through May 2. Graduating seniors will display artworks created as part of their senior capstone projects, representing a dynamic range of media, concepts, and styles. This is a great chance to see the exciting art being made by some of the School of Art's seniors!

Student Symposium | 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Worthen Arena Concourse

The Student Symposium encourages interdisciplinary discourse, allowing students to learn from each other about engaging topics. The Symposium also provides an opportunity for student participants to discuss their work with a broad audience and is open to any student from Ball State University (undergraduate or graduate), Burris Laboratory School, and the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities.

Registration is open February 1 - March 15.

Jazz Combos | 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Hahn Recital Hall

The Ball State Jazz Combos provide small group experiences in jazz and commercial music under the direction of our jazz faculty. The number of combos varies from semester to semester, with no less than six rehearsing per semester. All students are encouraged to develop their improvisational skills in these small group experiences. This event is open to the public.

Emily Esfahani Smith Keynote Speaker | 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Emens Hospitality Room

The Center for Economic & Civic Learning invites you to an evening with Emily Esfahani Smith, bestselling author of The Power of Meaning. In a culture that often equates success with happiness alone, Smith offers a deeper and more enduring framework for a meaningful life. Drawing from psychology, philosophy, literature, and civic life, she explores the four pillars of meaning — belonging, purpose, storytelling, and transcendence — and how these foundations cultivate resilience, character, and democratic vitality.

April 15 (Wed)

CS 120 Art Show & Student Showcase | 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Arts and Journalism Atrium Concourse

The Computer Science Art Show will showcase nominated works from the CS 120 course. The displayed work will demonstrate the skill and creativity of student-created images produced by coding using the Python programming language. While the images could have been created using an image editing program, these students have written the code themselves to create collages programmatically by manipulating individual pixels.

Student Symposium at Cooper Science Building | 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Second, third and fourth floors of Cooper Science

The Departments of Physics and Astronomy; Geography and Meteorology; Environment, Geology and Natural Resources; and The Applied Anthropology Laboratory will be hosting a student symposium to showcase student research.

Computer Science Spring Banquet and Reception | 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Ball Brothers Foundation Suite

This event is an opportunity for Computer Science students to display their hard work and accomplishments including capstone projects, research, and game design projects. Students will sharing their work with their peers, faculty, alumni, and guests.

Spring Senior Capstones - Listen! Escucha! | 7.30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Fine Arts Building Recital Hall / AR217

Listen! Escucha! is a devised performance exploring culture, identity, and immigration in America. Created by an ensemble of artists from diverse backgrounds, the piece invites audiences to listen, connect, and reflect on what it means to belong in today’s world.

The Honors College Music and Art Showcase | 7.30 p.m.
Hahn Recital Hall

The Honors College Music and Art Showcase is a celebration of student creativity and interdisciplinary exploration. Presented as part of Ball State University’s 2026 Chirps Week, this event highlights the diverse musical and artistic talents of Honors students across a range of styles and genres.

Throughout the semester, students explore the intersections of music, culture, identity, and power both in the US and beyond. As part of their coursework, students with a musical and art background have the opportunity to prepare and present performances that align with course themes and learning objectives.This concert features students from multiple Honors College courses who have chosen performance as a means of creative and scholarly expression. While many of the performers are not music majors, they bring a deep passion for music and use this opportunity to showcase their talents while fulfilling course requirements.Featuring solo, collaborative, and dance performances, the showcase reflects the honors college’s commitment to creative inquiry.

This semester’s performers include (tentative list): Edward Hill, Zander Hudson, George Patterson, Annie Roberts, Tatum Harris, Madeline Moore, Elise Miller, Olivia Limerick, Sam Morgan, Tyler Schilling, Cassie Hoyt, and their professor, Dr. Galit Gertsenzon.

Are you planning an event on this day? Contact Marie Thompson to add your event information.

April 16 (thur)

Global Symposium - Day 1 | 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Rinker Center for Global Affairs (Yuhas Room SC 102)

Celebrate global learning, research, and engagement at Ball State at the Global Symposium on April 16–17 as a two-day, in-person and virtual event.

Download Schedule calendar invites

Symposium on Climate Ethics
9.30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. - Robert Bell #114
12.30 p.m. to 1.45 p.m. - Robert Bell #118

Each student enrolled in this "CURE" course--Philosophy 202: Ethics-- will argue that certain personal or philosophy responses to climate heating are ethically superior to others. In a CURE course (Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience), each student learns how to (and then) conduct(s) original philosophic research that culminates in an essay defending a sometimes-controversial position.

Chirp Your Success | 12:00 to 3:00 p.m.
University Green

Intentionally shift your focus from the stress of finals to your accomplishments, growth, and the progress you've made. Join University College on the University Green to celebrate your accomplishments, no matter the size. Students are invited to write their accomplishment down on a flag and place it onto the University Green, providing a growing representation of the accomplishments our students have made throughout the year.

Ball State Campus Band | 7.30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Sursa Performance Hall

Brass Ensemble will open for Campus Band for their spring concert.

The Ball State Campus Band is a traditional concert band that provides an opportunity for music and non-music majors to participate on a limited rehearsal and performance schedule. The Campus Band is under the direction of Jeremy Harmon, director of athletic bands.

Are you planning an event on this day? Contact Marie Thompson to add your event information.

April 17 (Fri)

Global Symposium Day 2 | 8.30 a.m. - 12.30 p.m.
Rinker Center for Global Affairs (Yuhas Room SC 102)

Celebrate global learning, research, and engagement at Ball State at the
Global Symposium on April 16–17 as a two-day event.

Download Schedule calendar invites

CHIRPS Week Reception | 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Pruis Hall