Overview

As part of Ball State University's ongoing commitment to support the careers and personal well-being of under-represented faculty and to attract and retain faculty that reflect the demographics of our student body, we are piloting a new Faculty Mentoring Network in the College of Sciences & Humanities during academic year 2023/24.

This multi-faceted program is designed to provide instrumental and social support to faculty throughout the course of their careers. Both non-tenure line and tenure-line, full-time faculty have access to traditional mentoring (i.e., dyadic partnerships) and peer mentoring opportunities (faculty resource groups). 

Current Interdepartmental Mentors

Reuben Allen

Title: Teaching Professor
Department: Geography
#1 Product Hack: Exercise beforehand (preferably early afternoon). I wind up being much more productive than during the morning session of work.
Favorite Hobbies: Playing sports: basketball, softball, flag football, plyometrics
Contact

Bob Berrington

Title: Associate Professor
Department: Physics and Astronomy
#1 Product Hack: Define a research time and stick to it.
Favorite Hobbies: Running, biking, hiking, backpacking, soccer, skiing (downhill, Nordic, etc.), photography, canoeing
Contact

Jennifer Erickson

Title: Professor
Department: Anthropology
#1 Product Hack: Lists. Lots and lots of lists. Clear, feasible writing goals. Prioritize tasks - know what is important and what can wait.
Favorite Hobbies: Hiking, walking, running with my dog, child, and partner; cooking; travel - local to global; time with family and friends; working on my house and yard
Contact

Molly Ferguson

Title: Associate Professor
Department: English
#1 Product Hack: Break things down into teeny tiny pieces. I do this with both time (half-hour blocks) and projects. The smaller the task, the less likely I am to get anxious and overwhelmed—and it feels great to check something off the list!
Favorite Hobbies: Making lists, exploring fun new places to go - either locally or via travel, walking my dog, watching an iPad on my bed with snacks
Contact

Silas Hansen

Title: Associate Professor
Department: English
#1 Product Hack: Have designated space for different tasks. I only grade in my office, which means that if I am at my table or the coffee shop, I need to be writing. It helps my brain stay focused on one thing!
Favorite Hobbies: Golf, cooking, karaoke, reading, baking, cards (poker & euchre)
Contact

Kevin Harrelson

Title: Professor
Department: Philosophy
Contact

Emil Khisamutdinov

Title: Associate Professor
Department: Chemistry
#1 Product Hack: Travel to present data at conferences, meetings, seminars, and meet with scientists for potential collaborations to advance ongoing projects and promote new opportunities.
Favorite Hobby: Gardening, nature walking, and fishing
Contact

Dave Largent

Title: Senior Lecturer
Department: Computer Science
#1 Product Hack: Make a to-do list and schedule and stick to it. I fail at this on a regular basis, but when I do it, things work out great.
Favorite Hobby: Speed walking
Contact

John McKillip

Title: Professor
Department: Biology
#1 Product Hack: Break down a large assignment or task into smaller bites, a little completed each day, to make the job more digestible.
Favorite Hobbies: Spending time outside with my son and staying active with the Buick Club of America (BCA)
Contact

Jennifer Metzler

Title: Teaching Professor
Department: Biology
#1 Product Hack: Answer email only at certain times during the day.
Favorite Hobbies: Reading, watching documentaries, spending time with my family and friends, and attending my kids' athletic events
Contact

Debbie Mix

Title: Professor
Department: English
#1 Product Hack: Do a little bit on the project (article, grading, whatever) every day. Even just 15 minutes keeps things moving and, when it's going well, you can always do more. But, when it's going poorly, you've done something at least.
Favorite Hobby: Yoga - I try to practice at least a little bit (see above!) every day and I teach a weekly class.
Contact

Sundeep Rayat

Title: Professor
Department: Chemistry
#1 Product Hack: Make a to-do list. Work on simple things first and save time-consuming, hard things for later.
Favorite Hobbies: Photography and astronomy
Contact

Christine Shea

Title: Professor
Department: Modern Languages and Classics
#1 Product Hack: Walking, walking, and walking. I find new ideas readily come to mind on the streets of Muncie and on our lovely, sylvan campus.
Favorite Hobbies: Bridge and endless junk reading
Contact

Kim Taylor

Title: Senior Lecturer
Department: Psychological Science
#1 Product Hack: Take short break breaks and put your phone in another room.
Favorite Hobbies: Gardening, cooking, traveling, Facebook Marketplace, fishing, spending time with my family
Contact

Often, mentoring programs focus on new hires and/or early career faculty. However, many faculty desire mentoring throughout their entire career (e.g., going up for full; shifting career identities). This mentoring program is designed to ensure all full-time faculty members (tenure-line and non-tenure line) have the opportunity to seek career-related guidance throughout their entire career. This mentoring program has interested faculty report their desired goal/reason for seeking mentorship, and the mentor coordinator matches them with a mentor that can help them reach their goal. 
CSH full-time faculty interested in participating as a mentor or mentee (or both!) in the mentoring network should contact the mentor coordinator, Dr. Katie Lawson.

Faculty resource groups provide peer mentoring opportunities related to topics of interest or concern for faculty. For example, new parents or new to Muncie faculty may be able to serve as resources for each other. 

During academic year 2023/24, the College of Sciences & Humanities (CSH) will pilot faculty resource groups at Ball State University. All CSH faculty will be surveyed in the fall to brainstorm topics, and the inter-departmental mentors will use this information to identify themes and narrow down the topics of interest and/or concern. During the spring, all full-time CSH faculty will be eligible to participate in a faculty resource group, while inter-departmental mentors will serve as the point persons of the groups. 

This Mentorship Agreement can be used as a conversation starter for mentors/mentees to help establish the goals and expectations of the partnership.

Ball State is committed to helping all new hires with their transition to the university. As stated in the Faculty and Professional Personnel Handbook, department chairs match all new hire, full-time faculty with a mentor within their department. 

Other resources for new faculty, including the New Faculty Academy and New Faculty Orientation, can be viewed here.