Community Impact

From the very beginnings of our department, community outreach has been a critical component of our mission. We are passionate about reaching out to the public about what we do, and about the wonders of the universe around us.

Our activities range from the many public education and school programs at our state-of-the-art Planetarium; to the outreach activities of our nationally recognized student group, the Society of Physics students; to immersive learning activities that apply our scientific problem-solving skills to solving problems that impact our community.

Ball State’s Department of Physics and Astronomy welcomes opportunities to engage with our community.

Society of Physics Students

Society of Physics Students

The Society of Physics Students is a fun and ambitious group with a mission of inspiring the community and especially young people about physics and what physicists do. Its major activity is its science outreach program, encouraging young students we work with to discover a love for science and eventually major in the sciences.

Our signature event is the Clash of Sciences where we work with our peers in Chemistry and Biology to put on a fun and educational event for kids in the form of a competition to put on the most exciting science demo.

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Charles W. Brown Planetarium

Hundreds of school and community groups, from local youth programs to retirement communities, visit the planetarium throughout the year for free.
In a single year, the Brown Planetarium hosts hundreds of events attended by thousands of guests. This includes school fieldtrips and other groups Monday through Friday.

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2017 Eclipse
2017 Eclipse

The Charles W. Brown Planetarium and Astronomy faculty helped over 9,500 people safely view the partial solar eclipse, at the Eclipse Viewing Party on the University Green and around campus, on the first day of classes, Fall 2017.

Our Alumni Make a Difference

Our alumni continue our passion after they leave – see our Alumni stories for how their Ball State education impacted them and what they have accomplished in the community and region.