The Broadcast Education Association (BEA) recently released its rankings for institutional excellence in media, and Ball State University received high marks for creative achievement in student broadcast and media programs for the second straight year.

Ball State’s College of Communication, Information, and Media (CCIM) placed eighth nationally out of 103 ranked institutions in “2022 Top Winning Overall Programs.” Ball State also placed second in the nation in “Top Winning Sports Programs,” and seventh in “2022 Top Winning Documentary Programs.”

“We are so proud of the work our talented students do,” said Suzy Smith, department chair and associate professor of the Department of Media. “Seeing these rankings, I know there is even more we can achieve. We appreciate the Broadcast Education Association for this recognition and for helping propel our students forward.”

The BEA bases its rankings on the past five years of student performance in the BEA Festival of Media Arts. This leading international media competition highlights student and faculty creative works in the following categories: Audio, Documentary, Film & Video, Interactive Media & Emerging Technologies, News, Scriptwriting, and Sports.

Ball State had a strong showing at the 2023 BEA Festival of Media Arts competition, with several students and one faculty member earning recognition. Winners this year include:

Short Form Documentary

  • Betsy Pike (Faculty) and Max Van Dongen (Grad student/GA) – Award of Excellence, Unstoppable Tiara Thomas
  • Cooper Griffin, Tess Lawyer-Smith, Phoebe Rensink, and Hope Stauffer – Award of Excellence, Match Point 2.0: The Rise of HBCU Men’s Volleyball

Video Sports Story/Feature (short)

  • Peyton Monnell – 2nd Place, Ball State Sports Link: MIVA Championship

Video Sports Story/Feature (long)

  • Faith Denig and Peyton Monnell – 2nd place, Thy Will Be Done: The Trey Uetrecht Story

Video Sports Live Game Production

  • Tristan Fluhr, Jovanni Alcantar, Donnie Harmon, and Dominick Liacone – 1st place, Ball State Men’s Basketball vs. Evansville

Interactive Multimedia and Emerging Technologies

  • Sarah Allison, Bridget-Anne Burke, Leonardo Herrera, and Dexter Ohaeri – Award of Excellence, matchpointstories.com

Ball State’s Department of Media provides immersive learning experiences for students from day one, such as producing newscasts, hosting radio shows, shooting and producing films, and much more—all within the University’s state-of-the-art facilities.

For more information about Ball State’s Department of Media, call 765-285-1480 or email askbsumedia@bsu.edu