Ball State University’s Voting System Technical Oversight Program (VSTOP) will hold a graduation ceremony for the fifth cohort of its nationally recognized Certificate in Election Administration, Technology, and Security (CEATS) program.
The event will occur at 10 a.m. Friday, May 24, 2024, at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center, 2000 W. University Ave., Muncie, IN 47306. Among those scheduled to speak are Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales; Becca Rice, vice president for governmental relations and industry engagement at Ball State; and Election Assistance Commission (EAC) Commissioner Donald Palmer. The event will be livestreamed from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
VSTOP was established in 2007 under the Bowen Center of Public Affairs at Ball State and advises the Indiana Secretary of State and the Indiana Election Commission on the certification of voting machines and electronic poll books in Indiana. The VSTOP team manages the physical security and cybersecurity of election systems, conducts post-election audits, and develops and provides maintenance for a state-wide election systems inventory database.
The CEATS program, established in 2018, is one of the deliverables under the VSTOP umbrella. Offered to state election officials, it expands professional competencies in the following areas: understanding the implications of election law, proficiency in election technology operations, managing, training, and assessing election personnel, and ensuring election integrity.
The CEATS and VSTOP programs, co-directed by Dr. Jay Bagga and Dr. Chad Kinsella, are dedicated to ensuring elections are safe, secure, and performed with integrity. Because of these efforts, the CEATS and VSTOP programs have received national awards honoring best practices in election administration and training from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC).
The modern CEATS program has produced 42 graduates since its launch in 2018. Twelve more students will graduate from the program in the upcoming ceremony:
- Ryan Lynch—Clark County Clerk
- Amy Kippenbrock—Dubois County Circuit Court Clerk
- Rita Meredith—Knox County Election Deputy
- David Shelton—Knox County Clerk
- LeAnn Angerman—Assistant Director of Lake County Board of Elections & Registration
- Michelle Fajman—Director of Lake County Board of Elections & Registration
- Scott Zarazee—Indiana Secretary of State HAVA Administrator
- Trisha Carrico—St. Joseph County Chief Deputy of Elections
- Amy Rolfes—St. Joseph County Clerk of Circuit Court
- Amanda Dockery—Vigo County Assistant Supervisor
- Sydney Goeppner—Vigo County Deputy Clerk Supervisor
- Shanda Cortez—White County Voter Registration/Election Clerk