Ballard Center News 

BYU Marriott School of Business dean Brigitte C. Madrian has announced the appointment of Bonnie Anderson as the school’s newest associate dean. Anderson takes over for previous associate dean Keith Vorkink on 18 May.

The Ballard and Rollins Centers aren't the only groups to recognize Neptune Plastics. MIT recently honored the BYU student-led company as 2020 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize winners with a $10,000 award.

Jill Piacitelli didn't always know she wanted to work in the social impact field. However, after participating in socially conscious projects during college and later unexpectedly landing a director role in a nonprofit, she found her personal calling. Piacitelli is now using her expertise to teach students as a new adjunct professor at the Ballard Center for Social Impact at BYU Marriott.  

For many students at BYU, the Ballard Center for Social Impact at BYU Marriott provides unique hands-on experiences in working to solve social and community-based issues. In order to broaden its reach and help BYU students who are new to social impact, the Ballard Center has launched a new student-led organization, the Impact Investing Association (IIA).

The TEDxBYU forum is known for its inspiring speakers and thought-provoking speeches. For viewers interested in social impact, the following eleven talks address social issues in a novel, hopeful way.

As Marx Acosta-Rubio biked down the streets of Florida, he was shocked by the trash he saw. Garbage lined the beaches, covered the roads, and littered the sidewalks. This would serve as the inspiration for a potentially groundbreaking new product.

The summer of 2020 will bring big things for Katelynne Hinckley—she’s flying to Walmart’s worldwide headquarters in Arkansas. Read more about the process and experiences that landed her a dream internship.

As the calendar recently turned a page to a new year and decade, the Ballard Center for Economic Self-Reliance at the BYU Marriott School of Business has something new for 2020. The BYU Board of Trustees approved that the center be renamed the Melvin J. Ballard Center for Social Impact.

When Isaac Blake served a mission in Argentina in 2013, he experienced a vastly different economy and culture from what he was used to in his affluent Boston neighborhood. “Ever since my mission, I've been motivated to have a higher purpose in my career. There are a lot of ways in which business can do good in the world,” says Blake.

Heather Hammond Cruz discovered her interest in the social innovation field after serving humanitarian trips in Zambia, Greece, and India. After seeing the direct positive impact her work had on people, she asked herself, “If working in social impact is what I love and what I’m passionate about, why am I not doing this for my career?

The Peery Film Festival features documentaries that address the world’s most pressing social issues. Find out how goats, a life-sized Operation game, and a vintage convertible were used to pull crowds into the documentaries being screened across campus.

When Hank Taylor graduated from BYU in 2013, he felt he had to choose just one focus. But like many other students trying to decide their future career, his interests spanned beyond just his economics major.

What does Shakespeare have in common with impact investing? Some might say there's no connection, but for 2018 BYU English graduate Marianna Giordano that couldn't be further from the truth.

As vaping becomes an increasingly popular activity among young adults, BYU student Cade Hyde is dedicating his time to curbing the epidemic that he believes plagues his generation.

Llamas, lunchtime, and a boy named Edgar played important roles in making Davis Smith, Cotopaxi’s founder, the man he is today. Read more about his address—and his challenge— at the Changemaker Club’s September event.

Kimball Crockett was qualified for the position he applied for, so getting turned down was a surprise. He didn’t let that stop him, though—and today, he’s a world traveler.

The Brigham Young University Marriott School of Business welcomes seven new professors to the Tanner Building this fall.

Will Pham never meant to get involved in the Ballard Center. A minor mistake in class schedule put him in the “Do Good. Better.” course--and changed his college career.

The Social Impact Professional Association, or SIPA for short, provides students pursuing a career in social impact with career services to help them land their dream job.

I’ve always had a desire to help those around me, but with such a taxing and time-consuming major, the thought of spending any of my extra hours outside of the library never seemed realistic or beneficial—until I got involved at the Ballard Center.