Wichita State University to hold 2018 fall commencement ceremony Dec. 16
Wichita State University will hold its fall ceremony of the 121st commencement in
Charles Koch Arena at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16. Nearly 1,200 students are eligible
to graduate this fall.
All graduates will walk across the stage and be individually recognized. Doctoral
candidates will be hooded at this ceremony.
Wichita State's fall commencement ceremony in Koch Arena will be available via webcast.
To view the ceremony, go to www.wichita.edu/commencement and click on "Live Commencement Streaming." The site will go live at about 2:25 p.m.
Dec. 16.
Christine Downey-Schmidt will receive the President's Medal. The President's Medal is awarded annually to a person who is selected for humility, for interest in others and especially for extraordinary and exemplary leadership through integrity, service to humanity and expertise in his or her field.
Downey-Schmidt was elected to three terms in the Kansas Senate. She has served on the Kansas Board of Regents and was chair in 2007-08. She currently serves on the Governance Board for the Higher Learning Commission, northcentral region.
Wayne Woolsey will receive the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. An honorary degree is an exceptional honor bestowed upon a person without fulfillment of the usual requirements. It is conferred only upon persons of notable intellectual, scholarly, professional, creative achievement or service to humanity consistent with the endeavors of WSU.
Woolsey is chairman of Wichita-based Woolsey Companies, an oil and natural gas exploration and production company he founded in 1978. Woolsey and his wife, Kay, have committed funding to build Woolsey Hall, the new home for WSU's Barton School of Business.
Security procedures will be implemented
To ensure the safety of everyone attending commencement, the following security procedures
are being implemented:
Everyone attending, assisting or participating in commencement will be required to
be screened and pass through metal detectors as they enter the arena. Koch Arena will
open at 1 p.m. We recommend you arrive early to allow sufficient time to get through
security.
Please note the following items are prohibited:
- Outside food and drink
- Weapons not allowed by law
- Noisemakers
- Pocket and box knives
- Alcohol and drugs
Wichita State staff reserves the right to prohibit any items deemed inappropriate.
Town Hall on value of liberal arts and sciences to be shown on KPTS
Campus and community members who missed the Nov. 1 town hall "What is the value of a liberal arts and sciences education?" will be able to view it on local PBS affiliate KPTS this week.
The town hall will be broadcast on KPTS and KPTS HDTV at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, and on KPTS and KPTS HDTV at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15.
Moderated by Robert Litan, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a panel of Wichita State faculty members and Fairmount College alumni answered questions regarding the relevance and value of the liberal arts and sciences and the numerous skills it helps students develop.
Faculty and staff of the Elliott School of Communication videoed, edited and produced the program, titled “The heart of the university” for KPTS.
Wudolph the Red-Nosed Rep
The Office of Admissions proudly presents its 6th annual holiday video!
Our story this year is about a new admissions rep, Wudolph, and how he overcomes the struggle of fitting in despite his large, red nose.
Enroll in a Badge course today!
Badges are academic short courses of one credit hour or less that are designed for working, nondegree seeking professionals. They are online and self-paced. Badges allow students to demonstrate to employers their knowledge, skills and competencies in a subject area.
Students who successfully complete a badge will receive a digital recognition of their accomplishment that they can share on social media and link to a digital resume.
You can enroll and start courses from Jan. 22-April 19. All coursework must be completed by May 9.
To enroll and view the badge course catalog, visit badges.wichita.edu. For questions, please contact workforce@wichita.edu or 316-978-7579.
Weekly Briefing recap
Referendum update
The student-driven campaign to pass a referendum for campus-wide infrastructure upgrades now has an official name. Student representatives from every college have chosen to call it “Shock the Future,” reflecting the positive changes these improvements will have on future Shockers for years to come.
Currently, deans are in the process of working with students, answering questions and sparking discussions through town halls in every college. The student-created, student-led campaign is scheduled to launch in January and will progress until the vote in March.
Watch this video of Barton School of Business Dean Anand Desai on Shock the Future.
NASA visit recap
WSU was proud to host NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine and Senator Jerry Moran last Saturday to see the critical work WSU is doing for higher education and the aerospace industry. Bridenstine's visit involved discussions about how to increase STEM education for the next generation of students, an issue that is critically important to the university's mission.
The visit comes on the heels of the Under Secretary of the Air Force's visit last month, which showcased WSU's research capabilities and its industry partnerships. WSU's research continues to gain national and international recognition, particularly in the areas of aviation and aerospace, and we look forward to the future and the possibilities it holds.
Bardo accepts seat at U.S. Global Leadership Coalition
We're happy to announce that President Bardo has been invited to join the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, a network of businesses, nonprofits, policy experts and leaders from all 50 states working to protect national security, build economic prosperity and strengthen humanitarian values.
President Bardo is excited for the invitation to participate. It's another example of the recognition this institution has received for the exciting and important work it's doing to promote education and workforce development.
Wichita State considering degree emphasis in facilities management
A collaborative effort is underway to bring a proposed degree emphasis in facilities management to Wichita State University.
On Thursday, Nov. 29, representatives from Koch Business Solutions, Spirit AeroSystems, Mahaney Roofing, The Wichita Chapter of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) and representatives from the WSU's W. Frank Barton School of Business and College of Engineering Technology partnered to present a proposal to the Interdisciplinary Competition Committee and campus community for an inter-disciplinary degree emphasis in facilities management.
The degree would be a Bachelor's of Science in Engineering Technology with an emphasis in facilities management.
Nursing instructor changed forever by hurricane relief work
School of Nursing instructor Richard Nold spent two weeks in North Carolina earlier this fall providing medical assistance to victims of Hurricane Florence. Nold, clinical educator in the Accelerated Nursing Program, was deployed through his military service in the Air National Guard. He and other volunteers provided patients with first aid treatment, medical evaluations and blood pressure checks. They also distributed medications, food and supplies.
Although he has been on call several times in the past, this was Nold's first experience participating with disaster relief. He describes the experience as tough but rewarding.
“It was exhausting, but I'm glad I was able to do my part and help during this time of need,” he says. “This experience has changed me forever.”
Shocker Ad Lab pitches in to work with
League 42 on fund-raising campaign
League 42 is expanding its reach beyond baseball to education with the help of the Shocker Ad Lab.
“We're entering the realm of trying to help kids with some educational needs,” said Bob Lutz, League 42 founder and executive director. “By adding the educational component, we take ourselves to another level.”
Lutz knew how to start a youth baseball league and help it grow. When he needed branding and talking points to help raise money for a building project to house the new academic program, he wanted help.
Shocker Ad Lab, Wichita State's student-run, advertising agency housed in the Elliott School of Communication, took on League 42's project. The team created a logo for “Basepath to Success” academic program and the “From Double Plays to Diplomas” tag line. They wrote a mission statement, researched statistics linking athletics and academics and designed table tents for a fundraising dinner to kick off the capital campaign.
Pictured above is Shocker Ad Lab copy writer Adam Birzer talking with League 42 founder Bob Lutz.
Six WSU students named new University Innovation Fellows
Six Wichita State students have been named University Innovation Fellows by Stanford University's Hasso Plattner Institute of Design. Out of 1,800 fellows worldwide, there have been 30 fellows at Wichita State, with 13 still active on campus. The new cohort's students are:
- Maggie Brown, sophomore, Aerospace Engineering
- Noah Foster, sophomore, Computer Science
- Christian Ammerman, sophomore, Secondary English Education
- RJ Clark, graduate, Biomedical Engineering
- Sierra Bonn, junior, Biomedical Engineering
- Mikah Betterton, sophomore, Mechanical Engineering
This prestigious national program seeks to empower student leaders to increase campus engagement with innovation, entrepreneurship and design thinking.
The 6th Annual Puppy Paddle is coming Saturday, Dec. 15
Bring your furry friends and take a dip in our pool from 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Heskett Center! You and your puppy can swim together, lob tennis balls or practice jumping in. This event raises money for animals in need and will showcase dogs in need of a fur-ever home.
Heskett Center announces winter break hours now to Thursday, Dec. 20
The Heskett Center has announced its winter break hours.
Tuesday-Friday, Dec. 10-14: Regular hours
Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 15-16: 1-6 p.m.
Monday-Wednesday, Dec. 17-19: 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 20: 7 a.m.-5 p.m.
Wiedemann Natatorium
Monday-Friday, Dec. 10-14: Regular hours
Saturday-Thursday, Dec. 15-20: Closed
Shocker Fit Schedule
Monday-Thursday, Dec. 10-13: F45 classes from noon-12:45 p.m. and 5:15-6 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 14: F45 class from noon-12:45 p.m.
Monday-Wednesday, Dec. 17-19: F45 classes from noon-12:45 p.m. and 5:15-6 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 20: F45 class from noon-12:45 p.m.
All Shocker Fit classes are held in F45 studio
Game Day Sale at the Shocker Store
On Wednesday, Dec. 12 and Saturday, Dec. 15, head to the Shocker Store at Braeburn Square to take advantage of their Game Day Sale! The day of every men's home basketball game you can take 20 percent off your entire purchase! (Braeburn Square Store only, some exclusions may apply)
Game Day specials all day tomorrow (Wednesday, Dec. 12)
The Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes is your Shocker Basketball headquarters! For each men's basketball game, they will have a different game day special, honored all day long.
Join them tomorrow (Wednesday, Dec. 12) for $1 off all burger combos, and again on Saturday, Dec. 15, for 15 percent off all starter menu items!
Facilities Services after-hours emergency response
Facilities Services wants the campus to be aware of its after-hours emergency response plan.
Facilities Services regular work schedule is 7:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Custodial Services Department works until 11:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
For after-hours emergencies requiring Facilities Services assistance, please contact our University Police Department (UPD) at 316-978-3450. UPD will then contact Custodial Services and / or the appropriate on-call Facilities Services Department.
Facilities Services has the following department's on-call seven days a week:
- Plumbing
- HVAC
- Electrical
- Mechanical Maintenance
- Lock Shop
- Energy Management (HVAC Controls)
- Carpenter
Ulrich names new curator of Modern and Contemporary Art
Ksenya Gurshtein
Ksenya Gurshtein is the new curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Ulrich Museum of Art. She is an art historian and writer whose career has bridged the worlds of museums and academia. She will begin her new position on Jan. 28.
Gurshtein hold a Ph.D. in the History of Art and a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies from the University of Michigan.
As a curator, while pursuing her graduate studies, she interned at several institutions focused on modern and contemporary art, including the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C.; Hamburger Bahnhof Museum in Berlin; and the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.
Gurshtein later held a curatorial post-doctoral fellowship at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and worked as an assistant curator at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.
As a scholar, she focuses on the history of post-war Eastern European art in a larger global context, and has received research and writing grants from the Getty Research Institute and the National Endowment for the Humanities. She has also taught the history of modern and contemporary art at the University of Michigan and the University of Virginia, and published her scholarship in ARTMargins, Russian Literature, and Studies in Eastern European Cinema, among others.
Her art criticism can be found online and has most recently appeared on the website Hyperallergic.
A look back when President George H.W. Bush honored the WSU baseball team
When the WSU baseball team won the College World Series in 1989, the team was honored by President George H.W. Bush at the White House. The picture above is courtesy of Wichita State University Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives.
President Bush died on Nov. 30, and the university was closed Dec. 5, in honor of his service.
Coming soon: Aqua Shock Swim School spring swim lessons
Here are the Aqua Shock Swim School spring 2019 sessions:
Monday, Jan. 7- Saturday, Feb. 2
Monday, Feb. 4-Saturday, March 2
Monday, March 4-Saturday, April 6
Monday, April 8-Saturday, May 4.
Contact information: Tonya Blatter, Shocks Swim School director, Tblattner11@gmail.com or call 316-833-6544.