WSU technology breathes new life into aging Army helicopter fleet
The US Army is turning to “digital-twin” technology from Wichita State University to resolve challenges and boost efficiencies for its enduring fleet of Black Hawk helicopters.
Through a partnership between the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command and Wichita State University, researchers at the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) will create a virtual model of a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter. Researchers will completely disassemble the airframes and capture a 3-D scan of each structural part, creating a virtual model – or digital twin – of the workhorse of Army aviation.
As a first step in this endeavor, an operational Black Hawk helicopter and a separate fuselage began an 800-mile journey Tuesday from Corpus Christi Army Depot in Texas to Wichita, Kansas.
“This opens a new door to aviation maintenance and sustainment,” said AMCOM Commander Maj. Gen. Todd Royar. “We welcome a new partnership with Wichita State University, while fortifying our existing relationships across the Army aviation enterprise.”
This is the first Army aircraft to enter a larger military effort with NIAR for legacy aircraft sustainment.
LETC, university benefit from partnership
It’s been a little more than two years since the Law Enforcement Training Center (LETC) found a new home on the northeast corner of Wichita State University, and both organizations have thrived within the partnership.
“As professor, every semester I will have members of the Wichita, Sedgwick County and university law enforcement community come talk to my class. This just works beautifully because they can just walk up to the third floor,” said Michael Birzer, professor of criminal justice. “It has resulted in a number of students applying and now getting jobs in law enforcement.”
In fact, applications to the LETC have increased 150% since 2015, when it moved from 37th Street North and Womer location in north Wichita, said Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay.
“I believe a big part of that is our location on campus. Part of it is the cross-contamination of having the school above the academy building,” Ramsay said.
Join KMUW for Digital Democracy on Tap: Advice from the Frontlines
The stay-at-home order is being rolled back in Kansas, but the battle against COVID-19 continues. Join KMUW's Engage ICT: Democracy on Tap for Advice from the Front Lines. We'll learn how to maintain your own health and the health of your neighbors and children. We will be joined by a pulmonologist, a pediatrician, and an ER nurse to hear what it’s like to fight COVID-19, what they expect as restrictions are loosened, and what you need to know.
The conversation will be streamed live from KMUW's Facebook page at EngageICT.org starting at 5 p.m. today (Tuesday, May 26).
GoCreate collaborates with partners to make face coverings
In the battle against COVID-19, it’s seamstresses to the rescue.
Through GoCreate, a Koch collaborative, more than 10,000 cloth face coverings have been created by an army of more than 1,500 volunteers in the span of about six weeks. The face coverings have been donated to McConnell Air Force Base, area hospitals, nursing homes and other medical facilities.
Wichita State biology students tell COVID stories by turning to creativity
COVID-19 turned Human Organism, Biology 106, into a current events class with art, music and poetry added to help students learn about and deal with the pandemic.
Dr. Mary Liz Jameson wanted her Wichita State University students to tell their COVID-19 story.
“Once class went online, she still had a good way of keeping in touch with us, seeing how we’re doing, how we’re coping and how it’s affecting our lives,” said junior Brooke Smith, a psychology major. “She was open to questions about it, open to class discussions about COVID.”
Wichita State lab gets the scoop on poop, food archaeology
You can tell a lot about people based upon what they eat – culture, preferences, geography and overall health. Food is not only nourishment, but it’s a message to anthropologists, like Wichita State University’s Dr. Crystal Dozier, to help understand the past.
“I imagine that during this pandemic, more people are paying attention to where their food comes from and they've never thought about that before,” said Dozier, assistant professor of anthropology and director of the Archaeology of Food Laboratory at Wichita State. “That’s essentially the kind of research that we're doing in this lab. You can tell so much about ancient societies based on what they're eating, how they're cooking it, who's responsible for cooking, how that food is distributed.”
The Food Research Lab in Neff Hall studies humans’ relationship with food throughout history. A majority of the work that's done there is microfossil analysis of primarily plants that are left on archaeological artifacts.
Pictured above: Dr. Crystal Dozier works with a lab research team at Etzanoa, which is a lost city near Arkansas City and recently discovered by Wichita State professor Donald Blakeslee.
Perspectives on the Pandemic series now on Fairmount College YouTube channel
Making sense of the issues surrounding the coronavirus can be challenging. Faculty experts in the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Wichita State University are helping clear the confusion.
The Perspectives on the Pandemic series features several Fairmount College faculty and community members explaining various aspects of the pandemic. The presentations may be found on the Fairmount College YouTube channel.
Shocker Innovation Corps now accepting applications for the online summer 2020 cohort
Wichita State University is a National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps site. The Shocker Innovation Corps nurtures and supports Wichita State entrepreneurial teams interested in accelerating their STEM ideas, research and product commercialization. Ideas / projects can originate from student or faculty work, research and institutional/industrial projects.
This summer cohort will be held completely online. With the university continuing classes online for the summer term, we want to offer the flexibility of attending the E-Launch sessions online. Visit www.shockericorps.org to find out more information or to apply.
Summer 2020 E-Launch
E-Launch has been developed to foster entrepreneurial activity that will lead to the commercialization of ideas. This summer training will be held June through July. For more information and registration go to wichita.edu/elaunch.
University Libraries sets new hours for Shocker community
University Libraries is preparing to start welcoming Shockers back into the building on Tuesday, May 26! We have been working diligently to create a safe, welcoming experience for our students, staff, and faculty, while maintaining safety protocols found in the Shockers United plan. While we are staffing the Libraries in order to provide service hours to the Shocker community, please note that many Libraries employees will continue working remotely.
Stay up-to-date with University Libraries
Keep up-to-date on when, where and how to use library resources on our website. For questions, send us an e-mail at librarystaff@wichita.edu or call us at 316-978-3481.
Shocker Store in Rhatigan Student Center reopening May 26
The Shocker Store (Rhatigan Student Center location) will reopen on Tuesday, May 26 with operating hours of 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday. They will also have curbside service available from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Within the store, guests are expected to wear masks and maintain 6-feet of social distancing.
Remember, they are also still available to assist you remotely through email, phone calls and online shopping at shockerstore.com.
Invitation Extended by Councilman Brandon Johnson, Wichita City Council, District 1
Do you want to add your voice to conversations about community development happening both near and around our campus?!
Do you know what Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) are and how they can help support the needs of WSU’s students, faculty, staff and neighbors?
Do you believe that it is important for those who live, work, or play in the community to have a voice in what happens there?
During the next six weeks, a committed group of community residents will host Virtual CBA Focus Groups to discuss all these questions and more.
Sign up today to participate and have your voice be heard!
Ulrich boosts outreach efforts amid COVID-19
COVID-19 might have forced Wichita State’s Ulrich Museum of Art to close its doors, but the museum has found new avenues to shine and thrive: an ambitious public art project and building the Ulrich’s online presence into a teaching and learning resource.
“We’ve redirected our programming outside of the museum; and in that way, we just transcend all of the COVID-19 unknowns,” said Leslie Brothers, director of the Ulrich. “We’re not putting anybody at risk on the staff, and we're not putting any of our visitors at risk. The digital collection just solves the problem in a beautiful way.”
Though expansion of the museum’s digital offering has been in the works for a while, the pandemic nudged things along a bit faster than planned.
“What we're doing is simply not a response to the current environment, but it's part of a planned path that we'll continue to grow and sustain,” Brothers said.
For the public art exhibit, the museum is creating a billboard campaign called Ulrich + Artists + You, which will include works from 20 artists. The billboards will be spread across neighborhoods and high-traffic areas in Wichita.
The billboard project is expected to start on July 1 and end on Dec. 30.
RH: ‘I know other people struggle’
Rebekah Topham wants to tell the story about her difficulties reading when she came
to Wichita State in 2015.
Not many people know, she says, outside of her family. It is a scary thing to talk
about. She is a senior, one outdoor track season from wrapping up an outstanding career,
and an excellent student; and it is time for people to know.
It is a story she wants told the right way because she is a perfectionist. She comes
to the interview prepared with notes, compiled at 2 a.m. that day, so that nothing
is missed.
She wants to tell the story to inspire others who might fear essay questions or see
letters scrambled into an unintelligible pile and wonder if they can get through college
and pursue whatever they love. She wants to tell the story to be authentic in a world
where social media can make everything seem like gold medals and selfies.
Starbucks in RSC now open
The Starbucks in the Rhatigan Student Center is now open from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Chick-Fil-A will be open starting on Monday, June 1 with hours of 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday-Friday. Initially, lounges and dining areas in the RSC will be closed to the public, so orders will be for carry-out only.
For information on other RSC department reopening dates and hours, go to wichita.edu/rschours.