Wichita State partnership allows high-schoolers to build airplane in hands-on program
In the recent partnership among Wichita State University, Airbus and Tango Flight, the sky is the limit.
Tango Flight, a program that launched in 2016 in Georgetown, Texas, provides students the tools to build a two-seat airplane. The young learners are given applied-learning experiences before graduating high school.
“The program caught the eye of Airbus. They wanted to have more people that know-how to build and interact with airplanes,” said Chris Wyant, director of the Corbin Connect program, clinical educator and interim mathematics department chair at Wichita State University. “Eventually Airbus sponsored the program and started a site in the Maize school district.”
Maize was the first expansion for Tango Flight, which occurred two years ago. Since then, it has partnered with 12 other building sites across the country.
When the partnership began between Airbus and Tango Flight, Wyant was contacted to help develop curriculum for the students to follow in hopes of moving to a national audience.
Pictured above: Chris Wyant, a clinical educator for the College of Applied Studies, helped create the curriculum that Tango Flight uses in their partnership with Airbus and the Maize School District.
Cowley, WSU add aerospace engineering to articulation agreement
Leaders of Wichita State University and Cowley College have signed an agreement that adds aerospace engineering to a list of degrees that students can start at Cowley and complete at WSU.
Cowley pre-engineering graduates will enter WSU with second semester sophomore status, as they transfer 48 credit hours from Cowley to WSU. Students would then need to complete at least 81 hours of coursework to receive a bachelor’s degree from Wichita State College of Engineering.
“This partnership is a win for students who choose to start their education at a local community college, but want to continue their education in the engineering field,” said Dr. Steven Skinner, College of Engineering associate dean for undergraduate studies, finance and administration. “This agreement assures there is no time or effort lost for those students.”
Existing agreements already allow for students to begin at Cowley and finish at Wichita State to complete biomedical engineering, business administration, computer engineering, computer science, criminal justice, electrical engineering, general business, industrial engineering and product design and manufacturing engineering studies.
The aerospace engineering bachelor’s degree program at Wichita State University specializes in the study of both aircraft and spacecraft. Students take courses in aerodynamics, propulsion, stability, control and structures, using laboratory facilities that are among the finest found in academic institutions nationwide.
Students interested in this degree path can contact Cowley admissions at 620-441-6335 and admissions@cowley.edu.
Prospective students with questions may contact Wichita State University’s Ana Lazarín, director of Broadening Participation & Recruitment, who does dual advising for future transfer students. She can be reached at ana.lazarin@wichita.edu or 316-978-7689.
Wichita State professor, health care professional reflects on COVID-19 changes
As businesses begin to reopen and more people venture outside their homes, health care workers continue to stay vigilant against the threat of COVID-19.
Ashley Purdum, an associate clinical professor at Wichita State University, works as an acute care speech-language pathologist (SLP) at Wesley Medical Center. As a SLP, Ashley evaluates and treats patients of all ages in the areas of speech, swallowing, language and cognitive deficits and voice disorders. She typically sees patients dealing with a stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, neurogenic disease or general debilitation.
Right now, Wesley has one SLP dedicated to helping patients with COVID-19 and those suspected to have the virus. This helps to reduce patient exposure and excessive use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Even though Ashley does not directly interact with the COVID-19 patients, she still takes the use of her PPE seriously to protect herself and her patients.
College of Health Professions donates face masks to WSU community
If you walk around the Wichita State University campus this summer, the odds are good you’ll see someone sporting a WSU face mask.
The abundance of masks on campus is due in part to the College of Health Professions, who donated 2,500 cloth face masks to the WSU community for the campus reopening May 26.
The idea for the donation came from Stephen Arnold, interim dean of the College of Health Professions. Arnold is a member of the Health and Safety Committee — one of seven university committees formed to develop plans for reopening campus amid the Coronavirus pandemic. He said the group took into consideration state and federal guidance, and made the recommendation that all employees be provided with reusable masks as WSU moved forward with the reintegration plan.
Summer library hours
University Libraries has 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.
Wanted: Volunteers to help with 2020 bicycle and pedestrian count event
Volunteers are needed to help manually count bicycle and pedestrian activity across 35 sites in the Wichita Metro area. The annual event, sponsored by the Wichita Area MMetropolitan Planning Organization will be held Sept. 24 and 26.
This important event relies heavily on the commitment of community volunteers to gather data about how our network of paths and lanes are being used.
According to Tricia Thomas, WAMPO Communication’s Manager:
“One of the greatest challenges facing the bicycle and pedestrian field is the lack of documentation on usage and demand. Without accurate and consistent demand and usage figures, it is difficult to measure the positive benefits of bicycle and pedestrian investments, especially when compared to the other transportation modes such as the private automobile.”
As such, this event is the only source for regional-scale bicycle and pedestrian data. The results of this data are then used to guide investments throughout the regional transportation system.
So please consider volunteering! This annual event is a real opportunity for local residents to become involved in a piece of the regional transportation planning process. As we know, bicycle and pedestrian investments stimulate the economy, public health, and the overall quality of life in a variety of ways. Communities that invest in these facilities inherently attract people and businesses so it’s good for everyone! Register to volunteer here!
Ulrich Summer 2020 exhibition preview
Summer is here and the Ulrich Museum of Art has a couple of exciting exhibitions to share with you! Beginning Wednesday, July 1, we'll unveil the online exhibition, 10 x 10: Ten Women / Ten Prints and Alice Aycock In the Studio, in the Museum's Grafly Gallery, and by appointment only. Click below to learn more about both exhibitions.
Pictured above: (From left to right): Faith Ringgold's Jo Baker's Birthday, 1995, featured in the 10 x 10: Ten Women / Ten Prints online exhibition; and a conceptual illustration by artist Alice Aycock.
10 x 10: Ten Women / Ten Prints Online Exhibition
This online exhibition presents the portfolio 10 x 10: Ten Women / Ten Prints, which was published by the Berkeley Art Center in 1995 to commemorate that year’s
International Women’s Day (March 8) and the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the
19th Amendment, which gave women in the US the right to vote.
Each of the portfolio’s 10 prints was created by a different artist. All are women,
and as a group, they represent the racial and ethnic diversity of the United States.
A number of the artists are also social justice activists. Their prints tackle both
the public and private struggles that women from different backgrounds and walks of
life still strive to overcome in our culture. The portfolio was printed by Jos Sances,
founder of Alliance Graphics, which has long supported social justice organizations
in the Bay Area.
Alice Aycock in the Studio - By Appointment Only
In August, the Ulrich Museum of Art will install Alice Aycock’s commissioned sculpture Twister Grande as part of the Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection and the Museum’s first
contribution to Wichita State’s evolving East Innovation Campus. In advance of the
sculpture’s unveiling, Alice Aycock in the Studio will look at the sources of inspiration, creative experiments, research, and technical
ingenuity that have gone into the making of this piece and other recent works in the
same series that are now found around the globe.
A special announcement from the Ulrich Museum of Art
The Ulrich Museum of Art on the Wichita State University campus joins museums across
the country in solidarity and commitment to continue to turn toward the most difficult
challenges in our time.
In our capacity as public institutions in service to our communities, we will provide
a meeting ground, a place for all of us to face truth and justice with empathy and
respect -- to build a future together.
The Heskett Center is open!
Time to take a dip in the pool. The Heskett Center is open for your workout needs.
Hours are 7 a.m.- 8 p.m. Monday–Friday, and 1-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Wiedemann Natatorium hours
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; 4-7:30 p.m. Monday–Friday and 1:30-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Father's Day Sale in the Shocker Store
Looking to find some great gifts for the Shocker dads in your life? The Shocker Store is having a Father’s Day Sale from now to Saturday, June 20 in the RSC store and online at shockerstore.com.
Items included are Shocker Dad tees for $12, a coaster/pint set for $6, utility gloves for $4.99, and 20% off hats. May not be combined with other discounts or promotions.