You be the judge!
The Shocker New Venture Competition Trade Show is quickly approaching, and students have the opportunity to judge! If signed up, you’ll be given $10,000 Shocker Dollars to invest in teams of your choice. The team with the most votes will win the People’s Choice Award! The Trade Show is Friday, April 26, and student judging happens from 2-3 p.m. Register today at www.wichita.edu/snvc.
Fourth business dean candidate to visit campus April 10-11
Khawaja Saeed, associate dean of Graduate Studies in Business and professor, Wichita State University, will visit Wichita State as a dean candidate for the Barton School of Business on Wednesday, April 10 and Thursday, April 11
Faculty and staff are invited to a public forum at 3:30 p.m. Monday, April 10, in 204 Clinton Hall. Information is also available on the Academic Affairs website.
Join University Libraries for ‘The Path to a Patent’ workshop
Join University Libraries for “The Patent Application Process” workshop from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. today (Friday, April 5) in 204 Ablah Library.
In this module, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will provide a brief overview of the different types of intellectual property (including trademarks and copyrights) and take an in-depth look at the patenting process from invention to application to issue. We will also cover the requirements for patentability, how to determine whether a provisional or non-provisional application is right for you, and how to weigh the costs and benefits of hiring a patent attorney.\
A brief, planned power outage to affect part of campus Sunday
Please be advised that Westar Energy is making another WSU Innovation Campus underground circuit change that will cause one brief, 5-10 minute power outage at 8 a.m. Sunday, April 7.
The buildings affected will be AIRBUS (P1), P2, the Experiential Engineering Building (including GoCreate), The Flats and The Flats II (under construction).
Building occupants are advised to safely shut down their computers before leaving work or school on Friday evening or Saturday, and AIRBUS, Spirit, NIAR, WSU College of Engineering, WSU Housing and Residence Life, and other leasing entity IT people should certainly be aware of this power shutdown in order to take precautionary steps with sensitive equipment as they see fit. WSU Housing and Residence Life staff should inform residents of the brief outage Sunday morning and instruct residents and staff to avoid elevator usage as 8 a.m. approaches.
This power outage is necessitated by the circuit work associated with Westar’s construction of a new substation south of the WSU Gaddis Physical Plant Complex and the permanent underground Innovation Campus circuit installations from that new substation location.
We apologize for the brief power interruption, but we are fortunate that Westar is able to schedule a crew for what is normally a very quiet time of the weekend.
Read this week’s university update
At yesterday’s Weekly Briefing, the following university update was provided on summer and fall registration, the new SGA president, Interim President Andy Tompkins, Student-Athlete Success Center, men’s basketball success and the Airline Quality Rating.
Summer/fall registration begins April 8
To start today’s briefing, we want to let everyone know that registration for summer and fall classes starts on Monday, April 8.
In addition to planning for your fall course load, we also encourage every Shocker to check out our diverse summer offerings. The university has recently expanded its summer classes to better meet students’ needs—giving them more opportunities to stay on track and graduate in four years.
Summer Shockers have hundreds of on-campus and online options and the flexibility of two, four and eight-week sessions. Financial aid can also be applied.
To find out more about summer classes, visit wichita.edu/summer.
New SGA president
Following the results of yesterday’s SGA elections, today we want to congratulate the new Student Government Association president and vice president, Kitrina Miller and Michael Bearth, on their win. In addition, we also want to thank all of the candidates who participated—and the voters for making their voices heard.
We look forward to working closely with SGA’s new leadership moving forward.
Dr. Andy Tompkins
Last Thursday, the Kansas Board of Regents announced the appointment of Dr. Andy Tompkins as interim president. Tompkins, who retired as KBOR president and CEO in 2015, most recently served as Fort Hays State’s interim president from December 2016 to November 2017.
Tompkins, a 2001 inductee into the Kansas Teachers Hall of Fame, was a high school English teacher who became a principal and eventually district superintendent. He was honored as Kansas Superintendent of the Year in 1992 and served as commissioner of education for the Kansas Department of Education from 1996-2005 before going on to teach at the University of Kansas.
Dr. Tompkins begins work on Monday. We welcome him to campus and look forward to the wealth of expertise and experience he brings.
Be sure to tune in to next week’s briefing, because Dr. Tompkins will be our featured speaker.
Student-Athlete Success Center
On Wednesday, we were pleased to announced that a $10.4 million contract to build a new Student-Athlete Success Center, and renovate parts of Charles Koch Arena, was awarded to Hutton, a Wichita-based construction firm.
The project is completely funded through donor contributions.
The project has two main components. The largest is construction of the Student-Athlete Success Center, a 36,000-square-foot facility devoted to the academic and athletic development of students in WSU’s sports programs. The two-level building, to be located just south of Charles Koch Arena, will expand study and tutoring spaces. WSU’s track and cross-country programs will also move to the new facility.
A smaller component of the project is renovation of administrative offices inside Charles Koch Arena to create more space for the men’s basketball, women’s basketball and volleyball programs.
Groundbreaking is expected to take place in June, with completion of the project in July 2020.
NIT
With the Shocker Men’s Basketball season now at an end, we want to congratulate the team and coaches for their hard work and dedication resulting in a strong season finish—and three NIT wins.
We can’t wait to see them back on the court this fall.
Airline Quality Rating
Look for Wichita State to be in the national headlines again with next Monday’s release of the 29th annual Airline Quality Rating. This is the longest running and most comprehensive study of the performance quality of the largest airlines in the United States.
Dr. Dean Headley, professor emeritus of marketing in the W. Frank Barton School of Business, and Dr. Brent Bowen of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, use a combination of performance-based data that allows comparison of actual performance among airlines most used by the public.
The full report will be available on Monday at airlinequalityrating.com.
Take quick survey for communication graduate research
Please consider taking a five-minute electronic survey for communication graduate research. The survey is completely anonymous.
If you have any questions, please contact LaRissa Lawrie at LLLawrie1@shockers.wichita.edu.
How about a free massage?
The WSU Tech Massage Therapy clinical program is seeking volunteers for a free relaxing 15-minute chair massage at WSU West on Wednesday, April 24.
There are limited openings available between 1:15-2:15 p.m., and preregistration is required. Contact WSU West at 316-978-6777 to reserve an available time.
WSU's Ray Hull to offer Graduate School presentation on the art of communication in professional life
“The Art of Communication in Professional Life: Your Competitive Edge” will be presented from noon-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, in 142 RSC. The presenter will be Ray Hull from the College of Health Professions. All are welcome; lunch RSVP to jenny.stauffer@wichita.edu.
To demonstrate excellence as professionals, we must also develop excellence as communicators. Effective communication involves a delicate balance between a nurturing and caring communicative style, and the assurance that one is working with a well-prepared professional.
This presentation will give those in attendance insights into the art of communication, the art of non-verbal communication, and the art of communication in conflict resolution.
Philosophy Colloquium to feature presentation by Noell Birondo
Associate Professor of Philosophy Noell Birondo will present “Aristotle and Aztec Human Sacrifice,” from 4-5 p.m. Thursday, April 11, in 218 McKinley Hall.
The presentation is part of the WSU Department of Philosophy Colloquium. It’s free and open to the WSU community.
Register for the F45 Playoffs
The F45 Playoffs are back on Friday, April 26. Form a team or compete individually and make your way through 10 stations. Complete the most reps to be crowned the champion and get awesome prizes! Register at the Guest Services Desk in the Heskett Center. Registration is $10.
Not sure what to expect? Don’t worry. Join us from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, April 25, in 141 Heskett Center, for a practice clinic.
Questions? Contact cr.fitness@wichita.edu.
Graduate School - Annual Awards for Academic Year 2019-20
Students must be nominated by a graduate faculty member to be considered for the next year financial awards listed below. The awards are only available for students who will not graduate until fall 2019 or later. Spring and summer 2019 graduates are not eligible for consideration. The faculty online nomination deadline is Friday, April 5. Only one student per program, per award, may be nominated - program faculty must work together to determine who should be nominated. Click on the awards website.
Awards open for nomination by a faculty member:
- Tilford Fellowship: To be eligible, a student must be admitted to a graduate degree program in good standing, be enrolled full-time, and demonstrate financial need. Preference is given to minority students who are U.S. citizens.
- Delano Maggard Jr, Research Grant: To be eligible, a student must be admitted to a graduate degree program in good standing, be enrolled either full-time or part-time, have completed nine graduate credit hours, and demonstrate financial need. This award entails the following additional criteria: (1) student must submit a budget for the research project and (2) if the proposed research involves human or animal subjects, a copy of the approval from the WSU institutional Review Board or Animal Care and Use committee should be included.
- Dora Wallace Hodgson Outstanding Graduate Student Award (Masters and Doctoral/PhD): To be eligible, a student must be admitted to a graduate degree program and in good standing.
Alternative Spring Break: A photo story of reflection reception
Please join us from 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, in the Cadman Art Gallery, first floor, Rhatigan Student Center, for the Alternative Spring Break Photo Reflection Reception.
Alternative Spring Break will expose WSU students to complex social and cultural issues through community visits, experiential learning, direct service, group discussion, common readings and reflection activities. This show will feature photos and reflections from this year’s trip participants as a way of sharing our experiences through service-learning. Refreshments will be served.
The show will be featured in the Cadman Gallery from April 29-May 10.
Alternative Summer Break Puerto Rico in summer 2019
Alternative Summer Break will expose WSU students to complex social and cultural issues through community visits, experiential learning, direct service, group discussion, common readings, and reflection activities. This service-learning experience will focus on hurricane relief, environmental justice, school rebuilding and beautification projects, social change and leadership, and Puerto Rico-U.S. relationships. Find out more about informational meetings and more information below.
Students will travel from July 14-20, 2019, and participate in both pre-trip preparation meetings / class sessions and post-trip activities / class sessions. A connected service-learning course will be offered.
For more information, please attend one of our upcoming informational meetings at noon Wednesday, April 10, or 5 p.m. Thursday, April 11, in 216 RSC. Applications will first be available at these meetings and then available online at wichita.edu/service-learning.
For questions, please contact Chelsea Redger-Marquardt, associate director, Student Involvement, at chelsea.redger@wichita.edu.
Acting on depression project at Wichita State
Depression is one the most common and debilitating of all mental health conditions. Nearly 20 percent of us will experience depression at some point during our lifetime, and within this year it is projected by the World Health Organization to become the second leading cause of disability worldwide.
A project is currently underway in the Department of Psychology at Wichita State University to investigate different variations of behavioral activation in helping individuals better manage and cope with depression. This program, conducted by Yvonne Chaw, a doctoral student in clinical psychology, under the supervision of Robert Zettle, director of Clinical Training, seeks volunteer participants who are currently experiencing at least a moderate level of depression.
Those interested in participating in the project will first be asked to complete a brief, online screening survey. Interested individuals 18 or older experiencing a least a moderate level of depression can access the brief screening survey.
Comparisons with other psychological approaches, as well as medication, has identified behavioral activation as one of the more effective means of coping with depression. As its name suggests, behavioral activation stresses the importance of systematically re-engaging in a range of activities that are often abandoned in the face of depression.
Those interested in participating in the project will first be asked to complete a brief, online screening survey that assesses their level of depression and obtains some relevant background information. Those who qualify will be contacted with additional information and details about further participating in the treatment phase of this project which consists of eight weekly, individual sessions following some further assessment.
Our hope is that participants will learn some new strategies for more effectively coping with depression and that the overall findings from this project may also help improve psychological services offered to others who also struggle with it.
Interested individuals 18 or older experiencing a least a moderate level of depression can access the brief screening survey.
Questions or requests for further information about this project may be directed to either Yvonne Chaw at jxchaw@shockers.wichita.edu, 316-882-4966 or Dr. Robert Zettle at robert.zettle@wichita.edu, 978-3081.
Openings available with VISTA
Anyone wanting to get involved with Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA) can now apply at my.Americorps.gov. AmeriCorps VISTA members have a mission to bring individuals and communities out of poverty. Members make a year-long, full-time commitment to serve on a specific project at a nonprofit agency.
For more information, please contact WSU VISTA Leader by email at shyla.thompson@wichita.edu.
Join us for the first walk on the Shocker Pet Pathway
Discover WSU is excited to announce a new pet-friendly initiative on campus, the Shocker Pet Pathway. The grand opening will be from 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, April 20, with remarks and a ribbon-cutting at 9:30 a.m. at the south end of the Braeburn Square parking lot. The first 50 attendees will receive a free mini-frisbee.
Attendees will be invited to walk the pathways, visit with pet-friendly vendors and even attend that day’s Shocker baseball game vs. UCF. Fans are invited to enjoy baseball with their pup in the outfield at Eck Stadium with “Bark in the Park.” First pitch is at 10:30 a.m. Free tickets will be given away to attendees who bring their dog to the event, while supplies last.
Come dressed to impress for the pet costume contest!
Starting at Braeburn Square, Shockers and Wichitans are invited to bring their furry friends to campus to walk one of three pathways that stretch from the newly developed campus expansion into the heart of WSU and back. Pathways are marked with #ShockerPets signage that include lots of friendly faces to help guide walkers and their pets around campus. There are also seven dedicated pet waste stations complete with complimentary pet waste bags. Plans to expand the pathway experience include installing water bowls and treat stations for patrons to take advantage of.
Invitation to annual African cultural festival
The African and Caribbean Student Association invites you to celebrate with them in the annual African cultural festival at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 20, in the Shirley Beggs Ballroom, RSC.
There will be food, games, performances, raffles, exhibition, workshops, fashion show and pageant competitions. Admission is $5 for WSU students, and $10 for non-WSU students. Register here. If you have questions, contact acsa.wsu@gmail.com.
Second annual Miss Latina WSU coming April 20
Join Hispanic American Leadership Organization (HALO) in celebrating Latina women as they showcase their cultures in the second annual Miss Latina WSU. Purchase your tickets for $10 presale or $15 at the door. The show begins at 7 p.m. Saturday April 20, in the CAC Theater.
For more information, email wsuhalo.misslatina@gmail.com
Run the Amazing Race
Campus Recreation’s Amazing Race is Friday, April 19. To participate, sign up at the Heskett Center front desk. Teams of two will race around campus, working their minds and bodies to be the first to the finish line in Braeburn Square, where a tailgate sponsored by Meritrust will be hosted.
Sign up for the Cardboard Boat Regatta on April 27
To float or not to float, that is the question. Put your building skills to the test and create a boat using cardboard and duct tape. Then name it, climb in and race it to the finish line! The Cardboard Boat Regatta will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 27, at the Heskett Center.
Awards are given for creativity, team spirit, people's choice, and race winner. Sign up today at Cardboard Regatta.