Meet a Shocker: Fall 2019 graduates
More than 1,100 Wichita State students are eligible for fall 2019 graduation. Hear what some of them have to say about their time as Shockers and what their futures hold.
More than 1,100 students eligible to graduate in WSU’s fall commencement
More than 1,100 students are eligible to participate in Wichita State University’s 122nd fall commencement ceremony at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, in Charles Koch Arena.
All graduates will walk across the stage and be individually recognized. Doctoral candidates will be hooded at this ceremony. The ceremony 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. on Dec. 15.
Former Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson 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.
Parkinson is the CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based American Health Care Association,
a trade group of about 11,000 nursing homes and assisted-living facilities. Parkinson
earned summa cum laude honors with his bachelor’s degree in political science from
WSU in 1980. He later graduated from the University of Kansas School of Law.
Security procedures will be in place 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.
Tompkins' warm personality, dedication to WSU will be remembered
Andy Tompkins pauses and waves his hands to punctuate the point he is about to make.
“I don’t want to be remembered for anything,” he said, in the final moments of an interview about his nine-month tenure as Wichita State University’s interim president.
The people who work with Tompkins, however, won’t let him decide that, no matter how nicely he asks before he returns to retired life, his volunteer work at his church and a hospital in Topeka, reading novels and attending movies.
In nine months, Tompkins impressed everyone by putting a full-time effort into a temporary job, walking the campus almost every morning, touring every building, learning names and backgrounds and using his avuncular personality to put people at ease during a time of transition.
Read entire story on Andy Tompkins.
Student tickets still available for Intrust Bank Arena game
Student tickets are still available for Saturday's game at Intrust Bank Arena! Swing by the ticket office at Charles Koch Arena and pick up yours today. There are only a limited amount left, so get yours ASAP.
Bring your Shocker ID for student verification.
Application due for the alternative spring break in 2020
The deadline for the alternative spring break has been extended to Friday, Dec. 20. Spring break takes place from March 22-27. This year, Alternative Spring Break is located in Washington D.C. and will focus on hunger and homelessness.
Applications are due by noon Friday, Dec. 20, in 216 RSC. Applications are available at Wichita.edu/springbreak.
Questions? Call Student Involvement at 978-3022.
Registrar's Office will be closed for a time today (Friday, Dec. 13)
The Registrar's Office will be closed from 11:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. today (Friday, Dec. 13).
Graduate School will close for the lunch hour on Dec. 19
The Graduate School office will be closed from 11:15 a.m.-1:45 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19, for staff development.
Rhatigan Student Center closing early on Dec. 20
The Rhatigan Student Center and its departments will be closing at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20. The building and departments will close for staff development. For hours of operation during winter break, visit www.wichita.edu/rschours.
Wichita State University holiday shutdown hours
Wichita State University’s holiday shutdown will begin Monday, Dec. 23, and go through Wednesday, Jan. 1. Some hours will vary by department.
Participants wanted for online study investigating adjectival meaning
Are you interested in participating in an online study? You have the potential to earn up to $10 after completing the study. We will provide you with an online link, where you can complete the study at your convenience. The study will approximately take an hour.
To be eligible to participate:
- You must be 18 to 40 years old.
- Affiliated with WSU.
- A native speaker of Malayalam who can read the Malayalam script.
- Have normal to corrected vision.
- Have no language or reading disorders.
If you are interested in participating, email Andrew Wing at apwing@shockers.wichita.edu.
Submit your applications for Senior Honor awards
Applications are being sought for Wichita State’s 2020 Senior Honor awards. This is considered one of the most prestigious honors a student can receive at WSU. Up to 10 students are chosen for this honor each year. Application deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14, 2020. To review the eligibility requirements and application process, go to www.wichita.edu/seniorhonor.
SGA Scholarship applications are open
SGA Scholarship application are open for the 2020-21 school year. Applications close on Feb. 3, so apply today. Applications can be turned in to the SGA Office in 219 RSC. Apply at wichita.edu/sga.
WSU graduate student's business makes Most Fundable Company list
Wichita State graduate student Tammy Dorsey and her company, Prenatal Hope, recently reached a No. 11 rank on the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School’s Most Fundable Companies List.
Prenatal Hope competed against thousands of early-stage U.S. companies with less than $10 million in annual revenue to be named one of the most fundable companies.
Dorsey, founder and CEO of Prenatal Hope, found her passion for reducing infant mortality while earning her Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering at WSU. She is currently a graduate student in WSU’s Master of Innovation Design (MID) program. Dorsey attributes the success of Prenatal Hope to The Institute of Biomedical Entrepreneurship, her team (co-founder and WSU MID graduate James Balman) and Wichita State.
Prenatal Hope is a medical device manufacturer that specializes in prenatal monitoring. The company’s headline product is VivO2, a non-invasive, in-utero testing device that provides pH levels of an unborn baby’s blood, which correlates directly to fetus’ oxygen levels. This data helps reduce the risks associated with oxygen deprivation during childbirth.
Read complete story on Prenatal Hope.
Enhance degree and career options with an undergraduate certificate
Enhance your degree and career options with an undergraduate certificate from WSU! Certificates are a group of courses that address a special topic, equipping you with additional knowledge and skills that complement your major. Learn more at Certificate Programs.
Check out these badge classes for degree-bound students
WSU now offers a select number of badge classes for degree-bound students. These courses introduce you to workplace skills that are in demand by employers across the nation. Learn more about badges here.
Testing Services will close for expansion
Testing Services will close for Winter Break, with renovations starting Monday, Dec. 16. Testing Services will reopen in the same location on Monday, Jan. 6.
Fire Safety conducting quarterly fire sprinkler alarm testing
Fire Safety will conduct quarterly fire sprinkler inspections from Monday, Dec. 16 to Friday, Dec. 20. Part of the inspection will cause the fire alarm to sound for approximately 10-15 seconds. If the alarm sounds longer than 10-15 seconds, please evacuate the building.
Tilford Symposium will be held on campus Feb. 27 and 28
The Tilford Symposium engages the WSU campus, private industry and nonprofit organizations to promote the legacy of equity, diversity and inclusion in our community.
The theme will be Education and Learning in a World of Differences.
Learner differences cross dimensions that are material (social class, geographical locale, and family), corporeal (age, race, sex and sexuality, physical and mental capacities) and symbolic (culture or ethnicity, language, gender, affinity, and persona). In this thematic area, we explore strategies for negotiating these differences, from the microdynamics of pedagogy to the agendas of curriculum, the nuances of assessment, the organizational structures of the educational institution and its relations with the communities it services.
We invite all faculty, staff, students, industry partners, and community members to be a part of these crucial conversations!
Apply now for the 2020 John A. See Innovation Award
Applications for the 2020 John A. See Innovation Award will be accepted now to Friday, Jan. 31. The award was established in December 2013 by John A. See to support prototype development, which may include development of products in engineering and science, development of life-enhancing therapeutic products, creation of application of new knowledge and artistic ventures.
Faculty and students are eligible to apply for the proof of concept award. For more information and access to the online application options go to www.wichita.edu/innovationaward.
Apply for the International Leadership Program in Peru for Summer 2020
Study abroad during the summer of 2020 in Peru with the International Leadership Program. The application deadline is Wednesday, Jan 15. and can be found at Wichita.edu/peru. For more information contact Ann Burger at ann.burger@wichita.edu.
International Leadership Program
Weekly Briefing university update
At Thursday’s Weekly Briefing, the following information was shared as part of the university update.
KANSAS GOVERNOR VISITS WSU ON BUDGET LISTENING TOUR
Governor Laura Kelly will visit communities across the state on her Kansan to Kansan budget listening tour. She will be at the WSU Metropolitan Complex from 5:30-7 p.m. on Tuesday.
The Governor wants to hear from Kansans about what their priorities are for the coming year's Kansas state budget. Following a brief presentation about the budget from Governor Kelly, attendees will be divided into groups to discuss their budget priorities.
FINAL FIVE FOR BUSINESS COMPETITION
Five teams of Wichita State students are finalists in the Koch Innovation Challenge.
The business pitch competition, sponsored by Koch Industries, is an annual competition supporting the WSU College of Engineering in fostering a culture of creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship and teamwork among students.
Cross-disciplinary teams of new freshmen and transfer students studying engineering, art and design, business and other disciplines compete for funding and scholarships to invent products and technologies via a freshman introductory course.
Some of the pitches are: a mobile app that allows users to vote on what’s for family dinner, a bicycle security device and a magnetic device that makes pulling wires through walls easier.
The final round in May will determine the overall champion team, which will be awarded a travel grant to attend the National Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization Conference and compete in the Global Pitch Competition in 2020.
FAIRMOUNT COLLEGE INDUCTS THREE INTO HALL OF FAME
Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences inducted Judy Bell, Robert D. Blackwill and Donna Sweet into its Hall of Fame on Friday.
Induction into the Fairmount College Hall of Fame is the highest recognition of outstanding alumni who have had a significant impact on the region, nation and world.
Bell began her golf career at the 1950 U.S. Open at the age of 14 and was the first woman to head the U.S. Golf Association.
Blackwill is the former ambassador to Brussels and Vienna. He has also served as ambassador to India, presidential envoy to Iraq and deputy national security advisor.
Sweet is one of Kansas’s top HIV-positive and AIDS specialists and a noted national and international speaker on the subject.
GIFT OF $1.25 MILLION STRENGTHENS ENGINEERING PROGRAM
A $1.25 million gift from the estate of Wichita State University alumnus Brenton D. Myers will support the WSU College of Engineering, where Myers earned the degree that helped him build a lifelong career in engineering and airport planning.
Mr. Myers endowed the Brenton D. Myers Engineering Scholarship in 2011 and the Brenton D. Myers Innovation in Engineering Education Award in 2015. The award is used to help faculty develop innovative ways to teach students to be better engineers.
Mr. Myers’ estate gift will be divided among three areas: supplementing his scholarship to produce larger awards; increasing the faculty award to make a greater impact; and providing discretionary funds to the dean to strengthen the College of Engineering.
NEW INNOVATION FELLOWS PROJECTS
Molly Carlson, Savannah Redfern and Jacob Burns are Wichita State’s new University Innovation Fellows.
Carlson’s UIF project is to plan a WSU Open Streets events on April 5 that will combine innovation, entrepreneurship and the arts. Redfern is working on a project-based Living and Learning Community for students. Burns plans to create a buddy system for international students to increase the sense of community between international students and others students at WSU.
WU LUG RANKS 9th IN NATIONAL CYBER LEAGUE
Wichita State’s three teams in the National Cyber League combined to place ninth nationally after fall semester competition. WorldWideWheat placed 10th nationally in the Gold Bracket.
National Cyber League is a capture the flag style competition which helps students prepare and test themselves against cybersecurity challenges they are likely to face in the workforce. NCL measures their ability to perform real-world cybersecurity tasks, such as identifying hackers from forensic data, breaking into vulnerable websites, recovering from ransomware, and more.
This season more than 6,000 players and 700 teams around the nation participated in NCL.
WSU’s team is comprised of members of the Wichita State Linux Users Group, known as Wu Lug.
FALL COMMENCEMENT SUNDAY AT CHARLES KOCH ARENA
More than 1,100 students are eligible to participate in the 122nd fall commencement ceremony at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Charles Koch Arena.
Each one of the graduates has their own story of perseverance and hard work. Here are three examples:
Madison Davis, a criminal justice major, plans to start work on her graduate degree in January while working as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and teaching part-time at a local middle and high school.
Gabrielle Owens, who earned her Master of Arts in aging studies, credits tutors and other resources provided by Office of Diversity and Inclusion to help her complete her degree.
Sydney Easterberg, a sociology major, used a planner and daily to-do lists to improve her time management skills. She is working on her master’s in sociology.
Read more about Wichita State’s outstanding December graduates at wsu.news/fallgrads.
PARKINSON HONORED AT COMMENCEMENT ON SUNDAY
Mark Parkinson, who graduated summa cum laude from Wichita State in 1980, will receive an honorary degree on Sunday.
Parkinson was lieutenant governor of Kansas when then-President Obama appointed Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to his cabinet. Parkinson became governor in 2009 and served nearly two years.
In February, the Parkinsons, who live in Washington, D.C., donated $200,000 to launch the Mark and Stacy Parkinson Scholarship for First Generation Immigrant Students.
HOLIDAY SCHEDULE AND EVENTS
While finals end today and university offices close on Dec. 20, several events will take place during the holidays.
On Saturday, the Puppy Paddle raises money for the Wichita Animal Action League. Bring your dogs to the Heskett Center for a dip in the pool from 10 a.m.-noon.
On Monday, the Wichita State women’s basketball team plays Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 11:30 a.m. at Charles Koch Arena.
Wednesday, KMUW’s Literary Feast, at 121 N. Mead, features the Charles Dicken classic “A Christmas Carol.” Tickets for the meal and discussion are $20.
On Dec. 21, the Shocker men’s basketball team plays VCU at Charles Koch Arena.
University offices open on Jan. 2. Spring semester classes begin on Jan. 21.
Textbook Buyback and Rental Return Dates
Textbook Buyback starts this week at the Shocker Store! Bring in your gently used textbooks during normal operating hours through tomorrow (Saturday, Dec. 14) in the RSC location to receive cash for your books. Rental books are due back by Monday, Dec. 16, with a late fee charged after that date. A valid Shocker ID is required for all buyback transactions.
12 Days of Christmas sale continues today (Friday, Dec. 13)
Looking to find your favorite Shocker a holiday gift? Stop by the Shocker Store’s Rhatigan Student Center location for its annual 12 Days of Christmas Sale from now to Saturday, Dec. 14. Or shop the sale online at shockerstore.com.
New sale items are added daily and will stay on sale the remainder of the promotion, or while supplies last. Visit the Shocker Store Facebook page each day to find out the new sale item(s). The sale items for today (Friday, Dec. 13) are 20% off outerwear and cold weather gear.
Bring your pups to the 7th Annual Puppy Paddle!
Join us at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Heskett Center for our 7th Annual Puppy Paddle! Bring your furry friends to this FREE event and take a dip in the pool! You and your puppy can swim together, chase tennis balls or practice jumping in. This event raises money for animals in need through donations and will showcase dogs from the Wichita Animal Action League in need of a fur-ever home.
Join WSUSSLHA's annual Barnes and Noble fundraiser
Wichita State’s Student Speech and Language Hearing Association is having their annual Barnes and Noble fundraiser tomorrow (Dec. 14). This will take place at the Barnes and Noble located at 1920 N Rock Road, and will last from 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Join WSUSSLHA for shopping, book readings and crafts! WSUSSLHA will also be providing gift wrapping for your Barnes and Noble purchase. Donations are welcome and we hope to see you there.
Cookies with Santa in Fairmount Park
Storytime Village is celebrating Christmas and literacy with a fun, free event for the entire family. Cookies with Santa will be held from 6-10 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday, Dec. 14) in Fairmount Park, 1647 N. Yale Blvd.
There will be cookie decorating, free books, story time and photo with Santa, carriage rides, food trucks and Christmas crafts.
Come watch Christmas on Ice!
The Wichita Ice Center is hosting their 2019 Annual Christmas Recital at 7 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday, Dec. 14). Come enjoy the show and see fellow Shockers Gus Pachta, Laura Gibbs and Nick Coates perform!
Are you interested in joining a Fraternity or Sorority next semester?
The fraternity and sorority community at Wichita State is full of tradition, brotherhood, sisterhood and pride. Our members represent at WSU athletic events, hold leadership positions in numerous student organizations and carry out some of the top fundraising events at WSU.
If you are interested in joining our community next semester, please fill out the Fraternity and Sorority Life member interest form as soon as possible. Contact greeklife@wichita.edu for questions!
Shop the Shocker Store for doorbuster tumblers and more on Saturday
Visit the Shocker Store’s Braeburn Square location this weekend as you shop for the Shocker fans in your life. On Saturday, Dec. 14, they will have a $10 tumbler doorbuster item that will be available while supplies last. Also, on both Saturday, Dec. 14 and Sunday, Dec. 15, take 20% off blankets and enjoy buy one, get one half off apparel.
Sales are in Braeburn Square location only. Hours are 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 12-6 p.m. Sunday.
Volunteers needed for SHOCKERTHON, an applied learning opportunity
SHOCKERTHON is looking for two more student leaders to join the executive team. SHOCKERTHON is a WSU RSO committed to create a community that is aware and supportive of the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals to better the lives of children and families in need.
In the first four years alone, we’ve raised over $179,000. This money helps to pay expenses not covered by insurance – such as medicines, therapy, hearing aids and more. The money raised also allows hospitals and other health care facilities purchase necessary equipment to help care for the children in need.
Contact Alex Powers adpowers@shockers.wichita.edu for more info.
New Student Wellness Center opening in January
Student Health Services and CAPS are moving to the Steve Clark YMCA building. Both departments will be closed Dec. 16-Jan. 6, to pack and relocate. The departments plan to reopen at 8 a.m. Monday, Jan. 6, 2020, in the new Student Wellness Center.
SAC invites you to a Roaring '20s Party
Join Student Activities Council for a swanky Roaring '20s party from 8-10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, to celebrate the new decade! The event is free to anybody with a WSU ID, and all are encouraged to have fun and dress up.
For more information about SAC-sponsored events, go to wichita.edu/sac.
Soup available for $2.99 at the Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes
Soup is back at the Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes just in time for the cooler weather. For Dec. 16-20, the soup of the week is Red Beef Chili. Grab your cup for $2.99 or a bowl for $3.99.