Student Government Association bi-weekly Town Hall for students
SGA will continue to host bi-weekly Virtual Town Halls, as we know there are probably still so many questions about how WSU is handling these times.
Join the Student Government Association as we host a Virtual Town Hall live on YouTube at 2 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday, April 30), moderated for the first time by Student Body President Rija Khan. The panel will include University President Dr. Jay Golden, Provost Dr. Muma, Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Teri Hall and Dr. Carolyn Speer, manager, Instructional Design And Access.
The Town Hall will be hosted on the WSU YouTube.
We will accepting question live during the Virtual Town Hall but to submit a question ahead of time, please click here.
New student body president and vice president aim to create change across campus
There’s no denying that the incumbent student body president and vice president are passionate about Wichita State University, focused, driven and a force to be reckoned with.
With their goals set on campus transparency, inclusivity, mental health and college affordability, they want to ensure students’ needs are met.
President Rija Khan and Vice President Mackenzie Haas were elected for the 2020-21 academic year. Both have previously served with the Student Government Association in cabinet positions and senator roles. They were virtually sworn in on Thursday, April 23 through a Zoom call.
Looking for a Job? Attend this virtual Job-Hunting Lab!
Whether you are looking for part/full-time employment, internship, or co-op opportunity, this lab will walk you through steps to conduct an effective search, and different things to keep in mind as you approach this search.
Join this virtual Job Hunting Lab with the Career Development Center from 10-11 a.m. today (Wednesday, April 29).
Virtual Celebration RSVP deadline is Friday, May 1
Virtual Celebration registrations are due by 5 p.m. Friday, May 1.
Spring / Summer 2020 graduates, don't miss your chance to participate in Wichita State University's Virtual Celebration of you and your achievements! The celebration takes place at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 16.
The Virtual Celebration will not take the place of a traditional, in-person experience. Graduates may also participate in a commencement ceremony in either October or December 2020 to make that anticipated trek across the stage!
The virtual option will allow us to celebrate safely during this time of social distancing. All eligible spring and summer 2020 graduates should have received an email asking them to opt in if they want to participate and requesting information such as a photo, name pronunciation, and personal message in order to design a custom slide for each participating graduate. Please note: Spring and summer 2020 graduates need to check their Shocker email to opt in, or visit the commencement webpage for step-by-step instructions by clicking on “Register for WSU’s Virtual Celebration.”
MarchingOrder will provide a web page, specifically designed for Wichita State University’s spring and summer 2020 graduates, with shareable links for social media posts and the ability to download a custom slide. In addition, there will be a link on the commencement webpage to a digital program that will list the graduate's name, degree and any academic honors received. There will be an option to download, print or share digitally with family and friends. The celebration will also include pre-recorded remarks from the President, Provost, Deans, and Alumni Association.
For commencement updates, go to http://www.wichita.edu/commencement.
We look forward to celebrating the spring and summer 2020 graduates in this unique way!
COVID-19 series features panel of local public health practice and policy experts
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.
Please join us at 3 p.m. today (Wednesday, April 29) for “Covid-19 and the impact on local public health practice and policy,” by Melissa Walker, associate professor of public administration.
Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android.
Password: 965376
COVID-19 Publish Health Practice and Policy
Wichita State Common Read call for nominations!
Have a book that you would like to suggest for consideration for the Wichita State Common Read program? Send in your nominations for the next common read book for the 2021-22 school year.
Wichita State Common Read is the university's common read program designed to spark conversation between students across majors on campus. This program strives to take educational concepts learned in the classroom and provide meaningful connections with out-of-the-classroom programs and activities. The Office of First-Year Programs is currently reviewing nominations.
Please visit Common Read to submit your book.
If you have any questions, email tahrima.musa@wichita.edu.
Prime Healthcare Virtual Career Fair
The Career Development Center invites you to attend the Prime Healthcare Virtual Career Fair to meet hiring representatives online from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. today (Wednesday, April 29). The fair will feature positions in Michigan, Missouri, and Kansas.
Why work in healthcare? You will make an impact on people's lives, have a variety of opportunities, and can be very fulfilling for you.
Watch Party: ‘Outer Banks’
Join the Student Activities Council for a weekly Netflix Watch Party at 6 p.m. today (Wednesday, April 29). This week we are switching it up and will be watching the first episode of Netflix's newest original show “Outer Banks.” Join during the show to connect from our couches. Register to be part of the watch party here.
Have a movie you want to watch with fellow Shockers? Send suggestions to sac@wichita.edu. A netflix subscription and Netflix Party Chrome Browser extension is required prior to joining the event. Chatroom link and directions will be shared 20 minutes before the start time through email to registered participants.
This week we will watch “Outer Banks.”
A teenager enlists his three best friends to hunt for a legendary treasure linked to his father's disappearance.
Rated TV-MA, viewer discretion is advised.
Student Ambassador Society to award scholarship to current Wichita State student
The Student Ambassador Society will award the Amie Montgomery Scholarship of $500 to one current Wichita State student. Amie had a tremendous impact on the lives of other students who knew her during her time as a student at Wichita State University and as a student ambassador.
To find additional requirements and apply for the scholarship, go to www.Wichita.edu/SASscholarship.
The deadline for the 2020-21 school year is 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 13.
Questions for the Career Development Center?
Have questions about resumes and interviews? Need help navigating Handshake? Need more info on the services we offer? All of these questions (and more) can be answered in this weekly Q&A. Click the link and come talk with me (Sarah Rupp) via Zoom from 9-10 a.m. tomorrow (Thursday, April 30).
Make connections at the Society of Women Engineers Professional Virtual Career Fair
Connect Live and 1-on-1 with employers hiring now. Join us from noon-3 pm. CDT today (Wednesday, April 29).
Are you searching for your dream job but not sure how to find it? Are you tired of sending out resumes without a response?
Sign up for The Society of Women Engineers Virtual Career Fair and you will be connected directly, one-on-one and live, with top employers that are hiring now.
This premier recruiting event will offer the opportunity to potentially have 20 or more first-round interviews all within three hours!
By registering, you will:
- Interact Live and one-on-one with recruiters through online chat – you can share your resume and experience and schedule second round interviews.
- Discover new career opportunities from leading employers eager to hire people with your expertise.
- Build your network by continuing your conversations with recruiters after the event ends.
Essential Resume Tips and Tricks from PR Recruitment Leaders – Tomorrow
Join the PRSA Dallas Young Professionals (YP) committee for a live webcast with PR recruitment experts, Janeen Savage (Weber Shandwick) and John Guccion (JPMorgan Chase) from 1-2 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday, April 30). During the webinar, we will help you strategically think through and develop your resume for entry and mid-level opportunities. This webinar will also outline best practices from an agency and corporate lens to prepare for success.
You’ll learn:
- Best resume practices from an agency and corporate lens for entry and mid-level communications positions.
- Tips to customize your resume and cover letter
- Resume non-negotiables
- Double take: most unique resume blunders
- Q/A
The registration deadline is 6 p.m. today (Wednesday, April 29)
Registration is required to receive the virtual meeting link from Zoom.
Essential Resume Tips and Tricks
AmeriCorps Vista Information Session tomorrow
AmeriCorps members are passionate and committed to their mission to bring Kansas communities out of poverty. If you know someone who is interested in using their knowledge and skills to help those in disadvantaged circumstances turn their dreams into reality, join us at 11 a.m. tomorrow (Thursday, April 30) for an hour virtual informational session about the Wichita State University AmeriCorps and VISTA Fellows Program. AmeriCorps service positions may qualify for internship and practicum credit depending on your major. Members earn a stipend and qualify for an education award for their service.
During this session you will:
- Get an overview of each program.
- Learn about the application process, and the benefits.
- Hear from a current VISTA members
- Get information to apply for any of our open positions!
- Get all of your questions answered!
AmeriCorps Vista Information Session https://wichitastate.joinhandshake.com/events/488898/share_preview
CAPS is still here
Counseling and Prevention Services is still here to support your students' mental well-being, and our counselors want you to know that you and your students are not alone. If you feel a student of yours is struggling, encourage them to reach out to us at 316-978-4792 to set up a teletherapy appointment. There, they'll be able to begin setting up a self-care plan. Then, follow us at @ShockersCAPS on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for mental health tips, mindfulness live streams, and daily updates from CAPS counselors.
SAC Virtual Scavenger Hunt sign-up now
The SAC Virtual Scavenger Hunt is live, and you can still join! To register, click here.
Search high and low for the answers to clues and report back your findings. The scavenger hunt will take you to different places such as museums, zoo’s, art gallerys, etc.
The first batch of clues was delivered to registered participants on April 15. From there participants will submit a screenshot of their findings on shockersync, then you will receive the next set of clues. Participants that make it to the final stage and submit all correct answers will be entered to win AirPod Pros.
Join us for Lavender Graduation on May 7
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Spectrum: LGBTQ & Allies are excited to host this year's Lavender Graduation at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 7.
Lavender Graduation is an annual ceremony conducted on many campuses to honor lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ+) students, and to acknowledge their achievements and contributions to their institutions. Due to ongoing concerns of COVID-19, we will adjust the format of this program to be a virtual celebration at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 7 via Zoom. To rsvp and learn more, go to Wichita.edu/lavender.
Help shape Wichita State by taking brand survey
Help us better serve you by letting us know what you think through our new Wichita State University brand survey.
Your thoughts are important in this time of change. Help us make the right decisions to ensure everyone finds value in Wichita State and feels welcome in the Shocker community.
Your next few minutes will make an important difference! Share your thoughts on our survey at https://wsu.news/survey. A Spanish-language version of the survey is available at https://wsu.news/surveyspanish.
Virtual Finals Prep Workshop at 11 a.m. May 1
Please encourage students to join the WSU Office of Diversity and Inclusion for our virtual finals prep workshop from 11 a.m.-noon Friday, May 1! This will be a secured Zoom session, so please RSVP at the link on our graphic above.
Thank you to TRIO Disability Support Services and WSU Counseling and Prevention Services for joining us.
This workshop is open to all students. Please email diversity@wichita.edu with questions.
First-Generation Student Organization virtual Zoom meeting
The First-Generation Student Organization (FGSO) seeks to raise awareness within Wichita State University’s student and professional community through activities and programs designed to foster the education of first-generation students.
We will be having our next virtual meeting at 11 a.m. Friday, May 1, via Zoom.
Please register here.
Kennedy Rogers, coordinator of Leadership Development at Student Involvement, will be our speaker, and she will be sharing her expertise on leadership styles. We will be reviewing the “16 Personalities” test, too, so please take it before our meeting and have it on hand to discuss. Click here to take the personality test.
We are looking forward to making long-standing connections and doing great things with and for the first-generation college students here at Wichita State University, while having fun in the process.
The First-Gen Shockers letter of support
The First-Generation Coordinating Council (FGCC) has written a letter of support to the First-Gen Shockers. A first-gen student by definition of the Department of Education, is a student whose parents have not earned a bachelor’s degree.
The council understands the college experience of first-gen students as they, too, were F1rst. During the mandatory remote learning, they acknowledge the opportunities the students are having in stretching their resilience bandwidth. The FGCC is here for you. Feel free to reach us at FGShockers@wichita.edu.
First-Gen Shockers COVID-19 Update
GRASP 2020 is Friday, May 1
The Graduate School invites you to view graduate student research projects at the 16th Annual Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects Symposium to be held on Blackboard this Friday, May 1.
To view posters, you will need to self-enroll in the GRASP 2020 Blackboard Organization; self-enroll will open tomorrow (Thursday, April 30), with posters going live Friday morning, May 1.
If you volunteered to judge, you will not need to self-enroll.
Wichita State grad primed to start new job at Amazon
Amazon is in its prime right about now. Pun intended.
With Americans seeking safety in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, many are depending heavily on the online giant’s reputation for speedy delivery and a convenient one-click shopping experience.
Aidan Jude will soon be an integral part of Amazon’s team.
Jude – a spring 2020 Wichita State University graduate in electrical engineering, computer engineering and mathematics – will be embarking on a full-time career as a software engineer for Amazon web services in July.
Wichita State grads lead their cities in battle against COVID-19
Brandon Whipple
COVID-19 is a global pandemic, but its effects are felt most acutely at the local level. With the health implications, economic repercussions and employment concerns, Wichita State University grads are stepping up to the plate to guide their communities through this crisis.
“I feel like I’m bouncing from one crisis to another to another,” said Wichita mayor Brandon Whipple, who earned an undergraduate sociology degree from WSU in 2005 and a master’s degree in liberal studies in 2007.
Whipple celebrated his fourth month in the mayor’s office on April 13, and it’s certainly been eventful. Starting with the Boeing layoffs in February, 2020 has been a challenging year for Wichitans. But Whipple says that people have risen to the challenge.
Breea Clark
Across the state line, WSU grad – Mayor Breea Clark of Norman, Okla., a 2005 Wichita State political science graduate – reacted to the pandemic swiftly. Whereas Oklahoma’s governor issued a more conservative safer-at-home directive for people who are 65 or older or are immunocompromised, Clark issued a stay-home order for the city of Norman.
“Our order in Norman is more restrictive in what is considered essential and nonessential," she said.
Volunteers needed for a research study
Test-Retest of the SWAY Mobile Application: Telemedicine Approach
Purpose of the study: To assess the accuracy of the balance, reaction time and cognitive assessment modules of the SWAY mobile application through a telemedicine approach using virtual Zoom meetings and a SMART device.
Procedures: Participants balance, reaction time, and cognitive function will be tested using the SWAY application using a SMART device and receiving instruction through a virtual zoom session.
Time: Participation will include three separate sessions placed one week apart. Each weekly session is expected to last about 30 minutes.
Inclusion / Exclusion Criteria:
- Participants must be age 18 or older
- No known muscular disorders
- No known neurological disorders
- No known orthopedic disorder
- No uncorrected vision
Location: Telemedicine approach: virtual Zoom appointments using computer technology and a SMART device.
Contact: If you are interested in participating in this study please contact Dr. Heidi Bell at: heidi.bell@wichita.edu or 316.393.3339
Millicent Setzkorn at mrsetzkorn@shockers.wichita.edu or 620-393-5320
Should you have any questions or concerns, email Dr. Heidi Bell at heidi.bell@wichita.edu or call 316-978-5150.
Participants wanted for a study on self-advocacy
I hope to learn whether students who participate in college TRIO programs at WSU are more likely to self-advocate than their non-TRIO participating peers.
You can complete a questionnaire called the College Student Mentoring Survey (CSMS), which will ask questions related to your mentoring experiences at WSU and the General Self-Efficacy Scale, which will be used to examine your self-decision making. The questionnaires will take between 20-35 minutes.
If you are interested in a follow-up for advocacy scenarios, you will be able to continue the survey and respond to the scenarios; otherwise, at the end of the questionnaire when it asks if you would like to complete the scenarios, you may select “no.” The scenarios will take between 5-10 minutes and will consist of problem-based scenarios where you will be asked to create a solution to the problem.
To be eligible to participate:
Must have a fluent understanding of English
Must be an undergraduate at WSU
Contact: If you are interested in participating in this study or have any concerns, contact Mercedes Lubbers at mercedes.lubbers@wichita.edu or my faculty advisor, Mara Alagic, at mara.alagic@wichita.edu.
You may click this link to access the CSMS and the GSES questionnaire.
Innovation Award winners continue to shine brightly
When Lucas Webb and Aliyah Funschelle received honors at the Wichita State University Innovation Awards in January, their Bright Futures awards couldn’t have been more on the nose.
Aliyah, a senior in sport management with a minor in communication, was honored for her creation of the student-run sports digital network known as Shockwave.
“I’ve had a lot of experiences getting to cover sports, and a lot of those opportunities I created for myself. I know a lot of people don’t have that ability,” she said. “People always ask me how I get to do what I do, so I thought – why not just start something for other students to get to hands-on experience in the sports industry?”
Aliyah created Shockwave in August 2019, and the network is dedicated to all Shocker sports.
Student's NIAR job leads to Lockheed Martin
The education of Ruben Reyes, Wichita State aerospace engineering major, began at the side of his parents when he was a boy growing up in Dodge City, Kansas.
Ruben’s parents settled in the western Kansas town because it was a place that welcomed Mexican immigrants like them. His father has worked as a mechanic in the city’s meat-packing plants. His mother works in a gun stock manufacturing plant. Outside of his regular job, Ruben’s father would work handyman and construction jobs and bring Ruben along.
“As a kid, I was looking on how I could help Dad do what he was doing,” he said. When she came home from her job, Ruben’s mother would urge him to finish his homework quickly, so they could work on other experiments and projects. “Seeing both of my parents work hard yet making time for me to be successful has been a significant influence in my work ethic,” Ruben said.
Work ethic and a gift for working alongside mechanics got Ruben noticed. Dr. Melinda Laubach-Hock, a research director at Wichita State’s National Institute for Aviation Research noticed him when he came to work as an engineering student in 2017 for NIAR’s Aircraft Structural Test and Evaluation Center (ASTEC).
Spring Shocker Sale extended
Sale extended! Looking to find some great deals on Shocker gear without leaving your house? The Shocker Store is having a Spring Shocker Sale online at shockerstore.com, now extended through Saturday, May 2. The sale features select products at awesome prices! Plus, free shipping on orders over $25 through May 2. May not be combined with other discounts or promotions. See product images and pricing on the Facebook event page here.