Wichita State resumes normal operations today
Wichita State University will resume normal operations on Wednesday, Feb. 17.
Classes will be held in their regular format, whether in-person, remote, hybrid, Zoom or asynchronous. Employees may return to their usual work schedule.
We thank the campus community for your flexibility.
Brown's escape from slavery was creative, dangerous
Henry “Box” Brown was born enslaved in Louisa County, Virginia in 1815. When he was 15, he was sent to Richmond to work in a tobacco factory. His life was filled with unrewarded drudgery, although he had it better than most of his enslaved peers. The loss of freedom prevented him from living with his wife, Nancy, who was owned by a slave master on an adjacent plantation. She was pregnant with their fourth child when, in 1848, he heard the tragic news: Nancy and his children were to be sold to a plantation in North Carolina. He stood with tears in his eyes on the side of the street as he watched 350 slaves in chains walk by him, including his wife with their unborn child and three young children. He could only wish them a tearful last farewell. He was helpless to save them.
After months of mourning his loss, Henry resolved to escape from slavery. He was a man of faith and a member of the First African Baptist Church, where he sang in the choir. He acknowledged that, through his faith in God, he was given the inspiration and courage to put together a creative plan of escape.
Henry enlisted the help of his choir-member friend, James Caesar Anthony Smith, a free Black man who knew Samuel Alexander Smith, a white sympathizer. (They were not related but had the same last name.) The plan that Henry envisioned was for himself to be shipped in a box by rail from Richmond to Philadelphia — a very creative and dangerous endeavor.
Samuel Alexander Smith in turn contacted James Miller McKim, a white abolitionist and seasoned member (along with William Still) of the Philadelphia Anti-Slavery Society. Samuel Alexander Smith shipped Henry by Adams Express Company on March 23, 1849, in a box that was 3 feet long by 2 feet 8 inches deep by 2 feet wide, and sent the box as dry goods. Henry Brown traveled in the box lined with baize, a coarse woolen cloth, carrying with him only one bladder of water and a few biscuits. There was a hole cut in the box for air, and it was nailed and tied with straps. “This side up” was written on the box. Brown and his box traveled by wagons, railroads, steamboats, ferries, and a delivery wagon that brought the box to the Philadelphia Anti-Slavery Society before daybreak.
During the 27-hour journey, the box was turned upside down on several occasions and handled roughly. Henry wrote that he “was resolved to conquer or die. I felt my eyes swelling as if they would burst from their sockets, and the veins on my temples were dreadfully distended with pressure of blood upon my head.” At one point, Henry thought that he might die, but fortunately two men needed a place to sit down and, “so perceiving my box, standing on end, one of the men threw it down and the two sat upon it. I was thus relieved from a state of agony which may be more imagined than described.” The box with Brown in side was received by William Still, James Miller McKim, Professor C.D. Cleveland, and Lewis Thompson.
Upon the box being opened, Brown said, “How do you do, Gentlemen?” then recited a psalm: “I waited patiently on the Lord and He heard my prayer.” He then began to sing the psalm to the delight of the four men present, and was christened Henry “Box” Brown.
Morehouse College has a history of educating students to become strong, Black leaders
William Jefferson White was born at Ruckersville, Georgia on Dec. 25, 1831, to Chaney and William White. His father was white, and his mother had African American and Native American ancestors. He could pass for white, but self-identified as black. His mother was a slave, but William never was.
On Jan. 12, 1867, White was appointed educational agent of the Freedmen's Bureau by Oliver O. Howard, and organized schools for Black children in Georgia. He fought against illegal black curfews and helped register Blacks to vote. He organized educational societies and worked to obtain land and build schools.
White established the Augusta Institute in Springfield Baptist Church in 1867 and served as one of the trustees there as well. White was among those involved in the moving of the Augusta Institute to Atlanta and the change of name to the Atlanta Baptist Seminary. It was renamed Morehouse College in 1913, and still stands today as a prestigious private college for Black men.
Alumni of Morehouse have accomplished a broad range of achievements, including winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Olympic gold medals, Rhodes and Fullbright scholars, and being among some of the most successful artists and entertainers in the world. Thought the list is too long to name in full, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, and Spike Lee are a few of the many successful men who have come from Morehouse. President's Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter both hold honorary degrees from Morehouse College.
Side note for hip-hop fans: William Jefferson White is the great-great-great grandfather of rap legend Prodigy of Mobb Deep, and tomorrow (Feb. 18) is the birthday of hip-hop pioneer and business mogul Dr. Dre.
Doris and Ralph Klose Scholarship awarded to 8 high school seniors
Eight high school seniors have been named Klose Scholars after the annual Doris and Ralph Klose Scholars Day competition, which was held remotely this year.
The Klose Scholarship was established for students pursuing a degree in math or science education in the College of Applied Studies. Once they are admitted into the Teacher Education program during their junior year at Wichita State University, students will receive an estimated scholarship amount of $19,000 to cover tuition, fees and books. All of this year's recipients will be studying either secondary or middle level math education.
Learn more about the scholarship winners
Wichita State awards newest $50,000 Barton Scholarship to student from Italy
Trinity Soderstrom, who recently received her U.S. high school diploma while living abroad in southern Italy, has been awarded the 2021 Wichita State University Clay Barton Scholarship.
She will receive $12,500 a year for four years to attend Wichita State. The $50,000 Barton Scholarship is one of the largest business scholarships in Kansas.
Internship leads to a full-time opportunity at Fortune 500 firm
During the fall 2019 semester, Sierra Brown traveled to five out-of-state interviews and received five internship offers, accepted an internship with Goldman Sachs, and has since been offered a full-time position with the firm.
Sierra Brown is now a senior studying human resources management and is using her experiences at Wichita State University to pursue a successful career in her field. She will be graduating in May 2021 and has accepted a full-time position and will start in July 2021 at Goldman Sachs working in human capital management analyst.
“It’s an amazing feeling to be able to receive a job offer from Goldman Sachs,” she said. “Starting out at my internship, I was really nervous and knew it was going to be fast pace, but once I got there, I found the communication was amazing. I got to talk to the vice president as soon as I got there, and I didn’t think I would have access to those people.”
Faculty and staff abroad spotlight: Sara Zafar
Learn more from Wichita State faculty and staff as they share their study-abroad experiences in college. Faculty and staff will be featured each week through the month of March. This week, read about Sara Zafar’s study abroad experience.
Please visit our website to read more about their experience at: www.wichita.edu/studyabroadspotlights
U.S. News & World Reports ranks WSU online business program No. 7
Wichita State University is tied for No. 7 nationally in Best Online Bachelor’s in Business Programs by U.S. News & World Report.
Wichita State’s W. Frank Barton School of Business tailors its online degrees to the adult learner. It offers customized degree plans through our Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Online majors include general business, human resource management, international business, and management.
Student Ambassador Society nominations are now open
Apply for the Shocker Neighborhood VISTA by March 1
Apply for the Shocker Neighborhood VISTA. Engage in building mutually beneficial close partnerships with the university and Shocker Neighborhood -- convening and unifying to determine needs and action planning to leverage resources for growth/prosperity. Apply by March 1 at My.Americorps.gov.
Video highlights Shockers' applied learning experiences
Shockers have an awesome opportunity to get connected with employers across the Wichita area and beyond! As the Shocker Career Accelerator, we encourage students to get in touch with us for all their employment needs!
Check out these applied learning experiences of some current Wichita State University students:
- Allison Bergkoetter, human resource management
- Ashley Bland, biomedical engineering
- Abishek Gomes, electrical engineering
- Andgel Santana, aerospace engineering
- Inneke Vargas, psychology
Nominations for Senior Honor recognition due Feb. 19
Do you embody the Shocker Spirit? This highly competitive honor is awarded to students who demonstrate outstanding scholarship, leadership, involvement at WSU and service to WSU and the surrounding community. The Senior Honor is one of the most prestigious honors a Wichita State University student can receive, with only 10 students selected each year. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19.
Senior Wednesday virtual presentation features pictorial history of Nicodemus
The Ulrich Museum of Art on the Wichita State University campus is excited to host the Senior Wednesday series this week with a virtual presentation on Nicodemus, a small, unincorporated town in Graham County, Kansas, that is the only remaining western town established by African Americans during the Reconstruction era following the Civil War. Nicodemus is now a National Historic Site.
Join the Ulrich at 10:30 a.m. today when Angela Bates, executive director and past president of the Nicodemus Historical Society, shares a pictorial history of the town titled "Children of the Promised Land." Her talk will focus on the unique experiences of mothers and their children in Nicodemus, some of whom were the first members of their families born free. This discussion will explore the dynamics of child-rearing during and after slavery, stories of children conceived in slavery but born free, and the contrast of life and decisions based on the simple concept of "choice," which freedom afforded.
Learn about ISME professional organizations
Discover the many opportunities professional organizations have to offer at this week’s Industrial, Systems and Manufacturing Engineering (ISME) Colloquium. In a first-ever joint event, speakers from ASCM, ASQ, IISE, SME, and Alpha Pi Mu will give presentations explaining what their respective organizations do and highlight some of the key advantages of professional membership.
Join us Friday, Feb. 19 from 11 a.m. to noon.
Meeting ID: 949 1119 0690
Password: 700721
Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM)
- John Danley, Chapter President; Master Scheduling Manager at Spirit AeroSystems
American Society for Quality (ASQ):
- Roger Merriman, ASQ Aviation, Space and Defense Division — Voice of the Customer Chair; Quality Assurance Manager at Textron Aviation
Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineers (IISE)
- Kirsten Jensen, Chapter President; Logistics & Sustainment Specialist at Textron Aviation
- Tate Lampe, Chapter President-Elect; Research & Technology Engineer at Spirit AeroSystems
- Joshua Kempke, Young Professional; Industrial Engineer at Spirit AeroSystems
Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME)
- Katheryn Daniels, Chapter Vice-Chair and Treasurer; Contract Design Engineer, Dept. of Defense
Alpha Pi Mu
- Dr. John Huffman, Senior Member; Senior Technical Fellow at Spirit AeroSystems
KMUW conversation focuses on COVID-19 vaccine
Join KMUW for its free, monthly community conversation series Democracy on Tap. This month a panel of experts will be discussing the COVID-19 vaccine. We’ll hear from panelists about Kansas’ rollout plan and who should get the vaccine. Plus, we’ll answer your questions about all things vaccine related. The conversation will be streamed live on KMUW's Facebook page and on EngageICT.org at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 23.
Physics talk highlights high-performance computing
Please join us for our next Physics Seminar talk at 2 p.m. Feb. 17 via Zoom. Dr. Terrance Figy, assistant professor of physics, will present "Introduction to High-Performance Computing at WSU".
Learn more about the Physics Seminar
Shocker Accelerator event focuses on job searches
Join the Shocker Career Accelerator in the Job Hunting Lab via Zoom at 9:30 a.m. Feb. 19. Whether you are looking for full-time or part-time employment, an internship or co-op position, this lab will walk you through steps to conduct an effective search and what to keep in mind as you tackle any job search.
Cru hosts weekly virtual meetings to build Christian connections
Cru is a caring community passionate about connecting students to Jesus Christ, and it hosts three Zoom meetings each week this semester. Feel free to reach out to any of the contacts to find out more about what we do and to receive the Zoom link.
- Commuter & Freshmen Group: 7 p.m. Mondays. Contact Timothy Johnson (316) 621-9215 or tcjohnson3317@gmail.com
- Bilingual Group: 7 p.m. Mondays. Contact Tyler Luehrs (316) 452-1037or tjluehrs@gmail.com.
- Engineering Group: 7 p.m. Wednesdays. Contact Alexander DeWerff (316) 737-9889 or dalexanderdewerff@gmail.com.
Students invited to Design Your Life workshop
Join the Shocker Career Accelerator on Zoom for the Design Your Life workshop at 10 a.m. Feb. 18. In this workshop, we’ll start with where you are and begin to define where you would like to go. We’ll take initial stock of your interests, talents, skills, goals, problems you’d like to solve, and then focus on potential future paths.
Interested in joining a fraternity or sorority?
The sorority and fraternity community at Wichita State University is full of tradition, brotherhood / sisterhood and pride. The decision to join one of our 24 chapters is one that will not only enhance your experience as a Shocker, but will positively impact your life long into the future! Sorority and fraternity membership is an incredible way to meet friends who become family and to challenge yourself to be the best you can be.
To receive more information about how to get connected to our community this semester, complete an interest form, and we will reach out to you with more information. For questions, email us at greeklife@wichita.edu.
Volunteers needed for a research study
A research study is being conducted to determine the validity of the SWAY app modules in assessing balance, reaction time and cognitive function measures in relation to cognitive overload, mental fatigue and sleep deprivation. If you are interested in participating in this study, please email rjbritton@shockers.wichita.edu or call 620-203-1164.
Validity of SWAY App in Detection of Cognitive Overload, Mental Fatigue and Sleep
Deprivation: Telemedicine Approach
Purpose of the study: To determine validity of the SWAY app modules in assessing balance, reaction time,
and cognitive function measures in relation to cognitive overload, mental fatigue,
and sleep deprivation.
Procedures: Participants balance, reaction time, and cognitive function will be tested in rested
and sleep deprived state using the SWAY application on a SMART device. Daily consensus
journal will also be completed. Instruction will be received through a virtual zoom
session.
Time: Participation will include sixteen (16) consecutive days. The SWAY assessment will
be performed two (2) times a day and consensus journal once (1) daily. Each assessment
will take approximately 10-15 minutes. If randomly assigned to the Fatigue Group,
participation will also include two (2), 36-hour sessions of no sleep and seven (7)
hourly SWAY assessment check-ins during each no-sleep session.
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
No known sleep disorders
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 RJ Britton at: rjbritton@shockers.wichita.edu or 620-203-1164.
Questions/concerns: Should you have any questions or concerns, email Dr. Heidi Bell at: heidi.bell@wichita.edu
or 316-393-3339.
Capitol Graduate Research Summit begins Thursday
The 18th annual Capitol Graduate Research Summit (CGRS) begins this Thursday, Feb. 18. CGRS is a research competition and showcase for Kansas Board of Regents universities to raise awareness of graduate research that impacts the State of Kansas.
In previous years at the research was showcased at the Capitol in Topeka, but this year's competition will be virtual providing everyone, along with the the Kansas Legislature, the opportunity to see this great work. Online viewing begins Thursday morning. Take a moment to visit and see the excellent research being showcased by Wichita State's graduate students.
Researchers offer parenting training sessions
Parenting can be tough! Researchers at Wichita State University are seeking to help parents manage behavioral concerns in children ages 3 to 12. Behaviors may include whining, tantrums, and difficulty following directions. The study will include three telehealth parent training sessions (about 45 min each) and follow up assessments one week, one month, and six months after treatment in order to track long-term behavior change.
Parents who complete all three parent training sessions and corresponding assessments will be entered into a raffle for a $25 gift card. We are looking for about 25 families to participate in our study. If you have a child living in your home who is between 3 and 12 years old and is exhibiting behaviors that are difficult to manage, you may be eligible for this study.
If you are interested in learning more about this study, please contact Ashley Ormond at aeormond@shockers.wichita.edu or Dr. Rachel Petts at 316-978-3720 or rachel.petts@wichita.edu.
Service-Learning Showcase submission open
The Service-Learning Showcase is a unique opportunity for students who participate in service-learning through applied learning opportunities to showcase their experience through a research or reflective poster about the application of their course work to current community issues. This year the showcase will be held in a digital format and judged by a team of community partner leaders.
The showcase is an open forum for students to interact with faculty/staff, community partners and other students to engage in conversation about Wichita State University's commitment to the public good.
Awards are presented in the following categories:
- Outstanding Overall Service-Learning Project: $150 scholarship to winning entry
- Innovation and Creativity in Problem Solving: $100 scholarship to winning entry
- Community Impact/ Community Choice: $100 scholarship to winning entry
- Collaboration and Leadership in Service-Learning: $100 scholarship to winning entry
Submissions are due April 1. For more information and to submit, please visit our showcase website.