Graduate School dean candidate to visit April 24-25
Coleen Pugh, professor, Department of Polymer Science, College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, will visit Wichita State University as a dean candidate for the Graduate School on Wednesday, April 24 and Thursday, April 25.
Faculty, staff and students are invited to a public forum at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, in 204 Clinton Hall. Information is also available on the Academic Affairs website.
Final Faculty Town Hall meeting today (Friday, April 19)
The final Faculty Town Hall meeting will be held from 11 a.m.-noon today (Friday, April 19), in 257 RSC.
The Faculty Senate recently voted to modify the faculty policies on Chronic Low Performance and Dismissal for Cause - for tenured faculty - to clarify the process and provide definitions of some terms. The intent was not to make substantive changes to the policy.
This policy will be voted on at the General Faculty meeting at 3:30 p.m. Monday, April 29, in 208 Hubbard Hall. Faculty are encouraged to attend town hall meetings to discuss this and other issues before the general meeting on the dates below.
Army ROTC program to begin at Wichita State this fall
Wichita State University has partnered with the Kansas National Guard and Cadet Command Army ROTC to begin offering a Senior Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program.
The program, housed under WSU’s Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, will begin in fall 2019, creating a path to college for the nearly 2,500 students already involved in Junior ROTC programs at Wichita-area middle and high schools.
Students going through WSU’s Army ROTC program will select a major of their choosing and will minor in military science.
Design without limits
Join Stratasys, Wichita State, and DEPCO Enterprises to discover better ways to prepare your students for the future by hearing what industries are implementing today, and what they hope to do tomorrow. Spend the day discussing industrial development and applications; current higher education practices; and the future of additive manufacturing through research and innovation from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, in the College of Engineering Beggs Hall.
The registration deadline is today (Friday, April 19). Register now
See ‘Dante’s Nightmares & Dreams’
The School of Music and the School of Performing Arts Dance Program with the Media Resources Center and Shocker Studios will present “Dante’s Nightmares & Dreams at 7:30 p.m. today (Friday, April 19) and Saturday, April 20, in Miller Concert Hall. The presentation is a collaboration between the WSU Wind Ensemble and the Wichita Contemporary Dance Theatre.
For tickets, call 978-3233 or go to Fine Arts Box Office. Students are admitted free with a WSU ID.
Come to the annual Spring Family Carnival tomorrow (Saturday, April 20)
SAC’s 26th annual Spring Family Carnival is a much anticipated tradition at Wichita
State University. This year’s event will be held from 1-4 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday,
April 20), on the Airbus lawn at 17th and Oliver. This fun family event features inflatables,
a petting zoo, tons of carnival games, activities, and treats!
Admission is free for all WSU students and general public, and nominal ticket rates apply. For more information about SAC-sponsored events, visit wichita.edu/sac or contact us at sac@wichita.edu.
Bark in the Park slated for Saturday, April 20
Wichita State athletics, in partnership with the Kansas Humane Society, will host "Bark in the Park" at the Shocker baseball game against UCF Saturday, April 20, at 10:30 a.m. at Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field. Gates for the contest will open at 9 a.m.
Freshman supports family by selling food from native country
Felipe Lima de Oliveira wanted to help support his family back home in Brazil. Now, as only a freshman in college, the Wichita State student is chasing that dream through his homegrown company, Wichita Brazilian Gourmet.
It’s not that he isn’t busy enough without being a new entrepreneur. Oliveira, who attended Wichita Heights High School as an exchange student, is a mechanical engineering major and also splits his time working at Shocker Dining Services.
But taking care of his family, and helping pay for college, inspired him to work that much harder to make his business a success.
CAPS Sexual Assault Awareness Month activity coming Monday
For Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Counseling and Prevention Services (CAPS) and the Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center (WASAC) will present information about the prevalence of sexual violence on college campuses, legal definitions, and information about respectful dating, hookups, and consent, at 5 p.m. Monday, April 22, in 107 Devlin Hall.
CAPS will also have a table with handouts regarding sexual violence, ways to get involved in sexual violence prevention, and resources about building a culture of consent from 5-6 p.m. Monday, April 22, in 107 Devlin Hall. The simple booth will also be available for attendees to take a picture with a sign stating how they will support a culture of consent that they can post to their social media.
‘Search Exception’ changes to be implemented on April 29
Changes will be implemented to the process for search waivers, emergency hires, and promotions – referred to as “Search Exceptions” – on Monday, April 29. The revised process is standardized for all areas of the University. Instructions have been created (found on the HR webpage) to provide guidance in completing the Search Exception Request Form and the overall process.
Human Resources will serve as the centralized point-of-contact for the process, including receiving the electronic submission of search exception requests and entering all information into PeopleAdmin.
Please contact Human Resources at employment@wichita.edu with any questions.
Here’s this week’s university update
At Thursday’s Weekly Briefing, the university update included information about the YMCA, SBIR road trip, Graduate dean search, Family Fun Day and more.
YMCA
With construction of the new campus YMCA well underway, we’re happy to start today’s briefing by announcing that WSU students are taking advantage of their memberships, through thousands of visits, to the Y’s nine Wichita-area locations.
In fact, the YMCA saw more than 29,000 visits from WSU students in January 2019—and roughly 25,000 visits per month since our partnership started. In addition, around 5,000 family members of WSU students use the family membership option each month.
We want to remind students that their memberships are good through the summer and to encourage them, and their families, to continue enjoying all of the fun and fitness resources this partnership provides. And as part of our commitment to community health and wellness, we look forward to welcoming the entire community to the brand-new YMCA on the Innovation Campus in January 2020.
SBIR Road Trip – May 21
As a catalyst for technology-based innovation, Wichita State will host the Kansas stop of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s National SBIR Road Tour in Kansas City, Kan. on May 21.
The event is part of a 16-stop tour connecting entrepreneurs working on advanced technology to the country’s largest source of early stage funding – the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. Also known as America’s Seed Fund, these programs focus on next generation research & development.
These programs provide over $3 billion in early stage funding to small businesses each year in technology areas such as unmanned systems, advanced materials, health, cybersecurity and defense. The programs also execute over 5,000 new awards annually, which allow innovators to advance new technologies and have contributed to the creation of thousands of jobs.\
In 2018 alone, 22 Kansas businesses received a total of more than $6 million for projects with agencies such as the National Science Foundation, NASA and Departments of Defense, Agriculture, Health and Energy.
We recognize the vital importance of this funding, and this event, and are glad to support the SBIR Road Tour for the benefit of our local, state and regional economy–and for the world-changing innovation it helps foster.
Small technology firms, innovators, scientists and researchers seeking more information on the SBIR Road Tour, including a schedule of stops and participating agencies, should visit wichita.edu/KansasSBIRroadtour.
Graduate dean candidates
With the Graduate School dean search underway, we’re happy to announce that the university is scheduled to host three candidates on April 24-25, April 29-30 and May 6-7. We look forward to having them on campus, and we’ll release more information when it becomes available.
Family Fun Day – this Saturday
And, finally, we want to invite the entire community to campus this Saturday to celebrate spring with a full day of family- and pet-friendly festivities.
Bring your pup for a campus walk at the Shocker Pet Pathway grand opening celebration starting at 9 a.m. After that, walk them over to the outfield at Eck Stadium at 10:30 for Shocker Baseball. Stick around for the Spring Family Carnival from 1-4 p.m. And take advantage of the rent-a-lane special and cosmic bowling at Shocker Sports Grill and Lanes.
These events are part of WSU’s ongoing effort to make campus—and its amenities—open to everyone. We hope to see you, and your family, this Saturday.
To find out more about Family Fun Day, visit wichita.edu/springevents.
Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects (GRASP) Symposium coming April 26
All are welcome to join the Graduate School at the annual university-wide symposium of student research and poster presentations on Friday, April 26, on the third floor, RSC!
Come support students at the opening remarks and poster session from 9 a.m.-noon. Submit your “People’s Choice” vote for best poster. Judges will review posters and listen to presenters. Cash prizes will be awarded to winners at the closing general session from 1-1:30 p.m.
For more detail on the event visit GRASP.
WSU South to host job fair at WSU Haysville
In collaboration with USD261, the City of Haysville and Kansasworks.com, WSU South is hosting a job fair for students up to 25 years old to find temporary or permanent positions from 4-7 p.m. Monday, April 22, at 106 Stewart Ave., in Haysville.
Some vendors will have on-site interviews. Vendors will include USD 261, city of Haysville, Spirit, Textron, Sedgwick County Division of Corrections and many more.
Enjoy 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.
Looking for student input in future planning of WSU
In an effort to amplify the student voice in the future planning for Wichita State University, the Strategic Planning Committee is hosting a listening session for students interested in sharing their thoughts about the activation of the university strategic plan. No need to prepare, just come prepared to provide your thoughts on the plan and our shared progress toward shared goals. A student voice is essential to our future planning.
A listening session, complete with pizza, will be held for students from 5-6 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, in 240 RSC.
WSU students can use YMCA memberships during the summer
While Wichita State students await the opening of the new Steve Clark YMCA / Student Wellness Center on campus, they are already making extensive use of the nine other Greater Wichita YMCAs.
WSU students account for an average of about 25,000 visits to area YMCAs each month.
Wichita State’s YMCA, under construction at the corner of Mike Oatman Drive and Mid Campus Drive, is roughly nine months from completion. When finished in 2020, the YMCA will offer features, many connecting technology to fitness routines, unique to the building.
Tulip giveaway starts Monday, April 22
It's time to dig and give away our spring tulip bulbs and start planting floral beds to make campus beautiful for commencement! Giving the tulips to the WSU community is a longstanding tradition, so you can have a piece of WSU in your yard.
And like last year, if anyone wants to donate canned goods when picking up tulips, we will provide blue containers and deliver to the Food Locker which supports WSU students, faculty and staff.
Landscape services will start digging around 7:30 a.m. Monday, April 22, at Grace Memorial Chapel and go from there. Locations will be announced via WSU Today, Shocker Blast, and by calling Gaddis Facilities Services at 978-3444.
Aerospace Engineering students compete in NASA student launch
Wichita State’s College of Engineering recently sent a team of four aerospace engineering seniors to Huntsville, Alabama. where they successfully competed in the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center’s Student Launch Initiative (SLI). Participants design, build, and launch a rocket to complete a simulated inter-planetary mission.
The WSU team’s 37-lb., 10-ft. tall, rocket is reusable and includes an active drag system for altitude control. Additionally, the rocket carries an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that autonomously orients itself for takeoff, and delivers a simulated navigation beacon to a designated location. Everything worked as the team planned in Huntsville for the competition, and included students Bryan Cline, Skylar Dean, Jonathan Bowerman, and Mike Foster.
“Just getting invited to NASA’s SLI is hard, teams from all over the U.S. vie to participate and only the best go,” said Scott Miller, chair of the Aerospace Engineering Department. “Completing all the work and meeting technical milestones is extremely challenging.”
Since August, the team completed three NASA design reviews, seven launches, and reached almost 300 3rd-12th grade students via educational outreach events, Miller said.
The team was assisted by Steve Klausmeyer and Jonathan Mowery, both WSU aerospace engineering alumni, as well as the faculty, providing advice, help, and funding. According to Miller, the team of four accomplished more than other universities did with teams of more than 20 students.
Find out more at NASA SLI competition.
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.
SI and MGC announce ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 26
Student Involvement (SI), in conjunction with the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC), will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Multicultural Greek Council Quad at 11 a.m. Friday, April 26, on the RSC east patio. The rain location will be the RSC east atrium.
The idea for an MGC Quad was first discussed in spring 2013. The Multicultural Greek Council, Student Involvement and university entities were in support of this idea, however, it took several years to bring the quad to fruition. Over a six-year period, the quad went through several redesigns, and monies were secured to pay for the landscaping, pillars and banners incorporated into the space.
The location of the quad, at the crossroads of the Rhatigan Student Center, Clinton Hall, Neff Hall and the Geology Building, was chosen by the MGC Council and Facilities Planning. Feedback from students within the MGC Council was gathered on the landscaping, pillars and banners.
The purpose of the quad is to provide our culturally based and National Pan-Hellenic Council Greek chapters a visible space on campus. These chapters traditionally do not have chapter facilities. Providing them a space on campus increases their visibility and affords them a gathering space.
The quad currently hosts active chapters on campus. As more culturally based and National Pan-Hellenic Council Greek chapters are brought to Wichita State, banners will be added to represent these groups.
The chapters currently on campus include, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity Inc., Kappa Delta Chi Sorority Inc., Sigma Psi Zeta Sorority Inc., Chi Sigma Tau Fraternity Inc.
Two more chapters will be added to the quad over the next year; they include Lambda Pi Upsilon Sorority, Latinas Poderosas Unidas Inc. and Mu Delta Alpha.
A special thanks to those who donated to the project, including Sean and Melissa Conley, WSU Student Affairs and WSU Panhellenic Council.
For more information about this event or the MGC Quad, go to Greek Life or call 978-3022.
Community Engagement Institute hosts KDHE Opioid Overdose Crisis Response Cooperative Agreement launch
On Dec. 13, 2018, representatives from 15 Kansas local health departments gathered in Wichita for the KDHE Opioid Overdose Crisis Response Cooperative Agreement launch meeting.
The community representatives reviewed opioid misuse statistics, evidence-based strategies to combat and prevent opioid misuse, and outlined strategies to implement these best-practices. The meeting, hosted by CPHI and KDHE, created a space in which communities could connect with one another get clarity on how to best move forward with this work.
The funded communities are: Barton, Crawford, Finney, Franklin, Geary, Harvey, Johnson, Labette, Mitchell, Neosho, Pottawatomie, Rawlins, Reno, Riley, Sedgwick and Stevens. CEI is partnering with KDHE to coordinate the delivery of technical assistance for funded communities.
Take a tour of The Suites residence hall
Housing and Residence Life is currently offering hard hat tours of Wichita State’s newest residence hall, The Suites at WSU. Tours are about 20 minutes in length, and are offered every day, Monday through Friday, from 3:30 p.m.-5 p.m.
Tours will start and end at the front desk in The Flats apartments. Visitors must wear closed-toed shoes. Join us for a first-hand look at the latest housing option at Wichita State! Please direct any questions to Katie Austin at Katie.Austin@wichita.edu.
Gain access to your VA Healthcare
Let Military and Veteran Services help you get the healthcare and service that you deserve from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, in the Rhatigan Student Center, first floor near the food court. This event is open to all veterans, dependents, family members using GI Bill benefits and anyone at WSU who would like to know more about the VA, including volunteer opportunities, applying for federal positions on USA Jobs and more.
Experts from various departments within the VA will be on hand to address your questions (Social Work, Human Resources, Patient Benefits, Veterans Experience Office, Public Affairs and Business Development).
Wichita State Theatre film project showing next week
Wichita State University Theatre students and faculty members produced a feature-length film, “A Long Story Short,” as part of the WSU Theatre season this year. The movie is written and directed by Director of Media Arts at WSU, Bret Jones.
The film will be shown at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 26, and Saturday, April 27, in The Welsbacher Theatre, Hughes Metropolitan Complex. For tickets, call 978-3233 or click on Fine Arts Box Office.
“A Long Story Short” is a mystery / suspense film following a small town book club who find messages crying out for help written in library books. The group decides to investigate to see if it’s a hoax, or if there is someone out there needing saving.
Jones penned the script last year planning it for the production season. “The idea for the story had been running around in my mind for a while,” Jones said, “and it just seemed like a natural fit with our WSU Theatre film / theatre season.”
Although Jones’ background and focus is in theatre, in recent years he has turned his attention to film as another medium for his students to study. He has written and directed a 16-episode web series, “The Opposite of People,” which starred Wichita State University Theatre students, as well as other film projects, “After Midnight,” “Redux,” “Dramedy,” and last year’s “Sidekicks!”
“There is a big difference in acting on stage and in front of a camera,” Jones said. “I wanted to explore film as a possibility for students. The 21st century actor is one who performs in a multitude of mediums: film, television, commercials, theatre, voice-overs, and the Internet.
The theatre faculty wants to expose our students to different areas of performance to help prepare them for the profession. That’s the purpose for producing these films, educate our students.”
In addition to WSU School of Performing Arts students being involved in the project, WSU Media Arts students focusing on filmmaking provided technical support for the film. “This has been one of best filmmaking experiences we’ve had,” Jones said. “It was great to get Media Arts and Theatre students together collaborating on a film project.
“A Long Story Short” cast and crew: WSU Theatre students—Sydney Alder, Trevor Brauser, Beth Roth, TJ Wade, Madysen Baker, and Allison Miller. Producers: Austin Steffens and Robert Thomas. Production Sound Mixer: Sydney Jordan. Director of Photography: Max Frish. Gaffer: James Marlowe. First Assistant Camera: Quinlan Roth. Grips: Michael Flores, Dylan Legleiter, and Luke Ewertz. Editor: Laban Massey. Music Composer: Devin Harbin.
Nominations open for Shocker Sports HOF
Wichita State Athletics is accepting public nominations for the 2020 Pizza Hut Shocker
Sports Hall of Fame induction, Associate AD for Strategic Communications Tami Cutler announced this week.
Former student-athletes are not eligible for induction until nine years after their
initial enrollment at Wichita State University. This year's class must have an initial
enrollment of Fall, 2011, or before.
Submit nominations, along with support materials to Tami Cutler, associate AD / Strategic
Communications, Charles Koch Arena, 1845 Fairmount, Wichita, Kansas, 67260-0018, or
email tcutler@goshockers.com.