Tilford Symposium welcomes Delia Garcia as one of its keynote speakers
Delia Garcia
The 2020 Tilford Symposium is excited to announce Honorable Delia Garcia as one of its keynote speakers from 2-2:45 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, in the Shirley Beggs Ballroom, third floor, RSC.
Delía García serves as the Secretary for the Kansas Department of Labor, confirmed by the Senate on May 3, 2019. She returned to Kansas after serving eight years in executive, senior leadership in the national organizations ReflectUS, National Migrant Seasonal Head Start Association, and the National Education Association in Washington, D.C. In 2004, she was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives, where she served six years and served on the Commerce and Labor Committee at her request. Delía made Kansas history by becoming the first Latina and the youngest female to serve in the Kansas Legislature in 2004. She is using her business, policy, national management, and advocacy expertise to serve hard-working Kansans and their families.
Delía received her Master’s Degree in Political Science, with an emphasis in Public Administration from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, and her Bachelor of Arts degree from Wichita State University. She is also a graduate of the Harvard University Executive Leadership Program, the Aspen Executive Leadership Institute and the Kansas Leadership Center. Delía received numerous recognitions for her leadership and community service, including a permanent exhibition in the State of Kansas Historical Society Museum as the first Latina elected in Kansas.
The Tilford Symposium is open to all faculty, staff, students and community members. Registration is now open, and space is limited.
myPerformance Manager Review is due next week
Managers of USS and Non-Teaching UP employees should submit reviews and ratings for their direct reports for the 2019-20 annual evaluations in myPerformance. This step is due Saturday, Feb. 29. Managers should log in to myPerformance (through myWSU) to rate their direct reports and submit comments to justify the ratings.
NOTE: The Planning step for 2020-21 annual evaluations in myPerformance is also available. This allows managers to potentially meet with their direct reports for the (2019-20) current end-of-review as well as the (2020-21) next cycle’s planning meeting at the same time, if desired.
For more information, including quick reference guides and other assistance, go to www.wichita.edu/myPerformance.
Teach a First-Year Seminar in spring 2021
Have a great idea for a class you wish you could teach? Want to help first-year students figure out how to do college? Consider teaching a First-Year Seminar class in spring 2021. We are holding an information meeting at 1 p.m. today (Tuesday, Feb. 18) in 256 RSC. Come and learn what you need to do to design and teach in this new and fantastic program.
More information can be found at www.wichita.edu/fys, or contact Aaron.Rife@wichita.edu with any questions.
High Performance Computing at WSU users meeting
The first high-performance computing at WSU meeting will be held from 2-3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, in 256 RSC. As this is a kick-off meeting, anybody who wants to contribute to the success of HPC at WSU is welcome. Bring your ideas and creativity, along with your laptops.
Wichita State has a new high-performance computing (HPC) cluster. This will help researchers, instructors and staff who have compute-intensive jobs to process. This environment replaces what used to be called HiPeCC at WSU. The new HPC cluster is named “BeoShock” after “Beowulf” cluster and Shockers. Beowulf is a type of computing cluster. The new cluster has two large GPU units (Graphics Processing Units) and nearly 600 CPU (Central Processing Unit) “cores.” As a comparison, most end-user computing devices have one CPU having between one and eight total “cores.”
The cluster is available to all WSU constituents, and also those outside of WSU who are KBOR constituents. It is jointly administered between WSU, KanREN (Kansas Research and Education Network), and Kansas State.
In order to obtain an account on BeoShock, new users (students and faculty) can request access at HPC New. The system is “bring your own software,” although we do have a few typical software packages already installed.
Terrance Figy (terrance.figy@wichita.edu), an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Physics, is currently the “campus champion” for this system. As “campus champion,” Figy can offer some assistance during the initial stages of projects. However, anybody who is willing to contribute to assisting new users can serve as “campus champion” of BeoShock.
Honors works to expand applied learning opportunities
The Cohen Honors College is excited to announce that Mariem Berrada has joined us as our Applied Honors Graduate Assistant. Mariem will work closely with the Office of Applied and Experiential Learning to cultivate internships and cooperative education opportunities for Cohen Honors students.
Not only will Mariem help students with the internship process at the university, but she will also work one-on-one with Cohen Honors students to interface with the community to find those opportunities for them.
She will be available for appointments in both the Cohen Honors College and the John Bardo Center.
Email AppliedHonors@wichita.edu
Wind, solar-powered sculptures installed on Innovation Campus
Levente Sulyok, associate professor of painting and drawing in the School of Art, Design and Creative Industries, installed two temporary sculptures on Wichita State’s Innovation Campus. One sculpture includes a solar-powered street light that, at dusk, illuminates the Victorian-era iron street lamp below it. The other is composed of plastic pinwheels that imitate the movements found in the Flint Hills of Kansas.
“We don’t want to make fixed objects necessarily. It’s the Innovation Campus, after all,” said Sulyok. “I knew I wanted to use the elements to make something that wasn’t static.”
The College of Fine Arts supported the project by underwriting the cost of materials for the sculptures. Every two years, new installations will be installed, serving as a research opportunity for students and faculty.
Sulyok is the first artist to use the new sculpture pads along Oliver. In collaboration with WSU’s College of Fine Arts, the city of Wichita installed the two brick pedestals to bring visual interest to the Innovation Campus.
Learn more about the project here.
Joint senate meeting today
Join the USS and UP Senates at 9 a.m. today (Tuesday, Feb. 18) in 142 RSC for their joint meeting. Representatives from the Shocker Circle Reference Team will attend to discuss information gathered at the Shocker Circles held in the fall. All meetings are open to the campus community.
Graduate School Professional Development ‘Designing Better Things’ is Thursday
What is design thinking? Join the Graduate School with Kristyn Smith, Design Educator at the Institute of Innovation, for “Designing Better Things” from 5-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, in 266 RSC, for a quick overview of how to use design thinking processes to help design for the future.
Professional Development Series
Prevention Initiatives is celebrating the one-year anniversary of their PreventionTalKS podcast
In January 2019, the prevention team debuted the podcast as a revamped version of their monthly prevention webinar. After noticing a decrease in webinar participation, the team realized they needed an entertaining and flexible way to share prevention information. A podcast was the answer.
Throughout 2019, the PreventionTalKS team released an episode each month with topics ranging from PTSD and safe messaging to vaping and building resilience. PreventionTalKS Producer Michelle Edwards said, “2019 was a year of learning and we learned a lot. I’m excited to use what we’ve learned and continue to grow with our podcast in 2020.”
PreventionTalKS is hosted by Prevention Initiative members Heather Winklepleck and Janell Stang. The first episode of 2020 begins the new Prevention Protective Factor series.
The PreventionTalKS podcast is available on Android, iTunes, Spotify, and Soundcloud.
Registration for the Kansas NSF EPSCoR Annual MAPS Research Symposium is open
The Kansas NSF EPSCoR Annual MAPS Research Symposium will be held Monday, March 2, at the KU Adams Alumni Center, 1266 Oread Ave., Lawrence, Kansas. You are invited to attend due to your association with Kansas NSF EPSCoR.
There will be a welcome reception the evening before (Sunday, March 1) at the Oread Hotel (1200 Oread Ave., Lawrence, KS).
There is no fee to attend but registration is required. Please register by Friday, February 21, 2020.
Program and other logistical details are TBA. Accommodations for overnight guests will be at the Oread Hotel, 1200 Oread Ave, Lawrence, Kansas. To make reservations, call 785-843-1200 and tell the reservation service you are with the Kansas NSF EPSCoR 2020 Symposium. To guarantee a room reservation, call on or before Friday, Jan. 31.
Click here for up-to-date information. Contact Doug Byers at dbyers@ku.edu or 785-864-3227 with questions
KMUW to host Wichitalks; taking applications for speakers now
KMUW is hosting Wichitalks on Saturday, March 21, at the Crown Uptown, and we’re currently taking applications for speakers. Speakers will give a 5-minute presentation (20 slides, auto-advancing every 15 seconds) about something they’re passionate about.
The deadline to apply is Friday, Feb. 21. More information about Wichitalks can be found on our website. We’re also selling tickets to the event; those can be found on the website as well.
Galyn Vesey to present ‘People, Pride, and Promie: The Story of the Dockum Sit-In’
Galyn Vesey will present the story of a powerful and successful civil rights event that took place in Wichita - the Dockum Sit-In. The talk will begin at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, with an exhibit and reception. Remarks will begin 1:30 p.m. The event will be held in the lower level of Ablah Library. It is free and open to the public.
Institute of Innovation to host professional workshop
The Institute of Innovation is hosting a professional workshop April 16-17 that consists of two days of interactive and hands-on Design Thinking training. You will learn to how discover insights that can lead to new product or service opportunities, align teams around user’s needs, and ideate to solve defined problems. Plus, you will learn how to bring this process direct to your department or team.
The cost of admission is $550. Early-bird pricing ends Thursday, Feb. 27.
Find more information about this workshop, go to Wichita.edu/designthinking.
File your taxes for free today
The Office for Student Money Management encourages all students, faculty, and staff to file their taxes as soon as possible before the April 15 deadline. We currently partner with the United Way to offer a free online tax program at MyFreeTaxes.com through H&R Block.
Our staff is fully trained to help guide you through the process of doing taxes on your own. Please take this opportunity and see us today. We are open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and take appointments as well as walk-ins. All schedule changes will be posted on our Twitter @WSU_OSMM.
Be sure to bring all of your tax documents, a personal laptop, and a flash drive. For all other questions or to schedule an appointment, call us at 978-3254 or email at osmm@wichita.edu.
2nd Annual Cops for Shocks Food Drive now to March 31
The WSUPD challenges departments all across campus as we did last year to help stock the Shocker Support Locker.
Donations are accepted at the Police Department lobby from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. We will be glad to pick up and deliver for you, or give your donation to any WSUPD officer until March 31.
Donate shelf stable pantry items, baby food and diapers, hygiene products and bottled water.
Avoid canned green beans, corn, high sugar foods and food past the expiration date.
Register now for E-Launch Spring 2020
E-Launch fosters entrepreneurial activity, leading to the commercialization of ideas. Through an interactive process, participants will learn to clearly conceptualize how the product or service can provide real value to customers. Participants will be shown how to validate their value proposition with customers and other stakeholders
Need help with HealthQuest?
It’s the start of a new plan year, which means a fresh start for HealthQuest points. Employees enrolled in 2020 coverage through the State Employee Health Plan can earn a premium discount worth $480 annually and HSA/HRA rewards dollars up to $500 per year for each employee and covered spouse, just by participating and logging healthy activities throughout the year.
You may have noticed that the HealthQuest portal has been completely redesigned for 2020, and all employees and spouses must re-register. Click here for registration instructions.
HR Total Rewards is holding one more HealthQuest lab in February to help employees get registered, tour the HealthQuest site and get started on activities. Sign up through myTraining.
- 9-10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19 in 124 Jabara Hall
Any questions, please reach out to HR Total Rewards at TotalRewards@wichita.edu.
Registration is open for the inaugural Wichita State University Analytics Showcase
The WSU Analytics Showcase will be held from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, April 17, in the Hughes Metropolitan Complex. Registration is free for students and faculty, but space is limited.
Contact the Analytics Showcase organizers
Learn more and register for the Showcase
Changes coming to Tuition Assistance applications
Beginning summer 2020 term, the tuition assistance application will be completed and submitted online. The fillable PDF form will no longer be accepted.
The online application form will be available Feb. 15 through April 15. For more information on the new application process, go to Tuition Assistance.
We are excited about this improved application process and look forward to serving applicants in a more streamlined and efficient way.
- Employees will no longer need to provide course CRNs to request tuition assistance. No more waiting for the course schedule to become available in order to submit or needing to send an email when a course number changes.
- Employees will no longer need their supervisor sign their application form. Instead, the applicant’s supervisor will receive an automated email notification upon submission of an eligible application. Employees must still request permission from their supervisor if the scheduled course overlaps with their usual work schedule.
- Simplified online form will reduce incomplete applications and missing information.
- Applicants will receive an automated confirmation email with preliminary approval / denial based on application responses. Note: All applications will be reviewed before awards are finalized.
For program information, eligibility and application windows, click on Tuition Assistance.
Questions may be directed to TuitionAssistance@wichita.edu.
Donations needed
The Career Development Center is in desperate need of professional clothing for our Career Closet event! Donate your professional dress items now through March 17 to Brennan III, M-F 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (closed Tuesday mornings).
Professional dress items include suits, dress pants, professional shirts or blouses, professional skirts, belts, neckties, briefcases, cuff links, tie clips, and more. We particularly lack women’s petite and men’s small. For questions, contact Kim Kufahl at 978-6981 or kim.kufahl@wichita.edu.
Free academic resources are available through TRIO Student Support Services
Student Support Services (SSS) is funded by the U.S. Department of Education to provide free academic services to students from First-Generation (FG) and Limited- Income (LI) backgrounds, as well as students with disabilities.
The free services include individualized tutoring, academic advising, textbook loans, assistance completing financial aid applications, and scholarships exclusively for student participants.
We are located on the third floor of Grace Wilkie Hall, in suite 309. For more information, visit our website or contact our offices at 978-3715.
Gridiron fundraiser offers group ticket rate to WSU faculty and staff
Wichita State University faculty and staff may purchase discounted tickets to the 52nd annual Gridiron variety show and Randy Brown Curtail Call afterparty when they buy a block of eight tickets. The show runs March 26 and 27 at the Orpheum Theatre.
The Randy Brown Curtain Call afterparty directly follows the March 27 show on Friday, and features drink tickets, food, music and a silent auction. Show tickets in blocks of eight are discounted to $250 instead of $304 — or $31.25 each instead of $38.
Gridiron is Wichita’s longest-running sketch comedy show, poking fun at local news and newsmakers and written by and starring local media professionals including Suzanne Perez-Tobias, Bonnie Bing, Bucky Walters, Sierra Scott, Bud Norman and others. The annual show helps raise scholarship money for Kansas journalism students including Wichita State students. The Randy Brown Curtain Call party is an additional fundraiser held after Friday's show, which funds a scholarship named for Randy Brown, a former Elliott School of Communication journalism faculty member, who died in 2014.
Ticket information
WSU faculty and staff may also purchase packaged Friday Gridiron tickets + Randy Brown Curtain Call tickets in blocks of eight, discounted to $500 — or $62.50 each instead of $75.
To purchase Gridiron variety show tickets or Gridiron show tickets packaged with Randy Brown Curtain Call tickets at a group rate, contact Gridiron director/producer and WSU theater instructor Rick Bumgardner, 913-484-7425 or email him at rick1108@me.com .
Single Gridiron show tickets are available through Select-A-Seat. Single Randy Brown Curtain Call tickets are available through cast, crew and SPJ board members without handling fees at $50 each. Contact Elliott School of Communication faculty, Madeline McCullough at madeline.mccullough@wichita.edu or 978-6062 to purchase Randy Brown Curtain Call tickets on campus.
Faculty in the Elliott School of Communication at WSU serve on the board of the Kansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists — the nonprofit organization sponsoring the Gridiron fundraiser. Funds raised during Gridiron and the Randy Brown Curtain Call party are distributed as scholarships to students in universities across Kansas, including Wichita State University.
Faculty and Staff: The SGA Elections Commission needs your help!
Do you know of a student (undergrad or graduate student) who you think might make a great candidate for the Student Government Association!? Do you have someone who is ready for a crucial leadership position to make decisions and represent the entire student body? Please encourage them to run and declare themselves as a candidate for the upcoming SGA elections!
What does SGA even do? SGA serves as the voice of students to the university and college administration, local, state and federal representatives. SGA also manages the allocation of more than $10 million dollars in student fees, and governs over all recognized student organizations, provides funding to student groups and individuals, and awards several thousands of dollars in scholarships annually.
For more information, go to wichita.edu/sgaelections, or have them reach out to sga.elections@wichita.edu.
Join CAPS this semester for Keep Calm & Breathe On
Join Counseling and Prevention Services (CAPS) again this semester for Keep Calm & Breathe On!
Drop in to build structured relaxation time into your life and learn techniques to do relaxation on your own. You will be led in meditation, mindfulness and relaxation practices. The meetings are every Wednesday from 12:15-12:45 p.m. in 257 RSC.
Campus Credit Union's 68th Annual Meeting
Campus Credit Union members are invited to its 68th Annual Meeting to be hosted in at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday, Feb. 19) at Shocker Sports Grill and Lanes in Rhatigan Student Center. Members are encouraged to stop in and buy their tickets now for $5, as prices will be $8 at the door. The night will include dinner (American food), bowling, and raffled door prizes. We look forward to hosting our membership; please join us!
Shocker Baseball Home Run Discount
Save at the Shocker Store with your Shocker Baseball ticket stubs! Each time the Shockers hit a home run in a home game, bring your ticket stub to the Shocker Store (Braeburn Square location) the next day and receive 10% off one WSU imprinted item, up to 30% off for 3 or more home runs. May not be combined with any other discount or promotion. Some exclusions apply.
Hit those home runs, Shockers!
Join the Boot Scootin' Shockers
Interested in learning how to boot, scoot, and boogie? Come join the Boot Scootin’ Shockers club. Join us for club from 7:30-9:30 p.m. on Thursday nights in 141 Heskett Center. We teach two-stepping, swing dancing, line dances, and more. No former dance experience is needed.
The Boot Scootin’ Shockers is at student organization dedicated to creating an environment to develop social relationships through dancing.
Contact Alex at alex_keller5@icloud.com for more information.