WSU technology breathes new life into aging Army helicopter fleet
The US Army is turning to “digital-twin” technology from Wichita State University to resolve challenges and boost efficiencies for its enduring fleet of Black Hawk helicopters.
Through a partnership between the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command and Wichita State University, researchers at the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) will create a virtual model of a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter. Researchers will completely disassemble the airframes and capture a 3-D scan of each structural part, creating a virtual model – or digital twin – of the workhorse of Army aviation.
As a first step in this endeavor, an operational Black Hawk helicopter and a separate fuselage began an 800-mile journey Tuesday from Corpus Christi Army Depot in Texas to Wichita, Kansas.
“This opens a new door to aviation maintenance and sustainment,” said AMCOM Commander Maj. Gen. Todd Royar. “We welcome a new partnership with Wichita State University, while fortifying our existing relationships across the Army aviation enterprise.”
This is the first Army aircraft to enter a larger military effort with NIAR for legacy aircraft sustainment.
Record lectures and flip your class
To prepare for online or hybrid classes this fall, we have the opportunity to prepare ahead and record some lecture content early. The MRC has information on both creating your own lecture videos, and you can now sign up to work with WSU-TV to record lecture videos ahead of time.
Go to wichita.edu/fliplecture to find out more.
Congratulations to the first Open Alternative Textbook grant recipients!
Ikram Ahmed-Mechanical Engineering, John Hammond-Mathematics, and Enrique Navarro-Spanish were selected to receive the university's first Open Alternative Textbook (OAT) grants this summer. Each recipient will be working to develop a textbook or supplemental course materials that are no-cost options for students in their classes.
As the OAT initiative grows on campus, we hope to have additional funding to support more of these grants in the future. If you have courses that have no textbook costs for students, you are encouraged to apply for an OAT course designation. New applications will be accepted in the early fall.
Convergence Sciences Initiative proposal deadline extended to June 8
The deadline for submission of Convergence Sciences Initiative (CSI) proposals has been extended to Monday, June 8. Faculty and staff may be a Co-PI on more than one proposal. For more information, visit the CSI webpage.
Sign up now for the June 8-12 Academic Resources Conference events
The first half of the new and improved Academic Resources Conference will take place online via Zoom during the week of June 8. Sign up for trainings now via myTraining.
The Academic Resources Conference is Wichita State's largest instructor training event, and this year is greatly expanded and available fully online. All instructors of any rank, student facing staff, and faculty support staff are likely to benefit from this event. If you are interested, you are invited! Zoom events will run the week of June 8 and the week of Aug. 10, and online / on-demand events will be available all summer through the ARC website.
You can see a full list of June events here or browse by topic here.
The June events include:
1) Best practices for online instruction
2) Protecting your mental health
3) Library services and resources
4) Technical training in Blackboard, Panopto, Zoom, and Respondus
5) Tips for creating instructional video
We miss your face! So, this year we are also offering fun, social events each evening from 6-6:50 p.m. These "Cocktail Hour" events include opportunities to discuss classroom engagement, demonstrations of fun online games (yes, attendees will play), and on Friday night a murder mystery night. Sign up for Cocktail Hour events early as their caps are low. No alcohol required for Cocktail Hour, of course.
Sign up for all events through myTraining found in the myWSU portal. Know an adjunct or new GTA who doesn't have myTraining access? Encourage them to come, and we will handle their sign-up. Just email IDA@wichita.edu.
Tuition Assistance applications for fall 2020 now being accepted
Tuition Assistance applications for fall 2020 are now being accepted through the Online Application Form. The online application will be available through Wednesday, July 1, and will close at the end of this application period.
The fillable PDF form will no longer be accepted. Due to the volume of applications received each semester, requests to submit late applications will be automatically denied. There will be no exceptions.
Full program details can be found at www.wichita.edu/tuitionassistance.
Questions may be directed to TuitionAssistance@wichita.edu.
Help available for hybrid course design process
You are not alone as you prepare to move your upcoming courses to a hybrid format. Instructional Design and Access has assembled everything you need in order to be successful, and we will be providing extensive training throughout the summer.
To get started, check out the Hybrid Design Support webpages at wichita.edu/hybrid. There you can read a research-based approach to hybrid design, learn about successful hybrid classes, and see what you need in order to design your own classes.
Once you choose what hybrid model you want, you can choose from 7 support pages with explanations and recommended trainings, all of which are supported with live trainings available through Zoom during the week of June 8. You can sign up for these trainings now by logging into myWSU's portal and going to myTraining.
Join KMUW for Digital Democracy on Tap: Advice from the Frontlines
The stay-at-home order is being rolled back in Kansas, but the battle against COVID-19 continues. Join KMUW's Engage ICT: Democracy on Tap for Advice from the Front Lines. We'll learn how to maintain your own health and the health of your neighbors and children. We will be joined by a pulmonologist, a pediatrician, and an ER nurse to hear what it’s like to fight COVID-19, what they expect as restrictions are loosened, and what you need to know.
The conversation will be streamed live from KMUW's Facebook page at EngageICT.org starting at 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 26.
Perspectives on the Pandemic series now on Fairmount College YouTube channel
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.
The Perspectives on the Pandemic series features several Fairmount College faculty and community members explaining various aspects of the pandemic. The presentations may be found on the Fairmount College YouTube channel.
Virtual campus visits
The first virtual campus visit took place on March 23. Since then virtual campus visits have taken place at least once a day. In total, 222 students from 23 states across the country have joined the admissions and financial aid staff to learn more about our university, the city of Wichita, and to take a virtual tour with a Shocker Navigator.
Virtual visits have provided an opportunity to reach students who may not have been
able to come to campus in person, and without hosting them, we would have had zero
prospective students "visiting" campus during this time period. Because of the possible
reach to students who can't travel, virtual visits will continue once in-person visits
have resumed.
The admissions team is currently making plans to resume in-person visits and will
share specific details with the campus community once they're confirmed. Last year
the admissions team saw around 120 more students in-person during the same timeframe that
virtual visits have now been offered. While virtual visits have provided a way for
admissions staff to continue recruiting, we look forward to having students and their
guests on campus again in a safe and thoughtfully-constructed manner.
Webinar on health care language access today
WSU Associate Professor Rachel Showstack, along with a team of language researchers from across the US, will present a live public webinar "Reclaiming Language Access in US Latino Communities During COVID-19: Patient-centeredness at risk?" at 1 p.m. today (Wednesday, May 20).
The webinar addresses factors that affect health care for individuals who need language assistance and how the current crisis brings those issues to the forefront. A trailer for the webinar can be viewed here.
Registration is required of all participants. Click here to register.
Join us for a Real Talk program
Real Talk - Intersection Dialogues will be held from 1-2 p.m. today (Wednesday, May 20). A Zoom link will be provided after you RSVP for the event, which is brought to you by WSU Counseling and Prevention Services, and the Office of Diversity Inclusion. RSVP at wichita.edu/odievents.
Engage in meaningful dialogues around various topics that impact identity, diversity, inclusion, equity, and society. We welcome you to lean into discomfort and join in on the discussion. The upcoming topic will be "Processing Ahmaud Arbery."
For more information, contact the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at 316-978-3034.
Due to the recent CARES Act legislation, there have been some updates to how you can use your HSA, HRA and/or Healthcare FSA funds. Updates include the ability to use funds for over-the-counter (OTC) medications without a prescription, and for menstrual care products. These changes are retroactively effective to Jan. 1, 2020.
Your NueSynergy debit card may not immediately work for purchases of these items as merchants are in the process of updating their systems to accommodate these changes, but you are able to pay out-of-pocket and submit reimbursement requests through the NueSynergy online portal.
You can find more information from NueSynergy at NueSynergy 2020 CARES Act Update. If you have more specific questions about eligible purchases, you can reach NueSynergy directly at 1-855-750-9440 for further assistance. When calling, identify yourself as a State of Kansas employee, and be prepared to provide your SHaRP ID (found by logging in to myWSU and hovering the mouse over the white box in the “SHaRP ID” channel).
State Employee Health Plan Updates in response to COVID-19
Governor Laura Kelly announced four provisions on March 13, 2020 that have been extended through June 30, 2020 for employees and dependents enrolled in medical insurance through the State Employee Health Plan.
- SEHP will cover medically necessary diagnostic tests that are consistent with CDC guidance related to the COVID-19 at no cost share to member, where it is not covered as part of the Public Health Service response.
- SEHP will allow early refills on 30 or 90-day prescription medications and/or allow
members to use their mail order benefit.
More information
- Given the nature of the COVID-19 outbreak, seeking in person medical care has the potential to further spread the virus. SEHP partners with Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas to provide Telehealth services with a virtual doctor’s office. There is 24/7/365 access to this service. The member cost share will be waived for any Telehealth service. In addition to telehealth services provided by Teledoc or Amwell, the member cost share will also be waived for services from your in-network physician that are billed as telehealth services.
Blue Cross Blue Shield members - Amwell
- For plan participants that reside in the Topeka area, the HealthQuest Health Center available to members enrolled in the health plan, is located at 901 S. Kansas Ave., Topeka
- Phone screening is recommended before going to the center: 785-783-4080
- If a patient walks into the clinic, they will have them put on a mask and clean their hands with hand sanitizer. The health center staff will evaluate the patient’s symptoms and recommend they isolate if the initial findings and/or symptoms present are a positive indicator for the virus.
- Testing is not available at the health center for COVID-19 and the clinic will refer all patients that meet the risk criteria to the local health department for testing and further evaluation.
For all up-to-date information regarding COVID-19 and the WSU campus, please visit www.wichita.edu/covid19.
Changes to your HSA/HRA/FSA for 2020 due to CARES Act
Due to the recent CARES Act legislation, there have been some updates to how you can use your HSA, HRA and/or Healthcare FSA funds. Updates include the ability to use funds for over-the-counter (OTC) medications without a prescription, and for menstrual care products. These changes are retroactively effective to Jan. 1, 2020.
Your NueSynergy debit card may not immediately work for purchases of these items as merchants are in the process of updating their systems to accommodate these changes, but you are able to pay out-of-pocket and submit reimbursement requests through the NueSynergy online portal.
You can find more information from NueSynergy at NueSynergy 2020 CARES Act Update. If you have more specific questions about eligible purchases, you can reach NueSynergy directly at 1-855-750-9440 for further assistance. When calling, identify yourself as a State of Kansas employee, and be prepared to provide your SHaRP ID (found by logging in to myWSU and hovering the mouse over the white box in the “SHaRP ID” channel).
McCleary-Jones receives two-year appointment to planning sub-committee
Voncella McCleary-Jones
Dr. Voncella McCleary-Jones, associate dean and chair in the School of Nursing, was appointed for a two-year term to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's Faculty Development Conference (FDC) Planning Sub-committee.
Student Health Services has a YouTube Channel
Missed a previous Tuesday Talk from Student Health Services? Looking for information on how to stay healthy, specifically how to stay healthy during the outbreak of COVID-19? Student Health Services has a YouTube channel!
Check out our latest videos here.
You can help prevent suicide
Learn how you can help your community with #WSUWeSupportU Preventing Suicide, now available through Zoom! This 90-minute training will teach you how to use the Share, Ask, Support method to help so you have the tools to help those in need. Learn more at wichita.edu/SuicidePrevention.
Wichita State student makes her dream a reality for all to enjoy
- The community garden is a plot of land located northeast of Ahlberg Hall. Students, faculty and staff will be able to grow and harvest crops.
- Madi Laughlin, president of the Green Group, serves as the supervisor for the community garden.
- Madi wants to create a space where students can receive locally grown produce. She hopes the garden will serve the community in many ways.
Pictured above: From left to right: Morgan Cusick, Quinn Rhodes, Maya (the garden mascot), Madi Laughlin and Ryne Carballo working in the garden before social distancing measures we put in place.
Meet a Shocker: Abel Barraza, Bachelor of Engineering in mechanical engineering
Abel Barraza hasn’t shied away from challenges during his time at Wichita State University. The first-generation college student from Dodge City not only undertook a rigorous curriculum that included fluid mechanics and calculus, but he also served as president of his fraternity during his demanding senior year.
Abel was one of more than 2,400 students eligible for spring 2020 graduation. Learn more about his time at Wichita State and what’s next for the grad.
Meet a Shocker: Carter Bryant, Bachelor of Fine Arts in art history
Carter Bryant found his home at Wichita State University’s School of Art, Design and Creative Industries as an art history major. He’s played roles in curating several exhibits throughout the university and the general Wichita artistic community.
Carter was one of more than 2,400 students eligible for spring 2020 graduation. Learn more about his time at Wichita State and what is next for the grad.