Thanksgiving Holiday Box Lunch on Tuesday, Nov. 24; RSVP by Nov. 18
Interim President Rick Muma and the executive team cordially invite you to a grab-and-go box lunch from noon-1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24. Please wear your face covering and respect social distancing. Please select your meal choice by Wednesday, Nov. 18, along with the location you will pick up your meal, by going to the RSVP link.
Campus event policy updated
Wichita State University’s top priority remains the health, safety and well-being of our entire Shocker community. Face-to face events hosted by Wichita State units and organizations must be conducted in a safe and healthy manner. The following guidance is intended to supplement university-wide policies and procedures, and federal, state and local public health and governmental guidance.
See the updated policy regarding campus events.
NIAR receives $13.7 million from Air Force for advanced composites research
The National Institute for Aviation Reserach (NIAR) has received another $13.7 million contract from the United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to extend the Modeling for Affordable Sustainable Composites (MASC) research program.
The first phase of the program was a $23.5 million contract awarded in May 2019 to develop a certification framework to pave the way for advanced materials and structural concepts for automated manufacturing. The additional funding will allow researchers to further investigate damage growth behavior and characterize material systems that have strategic importance to the US defense industry, including ceramic matrix composites manufactured using automated processes and press-foamed thermoplastic and injection-molded composites.
Training opportunities from Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance
The Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance is offering regular training on “Preventing Sexual Harassment and Discrimination” at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18 and “Equal Opportunity: Understanding Discrimination and Harassment in the Work Environment” at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 17.
Dates in 2021 have also been set for these trainings. The remaining 2020 sessions will be presented virtually, and the 2021 locations are subject to change if necessary. Please visit the myTraining page for more information and to register for these important and informative sessions!
Wichita State students helps Shockers learn COVID-19 health precautions
- A capstone group project aimed to educate students about COVID-19 using Public Health Sciences students as leaders.
- Senior Ya-Aida Sillah developed a quiz that helped reveal and correct misconceptions about health precautions.
- The social media team created graphics and messages advising students to wash hands, socially distance and wear a mask.
Pictured above: Health Management capstone members: (Left to right) Jazmyn Burks, Latisha Davis, Ya-Aida Sillah, and Kelsi Keath. Members not pictured are Sydney Ward and Thanh Pham.
Adequate preparation for finals is essential for success
Finals doesn’t have to be stressful! With the proper preparation, finals can be stress-free. Some tips you can share with students include knowing where and when all their finals are scheduled, knowing what kinds of exams will be given in each class, getting any supplies they need in advance, getting plenty of sleep and making changes to their work schedules to accommodate extra study time if possible. If students are new at taking online exams, encourage them to test their tech and be familiar with how online testing works. Test preparation and other helpful resources can be found on the Student Success website.
Learn about COVID holiday safety with Student Health Director Camille Childers
Wondering how to continue fighting the spread of COVID-19 during the holidays? Join SHS Director Camille Childers, Nurse Heather, and WSU student Emma Carriger for a conversation about how to stay safe while traveling for the holidays.
Toner program coming today
More than a year ago, the offices of Financial Operations and Admissions participated in a pilot program where Staples (now DEX Imaging) put software on our network to monitor toner usage of network printers and automatically send toner when printers were low. The pilot was a huge success - it eliminated the need for toner inventory, reduced costs and eliminated the order process.
The President’s Executive Team approved expansion of the program, and beginning Nov. 16 Central Services will escort DEX Imaging technicians through each building to label network printers for this program.
Average toner spend for the university is around $14,220.40 per month. Under the new DEX contract, the average spend will be reduced to about $9,212.07 per month. This is a 35% savings. There will be additional savings once we take older printers out of service and use newer networked printers instead.
Someone from Central Services will contact your office to make arrangements to get your printers labeled. If you haven't heard from us yet, please contact Ellen Abbey at 978-5864.
Holiday greeting requests for ITS Telecommunications
The Thanksgiving holiday is from Wednesday, Nov. 25 through Friday, Nov. 27, and most departments on campus will be closed. Now is the time to submit your request if your department needs a holiday greeting activated on your calling-tree or call distribution number.
Please submit the request at www.wichita.edu/services/telecom. Choose “Telephone Request” as the requested service, then choose “Programming” as the telephone service. Please ensure to include all details in the description.
Only requests received via this method will be processed. Please email telecomservices@wichita.edu or call 978-3535 if you have any questions or need any assistance.
Meet the teams behind ‘Luke the Longhorn’ and ‘Walk With Wu’ graphic novel projects
All students, community members and history enthusiasts are invited to join the Wichita State Society of Public Historians in a virtual meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, featuring “History Through Graphic Novels.”
Meet the teams behind the “Luke the Longhorn” and “Walk With Wu” graphic novel projects to learn more about this growing and dynamic way to engage the general public.
Request to join our public Facebook group for the Zoom meeting information.
Meeting to explore a possible Wichita State University Amateur Radio Club
A Zoom meeting will be held from 7-8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, about starting a Wichita State University Amateur Radio Club. Students, faculty and staff are welcome.
Amateur radio is a relevant and important way to communicate over very large distances, even many foreign countries or in local emergencies. The Wichita State University Amateur Radio Club will help you get your FCC license through short training sessions, and with the help of the Wichita Amateur Radio Club conduct an FCC examination.
The club will also participate in long-distance radio communications with other clubs, to the International Space Station, and get involved with upcoming projects such as Cube-Sat communications.
All are welcome to attend at the Zoom room 938 6695 1797 password HAMRadio.
If you have questions, contact nick.solomey@wichita.edu.
Funding opportunity for WSU female entrepreneurs
The Women for Women's Innovation Scholarship Fund is awarded to Wichita State University female students to support innovative ideas showing promise of commercialization. The fund was established in 2020 in order to support women leaders and entrepreneurs in moving their ideas forward by providing recipients a boost to “Shock The World.”
All full- and part-time WSU students are eligible to apply. The deadline for application is Dec. 11.
Women for Women Innovation Scholarship
Excellence in Research nominations
Nominations for faculty excellence awards in creative activity, research and community research are due to the Office of Research by Friday, Dec. 4. Please go to Excellence Awards for the nomination form and instructions.
Call for graduate student abstracts for CGRS 2021
Do you have a student working on research that benefits the State of Kansas? Encourage them to submit an abstract to represent Wichita State University at the 18th Annual Capital Graduate Research Summit (CGRS). Abstract submission for WSU consideration closes Nov. 20.
The Capital Graduate Research Summit is a research competition and showcase for Kansas Board of Regents universities to raise awareness of graduate students conducting research impacting Kansas and provide an opportunity to share their work with graduate students and faculty from other Kansas universities, the Kansas Legislature, and the general public.
This year’s summit will take place online with video presentations going live on Feb. 18.
Banner 9 faculty grade entry training offered Nov.18
Looking for a quick refresher on Banner 9 Faculty Grade Entry? In this session from 2-3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, we will navigate the Banner 9 grade entry screen, pulling a class list in Banner Self Service and reviewing WSU Reporting for faculty.
Sign up for this remote training session in myTraining.
Celebrate International Education Week from Nov. 16 to Nov. 20!
International Education Week is Nov. 16-20! Our events are virtual this year, so be sure to check out our list of events at www.wichita.edu/ieweek to find what interests you. Events offered this year include virtual international trivia, career workshops and an immigration information session. Follow our Facebook page @WichitaStateInternationalAdmissions during International Education week for some facts about international students at Wichita State and much more.
International Admissions on Facebook
Take 'One Small Step' with KMUW and the Kansas Leadership to bridge political divides
Join KMUW's Digital Democracy on Tap in a special collaboration with Kansas Leadership Center and StoryCorps' One Small Step for a virtual event on Tuesday, Nov. 17. We'll talk with StoryCorps founder Dave Isay on the importance of coming together during this divisive time and hear from Wichita's One Small Step participants about how they felt bridging an ideological divide with a stranger.
After the conversation, viewers will have their own chance to take a small step by signing up for a small group discussion with KLC facilitators Ed O'Malley and Dioane Gates on what we can each do to come together now that the elections are over.
To register to participate on Zoom, go to kansasleadershipcenter.org. The conversation will also be live-streamed EngageICT.org and on KMUW's Facebook page starting at 5 p.m. Nov. 17.
Ulrich Virtual talk Tuesday shines spotlight on friendship between Gordon Parks and Muhammad Ali
The bond between Kansas-born photographer Gordon Parks and heavy-weight champion Muhammad Ali is almost as legendary as their respective careers. At 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, historian and photographer John Edwin Mason will explore that special relationship in an Ulrich Virtual program that you won't want to miss! The talk, “The Latest and Truest World: Gordon Parks and Muhammad Ali,” is free and open to all, but you have to register to get the Zoom link.
Parks photographed Ali for two separate Life magazine photo-essays. The time that they spent together allowed a friendship to grow. It was built in part on an almost familial bond between Ali and Parks, who was 30 years older. Parks’ unwillingness to accept either the celebrity or the public disdain that surrounded the often controversial boxer was equally important. His words and images described a man, not a cliché.
Historian and photographer John Edwin Mason teaches in the Corcoran Department of History at the University of Virginia. He has written extensively on South African social and cultural history and on the history of photography in South Africa and the United States. As a photographer, he has worked on a number of long-term documentary projects, including a book about Cape Town, South Africa's nearly two-centuries-old New Year’s’ Carnival. He is currently writing a book about Gordon Parks.
Image caption: Gordon Parks, Untitled, Miami, Florida, 2015 (Date of printing), 1966, Photograph. Museum Purchase. Copyright © The Gordon Parks Foundation. Used by permission.
Ulrich Virtual Webinar Registration
No-cost entrepreneurship webinar to help your small business succeed
Give yourself and your business the opportunities to succeed with our no-cost small business webinars.
Register at www.wichita.edu/ksbdcworkshops
Competing for Government Contracts: Basic Training
1:30-4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17
Federal, state, and local governments spend more than $800 billion per year buying goods and services. This webinar offers an overview of the critical first steps to becoming a government contractor. Learn to identify opportunities, understand the contracting process, and know the services available to help you.
Learn about intellectual property and trademarks at virtual SCORE workshops
Get expert advice from the library's Information Services and Research Assistant Jessica Torres in upcoming SCORE Workshops! Contact jessica.torres@wichita.edu or go to libraries.wichita.edu/ptrc.
Thursday, Nov. 19, Intellectual Property Basics - Inventions, designs, original works of authorship, and trade secrets can provide you with economic benefits. Learn the basics of intellectual property protection.
Thursday, Dec. 3, Trademark Basics: Protect Your Business Name - Discover the difference between a trademark, service mark, and registered mark. Then, learn how to search for existing marks and logos and walk through the online trademark application process.
Spring 2021 Tuition Assistance deadline approaching
The HR Total Rewards team reminds staff and faculty that the deadline for Spring 2021 Tuition Assistance applications is Tuesday, Dec. 1.
Reminder: Tuition Assistance applications for Spring 2021 are submitted through the Online Application Form.
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 here.
Questions may be directed to TuitionAssistance@wichita.edu.
Birzer participates on NPR expert panel regarding racial profiling
Michael Birzer
Wichita State’s Michael Birzer, professor, School of Criminal Justice, was invited by National Public Radio to be part of an expert panel regarding racial profiling and biased-based policing which will air soon. The one-hour show was taped via Zoom last week. The program is titled “Police and Traffic Stops,” and is part of the weekend talk show “Kansas City Week in Review” hosted by Nick Haines of NPR.
Other panelists included Darryl Forte, retired KCMO police chief and now sheriff of Jackson Co. Missouri; Gwen Grant, Urban League CEO of Kansas City; and Eva Santiago, former police trainer.
Wichita State alumni in the running to win $1 million in XPrize mask challenge
They've advanced to the top 10!
Spencer Steinert, Jared Goering and Maggie Koops — all recent graduates of Wichita State’s Master of Innovation Design program — teamed up to for the Cyfive apparel company to address a challenge created by XPrize: to craft a face mask addressing the obstacles that deter people from wearing them and promote positive mask-wearing behavior.
XPRIZE announced the top 10 finalists on Nov. 9. More than 1,000 teams from 30 countries initially entered the contest. Other to 10 finalists hail from Australia, Nigeria, and Cameroon.
In addition to winning one of two $500,000 prizes, XPRIZE has also a $10,000 People’s Vote Bonus Award. To win this prize, anyone, anywhere can vote on their favorite mask between Nov. 18 and Nov. 25, 2020 at xprize.org/mask.
Pictured above: Wichita State alum Jared Goering models a mask that he and his team created for the XPrize Next Generation Mask Challenge.
Elements Art Competition award recipients
The tradition of celebrating the works of student artists has not been halted. On Nov. 12, Cadman Art Gallery staff held a live-streamed award ceremony celebrating the talent, creativity and growth of Wichita State students who submitted works to the 28th Annual Elements Multi-Media Art Competition.
Works were submitted in the categories of ceramics, drawing, mixed media, painting and printmaking, and 33 entries were selected for exhibit. Elements is currently on display in the Cadman Art Gallery, located on the first floor of the Rhatigan Student Center, now through Friday, Nov. 20.
First and second place were awarded in each category, as well as an overall Best of Show. These awards are determined by a panel of professionals outside of the Wichita State community. Winners of the competition receive monetary awards. Winners of the 28th Annual Elements Multi-Media Art Competition are listed below.
Category of Painting
1st Place | Tree by The Pond, by Laura Barwick
2nd Place | Tulip Field Windmill, by Laura Barwick
Category of Mixed Media
1st Place | El Escape de Nuestro Cuerpo (Romanos 8:23), by Lily Guillen
2nd Place | Part 1: Tirar Pedradas, by Lily Guillen
Category of Printmaking
1st Place | Unknown, by Gabriella Chaffin
Category of Ceramics
1st place | Ode to Tropics, by Chloe Ciecko
Category of Drawing
1st Place | Birds of a Feather, by Patrick Heath
2nd Place | Persephone, by Gabriella Chaffin
Overall Best of Show
Glamorosa Hasta Su Ultimo Suspiro (Jezabel), by Lily Guillen
Mixed media on Fabric
Those unable to visit the Cadman Art Gallery in person may view the recap video highlighting all the pieces of display. This video can be found on the Cadman Art Gallery webpage.
The Cadman is currently accepting applications for students, groups, faculty, staff or departments who are interested in exhibiting a collection of works in the Cadman for the spring 2021 semester. Applications and additional information about the Cadman can be found at wichita.edu/cadmangallery.
Extra discount on clearance merchandise at the Shocker Store
This week in the Shocker Store, take an extra 10% off their already-marked-down clearance items! Sale is in RSC store only.
Join us for this week's Wellness Programs
Mark your calendar to join in these three great virtual programs: Tuesday Talks, Keep Calm and Breathe, and Fitness discussions.
Student Involvement Ambassador nominations
Student Involvement Ambassadors is looking for students who are passionate about getting involved. We are a team dedicated to recruiting new Shockers, connecting current students to opportunities, celebrating campus leaders and sharing our story.
Do you know someone who would excel at communicating the value of involvement to others? Consider nominating an outstanding student to serve as a Student Involvement Ambassador!
Student Involvement Ambassadors
Please help less fortunate children this Christmas
Our Toys for Tots toy drive is happening now until Dec. 16! We had fantastic support last year ending with a box brimming over with toys. We helped so many underprivileged children in Wichita. Let's shoot to double it this year!
You can stop by the Campus Credit Union lobby between 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, to donate.
Enroll for an in-person service-learning course in psychology!
The INSPYRE research lab (directed by Dr. Samantha Gregus) is currently recruiting undergraduate mentors for a 3-hour service-learning course in psychology (PSY 416) for the spring 2021 semester!
Prior to enrolling in PSY 416 (Psychology and Problems of Society) mentors are required to: pass an interview and background check, have reliable transportation, lunch availability from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at least twice a week, and attend class on Mondays from 3:30-6 p.m.
We have a course syllabus, class readings, and paper assignments. Mentors will receive training at the beginning of the course and a grade at the end based on attendance and completion of assignments. We are interested in recruiting mentors from any college and major.
For more information, please contact the INSPYRE research lab at inspyre@wichita.edu ASAP.
TRIO DSS supports students with disabilities - applications open!
WSU's TRIO Disability Support Services (DSS) Program is excited to enroll students with disabilities for this academic school year. They offer numerous free services such as academic advising, career development, study skills assistance, financial literacy assistance, tutoring, and more. Many DSS graduates cite DSS as a critical program on campus that provided the support, university connections, and resources necessary for their success.
Quotes from DSS graduates and more information
I will apply what I have learned through TRIO DSS to the next chapter of my life - completing a Master's Degree! I am really thankful for the relationships that I have formed through TRIO DSS and look forward to what new challenges there are to conquer in my near future.
-Tiffany H.
My advisor believed in me when everyone wrote me off. That kind of belief and caring is so strong, it turned a college dropout into a student with a WSU GPA of 3.8 who is going to graduate in a month. I was able to get my first all “A” semester last fall because of their encouragement. Without my advisor’s support, I do not think I would be graduating at all.
-Ben L.
For more information, or to apply, go to www.wichita.edu/dss or call 978-5949. TRIO DSS is located in 158 Grace Wilkie Annex.
Undergraduate STEM majors are encouraged to apply for the Goldwater Scholarship
Sophomores and juniors with a strong commitment to a research career in the sciences, mathematics and/or engineering are encouraged to apply to the competitive and prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. Visit the Goldwater Scholarship website for more information about the application and who is eligible to apply.
Students interested in applying must notify Dean Coleen Pugh by Monday, Nov. 23. Questions? Email coleen.pugh@wichita.edu.