Wichita State to hold panel discussion on freedom of expression
Free expression is a fundamental value for an institution such as Wichita State University, Neal Allen, associate professor of political science, maintains.
“We owe all of our students, and all Kansas citizens that we serve, our best effort to include all points of view,” he said. “I believe that democratic government depends on having both involved citizens and trained professionals.”
The open exchange of ideas may not produce a tidy ending.
That exchange, however, is crucial to our nation’s discourse, no matter how difficult the conversation. Wichita State University recognizes the important role universities play and will present a virtual panel on Freedom of Expression from 3-4:15 p.m. Wednesday, March 31.
Read more about the panel discussion and how to watch
2021-22 course catalogs now available
The 2021-22 Wichita State University Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs are now live and online! Links to both catalogs can be found at http://wichita.edu/catalog.
Be sure to check out everything that’s new at Wichita State. Look on the degrees and academic majors page to browse through all undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, programs and certificates. Click on any of the column headers to sort the list the way you want it, or click on the name of the program and go right to the program information.
Curious about admission? Financial aid? Advising? Commencement ceremonies? Links to all this information and more are available in the catalog.
The catalogs are accessible from your desktop, tablet and smartphone.
While we are excited to have the catalog online, we recognize that a printed catalog is still important and handy. Links to download PDFs of the full Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs are located at the bottom right of every page next to links creating PDFs of individual catalog pages.
NIAR’s ATLAS announces addition of automated thermoplastic welding, tape-slitting capabilities
Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) announces the addition of two new technologies to its Automated Technologies Laboratory for Aerospace Systems (ATLAS): a fully integrated thermoplastic welding system and a prepreg tape slitting and tow-rewinding machine.
Read more about the new ATLAS technologies
Follow Wichita State University on TikTok
Wichita State University now has an official TikTok account. You can follow @wichitastateu on TikTok, or access the page through our website wichita.edu/tiktok.
Whether you're looking for fun facts about campus, general information, college tips, or video trends featuring Wu Shock, be sure to follow along. And if you're on campus, you may have a chance to be in one of our videos.
'Shock Talk' interviews Susayn Brandes of Great Plains Ventures, Inc.
In the latest episode of "Shock Talk," host Jacob O'Connor talked with Wichita State alumna Susayn Brandes. Susayn is the chairwoman and CEO of Great Plains Ventures, Inc., a Wichita-based operating company that houses three businesses: Aerospace Systems and Components, Inc; Great Plains Industries, Inc.; and PowerTech, LLC. Jacob and Susayn discuss the history of Great Plains Ventures, as well as how to handle high stressful situations that inevitably arise when running a company.
From the Office of Tech Transfer and Commercialization (TTC), "Shock Talk" is a podcast highlighting innovation and entrepreneurship in Wichita. In each episode, O’Connor, a current Wichita State student, sits down with a Wichita local to hear a unique and innovative story. Episodes are 10-15 minutes in length and are released at 7 a.m. on Fridays. Please be sure to listen on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.
Faculty Fellowship application deadline approaching
Each year, Academic Affairs supports Faculty Fellows in a variety of areas. Faculty have the opportunity to learn new skills and serve our students in different ways through these fellowships. More information and submission details are provided on the Academic Affairs webpages linked below. All applications are due Friday April 2, 2021.
- Tilford Incentive Grant – develop new diversity infused curricula or advance pedagogy to teach diverse populations.
- Recruitment Faculty Fellows – provide direct outreach to prospective students in high school and community colleges.
- Retention Faculty Fellows – identify and implement strategies to promote student success and retention
- Service-Learning Scholars – incorporate service-learning pedagogy in your curricula.
- Honors College Fellows - develop independent or collaborative projects to advance Honors education and high-impact practices across campus
- Open Alternative Textbook (OAT) Fellow – promote use of open educational resources (OER) and assist faculty in identifying OER’s for their courses
See also: Faculty Advancement webpage
Learn how to support transgender Shockers
International Transgender Day of Visibility is March 31. Now is a great opportunity to learn how we can support transgender Shockers! In this Tuesday Talk, Sara Friesen, APRN, Heather Stafford, and Wichita State students Claire Powell and Jess Prudence discuss the social obstacles that LGBTQ+ students face.
Mathematical foundations of data analysis grad program prepares students for big data work
Data analysis professionals who can apply the principles of data science statistics and analytics and assist with the design and implementation of data systems are in high demand. Wichita State is positioned to prepare them.
“Big data is a hot career area,” said Ziqi Sun, professor of mathematics. “There’s a local need to hire a lot of people who can understand large data sets and how they can be used.”
In general, big data is described as extremely large data sets that, due to their size, cannot be analyzed with normal statistical methods. Data sets can include images, text, as well as numerical information. Sets may be a collection of customer reviews, social media comments, online visual materials, or records belonging to healthcare systems or banking conglomerates.
Wichita State’s recently approved master of science in mathematical foundations of data analysis is designed for individuals who wish to pursue a mathematical focus within data science and will promote the fundamental understanding of the mathematics behind data science algorithms and methods. And because the program is part of a consortium of big data degrees that include computer science and business, students will be exposed to how algorithms and methods get applied in real-world settings. Professionals who complete the program will be able to apply the principles of data science statistics and analytics and assist with the design and implementation and manipulation of data systems.
“Big data has become the revolution of information technology, which is transforming industries around the world,” Sun wrote in the program proposal. “Along with global demand for employees with expertise in handling big data, there has been a growing need for local Wichita companies as well.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, mathematical science occupations are projected to grow 27.9% over a 10-year period ending in 2026, a rate that is much faster than the average for all occupations. BLS data also show Wichita as one of the metropolitan areas with high demand for these kinds of jobs.
Fall semester registration at Wichita State for all students begins April 5. For more information, contact Sun at (316) 978-3964 or ziqi.sun@wichita.edu.
Applied linguistics degree now available
If you’ve ever wondered what it is like to create your own language or how a language might be modeled computationally for Alexa, Siri or other voice command applications, you might be interested in applied linguistics.
Wichita State now has an applied linguistics major that can prepare students for a variety of careers, ranging from teaching to speech pathology to speech technology research.
“We’ve seen increasing interest in offering linguistics courses beyond the minor,” Mythili Menon, assistant professor of English and linguistics. said. “There’s also more interest in teaching English as a Second Language and for pursuing linguistics in graduate school. Students want to work on real-life problems and linguistics is a great tool/skill set to solving problems in technology, such as speech recognition, and machine translation.”
The applied linguistics major offers three concentration tracks: general linguistics; speech pathology; and computational linguistics. Students will complete 120 undergraduate hours regardless of track, and will also complete the foreign languages requirement for the bachelor of arts degree. The major is intended to be interdisciplinary and appeal to a diverse student population. It will also be a good double major for students in disciplines such as philosophy, psychology, speech pathology, anthropology, MCLL, applied studies, and computer science.
“Linguistics is inherently interdisciplinary: it studies how languages differ and how they share common features; it is a window into thought and consiousness, and is itself a cognitive process; it is a primary distinguisher of humankind; it is the medium of mass communication,” said Andrew Hippisley, dean. “It is therefore not surprising that it is an important component of many disciplines and has seen great growth of interest as the field has developed.”
According to Menon’s proposal to the Kansas Board of Regents, linguistics has seen tremendous growth in the last 70 years. The field is currently at the forefront of interdisciplinary research in artificial intelligence, data science, computer science, speech pathology, natural language processing, and marketing and branding strategies.
“The BA program of study is designed to be flexible, to accommodate multiple content concentrations while providing enhanced academic training and the highest quality of applied learning experience,” Menon said.
Employment growth is also increasing. For example, the demand for interpreters and translators is rising. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 20% growth in employment over a 10-year period ending in 2029, which is significantly faster than the average increase for all occupations. Part of this growth is driven by globalization and the increasing number of non-English speakers in the United States.
During the same 10-year period, computer and information research scientist positions are expected to grow by 15%. People in these jobs create and implement new approaches to computing technology.
Fall 2021 registration at Wichita State for all students begins April 5. For more information, contact Menon at (316) 978-6763 or mythili.menon@wichita.edu, or visit https://tinyurl.com/epexunr8.
Technology Policy: A Case for Optimism and Freedom to Innovate
The Institute for the Study of Economic Growth in the W. Frank Barton School of Business is proud to bring Adam Thierer to Campus at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 14 at Wilner Auditorium and virtual via Zoom. Thierer specializes in innovation, entrepreneurialism, the Internet, and free-speech issues, with a particular focus on the public policy concerns surrounding emerging technologies. In-person attendees will receive a free copy of his book, "Evasive Entrepreneurs & the Future of Governance."
Get more information on this lecture
Get your driver's license renewed on campus
Shocker Tennis set for home match against UTA
Shocker Men's Tennis takes the court against University of Texas-Arlington at Coleman Tennis Complex at noon today. Admission is free. Head on out to support your Shocker Men's Tennis team!
SBDC hosts business tax workshops
The Kansas SBDC presents the following no-cost webinars:
State Tax Workshop for Construction Contractors
10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, March 30
Carl York with the Kansas Department of Revenue will focus on sales tax issues for construction contractors and subcontractors, including those who provide services such as plumbing, carpentry, electrical, roofing, HVAC, and landscaping. Learn about applying sales tax to materials and labor, Project Exemption Certificates, tax returns, billing, and more.
State Tax Workshop
1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 30
Carl York with the Kansas Department of Revenue will give you the basics in this free webinar. Topics include sales and compensating use taxes, tax forms and how to file them, estimated taxes, and recordkeeping.
Workshop helps power up your LinkedIn profile
Are you on LinkedIn? Are your students on LinkedIn? You should be, and so should your students. The Shocker Career Accelerator invites you to attend this workshop for yourself and spread the word to your students at noon March 30 via Zoom.
For many, LinkedIn is the social media equivalent of an awkward networking event. However, 98% of recruiters and 85% of hiring managers use LinkedIn to find candidates.
LinkedIn can be a brilliant way to build your professional network. If you don't know how to use LinkedIn or have never even considered it, come to this workshop where you'll learn how to craft a stellar profile, build a valuable network, and leverage both to your best advantage. This workshop hosted by Eric Rauber, Higher Education Learning Consultant at LinkedIn Learning.
We track student attendees for faculty that are building this fair into their curriculum or offering extra credit. Let us know if we can track your class or student group participation! Email SCA@wichita.edu.
Win prizes for International Happiness Day
As we wish you a happy International Happiness Day, Wichita State's Cultural Ambassadors are having a giveaway. We are giving away sets of two coasters to seven winners. To enter the giveaway, you must be a Wichita State faculty, student, or staff member. You can enter to win by following our Facebook page, liking our post about the giveaway, and tagging three Wichita State friends in the comments. Winners will pick up their coasters at the Office of International Education. The deadline to enter the giveaway has been extended to Monday, March 29. Good luck, and remember to be happy!
Help students stay on degree track
If students aren’t sure where their college journey is leading them, encourage them to complete some degree planning and career exploration. If they haven’t completed a Degree Works audit, encourage them to use this tool to find out where they stand in their degree program. For questions regarding their degree audit, students should contact their academic advisor or advising center. Students who haven’t yet declared a major can benefit from career exploration to help narrow their focus. For students who are undecided and curious about their major or careers, they should utilize their faculty and resources available at the Shocker Career Accelerator.
Faculty Senate meeting today
The Faculty Senate meeting will be held via Zoom at 3:30 p.m. today. The senators have been sent the meeting information. If you are interested in joining the meeting, please email Lee Ann Birdwell for the details.
$5 deal at RSC Starbucks: Drink and a danish
From March 30 to April 5, you can buy any grande handcrafted drink and any danish for just $5 at the RSC Starbucks!