Shocker Blast: Sept. 25, 2020

 

 

FEATURED STORIES

Update your information with WSU!

Students are requested to provide updated information to WSU any time there is a change to contact information. This includes mailing address, phone number, and emergency contact. It is especially important that you provide and update an emergency contact. The person you list will only be contacted in the event of a health or safety emergency in which you are personally involved.

If you live on campus, this will also be the person contacted should you be reported as missing. You may list a parent, family member, spouse, or other trusted individual as your emergency contact. You will find the link to your profile page on the myWSU Home tab, under Student Tools > myContact Info. A separate link there also provides an opportunity to update self-reported military affiliation.

Please take a few minutes right now and ensure WSU has your updated information and an emergency contact!


Join Student Senate

Join the Student Senate

There is still a chance for you to use your voice and represent your fellow Shockers on the Student Senate. We still have a couple more seats open for you to apply for. Visit to apply today!


SGA Elections Commission

SGA Elections Commission positions now open ... Apply today!

Do you want to get involved with the Student Government Association General Election? Become an Elections Commissioner to help with the behind-the-scenes work for the 2021 Election. These are paid positions that only require 10-15 hours per week. Go to to apply and learn more today!


Hacking 4 Defense

Earn credit for solving national security issues!

Hacking for Defense™ (H4D), is a new course designed for ALL undergraduate and graduate students from all disciplines and programs. It takes an entrepreneurial and interdisciplinary approach to America’s hardest national security challenges. You will be part of an interdisciplinary team to research, design, and propose a solution for a real national security challenge.

Hacking for Defense


Winship and Lin

Winship and Lin – Finance in the fight against COVID-19 with Sedgwick County

Learn how graduate accountancy student Yiqing Lin, and junior accounting major Rondalee Winship, partner with the Shocker Career Accelerator to help the Sedgwick County Division of Finance in the fight against COVID-19. Lin and Winship assist in managing more than $99 million in federal COVID-19 Relief Funding allocated as part of the CARES Act.

Read complete story. 


Elements Competition fall 2020

Elements Multi-Media Art Competition exhibit submissions are now open

Elements is a juried multi-media art competition that students may submit works in the areas of painting, drawing, printmaking, mixed-media and ceramics. The panel of jurors, comprised of ͷ and surrounding community artists, select a Best of Show as well as first and second place winners in each division.

Students wishing to participate may submit up to six pieces in any of the five categories offered. Submissions close Wednesday, Oct. 14. Show Opens Monday, Nov. 9. Monetary prizes are awarded to winners in all categories including an Audience Choice Award. For more information and access to online application, visit the Elements web page. 

NEWS

First-Gen deadline 92820

First-Generation Shocker Art Exhibition deadline extended -- All media artist call

The 2020 deadline for the First-Generation Shocker Art Exhibition has been extended to midnight Monday, Sept. 28.

The First-Generation Coordinating Council (FGCC) and the First-Generation Students Organization (FGSO) invite all ͷ first-generation college students to apply and participate in its first All Media Art Exhibition. This art exhibition will showcase WSU's creative and talented first-generation students through the display of unique artwork.

Theme: Identity is the way we perceive and express ourselves, and includes the factors and conditions we are born with. One's identity may change over time depending on our unique circumstances and life experiences. Current WSU first-generation students are encouraged to create unique artwork based on the theme "Identity."

Entry Process: Each entrant can submit up to three original pieces. Please make sure that all images submitted are professional quality; images submitted should be clear, well lit, and the artwork should be straight on the image. Multiple side images of three-dimensional work can be submitted. It is free to enter your art.

Email Marco Hernandez for any questions at marco.hernandezguillen@wichita.edu.

First-Generation Art Application


Join us and mask up

Mask Up activities set for Sept. 29

The Shocker Health Ambassadors, students in Public Health Sciences, invite the ͷ State learning community to participate in free Mask Up activities from noon-3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29, on the east patio of the RSC. Join us for trivia and prizes while learning how to reduce your risk of getting COVID-19.

Shockers must work together to learn together, so please join us and follow Shocker Health Ambassadors on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for additional tips to stay healthy and keep moving forward.

* Wash your hands

* Stay at least six feet apart

* Use a mask


I-Corps fall 2020Now accepting fall 2020 I-Corps applications

ͷ is a National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps site. The Shocker Innovation Corps nurtures and supports ͷ State entrepreneurial teams interested in accelerating their STEM ideas, research, and product commercialization. Ideas / projects can originate from student or faculty work, research and institutional/industrial projects.

I-Corps


Sculpture Makeover

Ulrich employees get surprise help from WSU Honors Program students for annual sculpture makeover

The giant "Shockers" sculpture on the WSU campus just got its annual makeover. Employees at the Ulrich Museum of Art were busy this week switching out the old straw with new straw -- and they even got help from a group of WSU Honors Program students that happened to be walking by!

The sculpture, created by artist Tom Otterness, is one of 81 pieces in the Ulrich Museum's world-class Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection, placed throughout WSU's campus. The “Shocker” upkeep is part of the Ulrich’s annual conservation of its outdoor sculpture collection. The museum appreciates it when folks on campus let them know if they see anything that doesn’t seem right, since the collection is for everyone to enjoy and care about. If you spot anything about the sculptures that needs to be addressed, email ulrich@wichita.edu. You can learn more about the one-of-a-kind sculpture collection on the Ulrich's website.

Caption: (left) James Porter, Ulrich Exhibition Designer and Production Manager, stands atop the "Shockers" sculpture to switch out old straw with new; (right) Ulrich employees and WSU Honors Program students fill bags of straw for the sculpture's annual "makeover."

JOB OPENINGS

McNair hiring a tutor

We're hiring! Writing Tutor / Student Assistant

The McNair Scholars Program is looking for a Writing Tutor / Student Assistant. Must have at least a 3.25 GPA, strong writing and editing skills.

If qualified, please see Handshake job #3956015 Writing Tutor / Student Assistant and upload a Student Application, Resume, and a Writing Sample.

For more information, contact Neshia Greene 316-978-3139 or neshia.greene@wichita.edu.

STUDENT NEWS

Dental Hygiene Info Session

Dental Hygiene hosting information session today

Are you interested in a dental hygiene career? Join us at 3:30 p.m. today (Friday, Sept. 25) to learn about ͷ State’s dental hygiene program, admission requirements and career opportunities.


Service-learning course psychology

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 three-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 pm.

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.


KVersity

Wanted: Dancers and K-Pop lovers! Come dance with KVersity!

KVersity is a K-Pop, Hip-Hop dance group based on-campus for anyone to join! If you want to learn the dances of your favorite K-Pop groups, meet new people with similar interests as you, or try something new, then KVersity is the group for you!

Join us at practice at noon on Saturdays in 141 Heskett Center to learn more about who we are. No dance experience is required. Reach out to us at kversitydance@gmail.com with any questions you may have, and follow us at @kversity_official on Instagram to see what we are up to. See you soon.


Free tutoring

Free tutoring and academic mentoring for diverse Shockers!

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion is offering free tutoring and academic mentoring!

Our tutors help students develop a deeper understanding of class material and gain successful skills that can improve their overall GPA.

Our academic mentors offer biweekly meetings to help you with academic success skills, such as time management, effective studying and note-taking, test preparation and more!

You can drop in any of the listed times or schedule an appointment. See when we are open, what classes are offered, and how to request appointments at ! 


Lock your carLock your car doors and protect your belongings

ͷ State police report that multiple cars have had things taken where students park late at night. All of those cars had been left unlocked.

Please lock your car doors, hide your belongings, put them in the trunk, or take your belongings with you.

Don’t give a thief an opportunity to make you a victim. The WSU PD takes great pride in keeping the campus safe, but we need your help to accomplish that.

Please, if you see something, say something!


Edible Book Festival deadline extended

Virtual Edible Book Festival registration deadline extended through weekend

Registration is extended for this year’s Edible Book Festival hosted by University Libraries to give all you culinary artists a chance to create a masterpiece over this weekend! Register for free up until 8 a.m. Monday, Sept. 28, for awesome local prizes in our virtual event at .


E-Launch

Register for E-Launch now!

E-Launch aids entrepreneurs with early-stage ideas in discovering their customers and validating their value proposition.

Information on E-Launch

EVENTS

ISME & EECS Departments present ‘Biometrics: Technology for Human Identification’

Ajita Rattani

Dr. Ajita Rattani

ͷ Departments of Industrial, Systems and Manufacturing Engineering (ISME) & Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) present a talk by Dr. Ajita Rattani, assistant professor for Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, from 11 a.m.-noon Friday, Sept. 25. The title of the Zoom lecture via Zoom is “Biometrics: Technology for Human Identification.”

 from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android. Meeting ID: 988 9885 1927; Password: 638536

Abstract and speaker biography

Abstract

Biometrics is the science of recognizing individuals based on their biological or behavioral attributes such as face, fingerprints, iris, gait, voice or typing pattern. Biometrics solutions are being increasingly incorporated in validating user identity for legitimate access to resources. Despite large-scale integration of biometric technology in programs like US-VISIT and Aadhar in India, these solutions are not 100% accurate. This is because of factors such as occlusion, lighting variation, make-up and lookalikes. In this talk, I will discuss my team research contributions in developing advanced deep learning, computer vision and fairness-aware techniques to the field of biometrics.

Speaker Biography

Ajita Rattani is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at ͷ since 2019. Prior to this, she was an Adjunct Graduate Faculty at University of Missouri- Kansas City. She completed her Post-doctoral and Ph.D. studies from Michigan State University and University of Cagliari, Italy, respectively. Her field of research is Biometrics, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Image Analysis and Computer Vision.

She is the lead editor of the Springer book titled “Adaptive Biometric Systems: Recent Advances and Challenges.” She has received number of best paper awards at IEEE international conferences and is an editorial board member of IEEE Biometrics Council. Recently, she has been nominated as an IEEE Young Biometrics Researcher.


Come enjoy a Pop-Up Concert this afternoon

The WSU faculty instrumental trio, the Fairmount String Trio, will perform a short Pop-Up Concert at 3 p.m. today (Friday Sept. 25), in the grassy, shaded area south of Wiedemann Hall between Wiedemann and Duerksen Fine Arts Center.

Music will include Tangos and Irish inspired tunes. Come relax for 20 minutes and enjoy fresh air, music, birds and squirrels (not referring to the faculty)!


Black Panther 92720

Watch ‘Black Panther’ on Sunday, Sept. 27

Self-Care Sundays offer students the opportunity to unwind and reset at the end of each month, leaving them refreshed for the month ahead. Join us for one Sunday evening each month to decompress and practice self-care!

This month's session will be a movie night featuring “Black Panther,” at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27.

Learn more and RSVP at .


Tuesday Talks 92920

Stressed out? Sept. 29 Tuesday Talks will discuss mental health resources

Have you been stressed out lately? At 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29 on Facebook Live, join Student Health Services, Counseling & Prevention Services, and the Care Team for a conversation about where WSU students can go to receive help for mental health, academic struggles, and more. 


Study Abroad Webinar Oct. 1, 2020

Study Abroad Webinar: Summer Programs

Join us for our final webinar at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, to hear about our summer study abroad programs. We will provide details on our summer 2021 faculty-led programs.

The faculty will share about their programs, including ones in Mexico, Peru, Costa Rica, France and Italy. We will also discuss other summer programs offered at exchange partner universities and independent program providers.

Information on applying for summer study abroad scholarships will be shared during this webinar. For each webinar you attend, you will be entered for a chance to win a $500 scholarship.

UNIVERSITY LIFE

Shocker Secrets to Success

Uncover the Shocker Secrets to Success

Ready to uncover all of ͷ State's worst-kept secrets to success? Join us every Thursday at noon for Shocker Secrets to Success and watch campus experts Kim Sandlin and Alicia Newell expose the secrets to success at WSU.

Find us at .


Calling curious nerds

Calling curious nerds!

Are you a nerd? Are you an individual who equates sharing knowledge to giving a gift? Are you excited about learning? Does the world you have found yourself in fascinate you every day? Is your curiosity - in an array of subjects and topics - unmatched with those around you? Are you worried about the future of humanity as a whole more than what lies before you specifically? Are you interested in living and working on projects with individuals who match the descriptions above?

 to see if you can join a group who will partake in projects of learning, exercising ideas, and innovation.


VISTA thanks First Responders

VISTAs remember lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001, and thank First Responders

In one single moment, our nation changed forever. To honor those who are no longer here with us today, as well as show a great thank you to our local First Responders who continue to put their lives on the line for our communities, VISTAs serving in local communities made the following video to say “thank you.”

To find open AmeriCorps VISTA positions, visit my.americorps.gov and search ‘WSU.’

SPECIAL OFFERS

TurboVote

Are you ready to vote?

Your vote makes all the difference in the world! Be sure you are registered to vote. Get started today by visiting  to register here in Kansas or back in your hometown.

Sign up today to receive election reminders, get registered to vote, and apply for your absentee ballot. Let's show them that #shockersvote.

Questions? Contact gabriel.fonseca@wichita.edu for more information.


What the Shock shirt

Get your What the Shock shirt today

Get your What the Shock shirt today and support your favorite Sport Club! The deadline is Friday, Sept. 25. Five dollars will go toward a specific club of your choice. Pay online, have it delivered, or pick up at the Heskett Center.

Buy yours today at .


Scavenger Hunt

Student Activities Council Virtual Scavenger Hunt

Join SAC for a live virtual scavenger hunt on Monday, Sept. 28! Teams will join over Zoom and participants will scour the internet to find items based on clues given. The first team to collect all items will win the grand prize.

Register to reserve your spot at this event at. Registration closes at 5 p.m. today (Friday, Sept. 25).

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Dollar Drive

Please consider donating to the Pando Initiative

Due to COVID-19, kids are short on school supplies and other items. Collect your dollars and spare change to donate to our dollar drive today! All proceeds will go to the Pando Initiative agency for K-12 children towards their school supply funds, clothing, and other necessities. Funds will be distributed among ͷ USD 259, Derby USD 260, and Haysville USD 261.

We will also accept cash donations outside the RSC all week from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

You can also contact a member of Kappa Delta Chi or Lambda Pi Upsilon for more details.