Giving Wu Week: April 22-28
Giving Wu Week is here! All of Shocker Nation are invited to participate in our online fundraising campaign dedicated to raising money to support faculty and students. Go check out all of the giving area goals. Follow along all week to track progress and view matching gifts on our site.
- Follow us and share on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @WSUFoundation
Questions? Contact WSU Foundation at 978-3040.
Newest campus art installation to be dedicated during Earth Day Picnic at the Pod
Brady Hatter sees the university campus as a giant garden. And every garden, he says, is a potential gallery in need of art.
This Earth Day, Hatter will make his latest artistic contribution to the ͷ State canvas when his Earth Pod west of the Woodman Alumni Center is dedicated as part of the Earth Day Picnic at the Pod from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. today (Monday, April 22).
Everyone is invited to the dedication and picnic. The LumpiaPalooza food truck will be on hand, or visitors are also welcome to bring their own picnic lunch. Blankets and lawn chairs are encouraged.
Candidate presentation today (Monday, April 22) for Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Tao Wang from the University of South Florida, will give a candidate presentation from 10-11 a.m. today (Monday, April 22) in 262 RSC. Wang’s talk will be “Location-Restricted Service Access Control Leveraging Wireless Physical Layer Design.”
Q&A with Airbus intern Khyati Mahavadia
Khyati Mahavadia is intrigued by the mystery of flight.
“To fly, you have to out-smart nature,” she said. “Since childhood, I’ve always looked at airplanes and it just fascinates me. I see my whole life working with airplanes.”
She chose ͷ as the place to start her career in aviation and is a stress intern at Airbus working on the A380 and A320 Wing while working on her master’s degree.
Tulip giveaway starts today (Monday, April 22)
It's time to dig and give away our spring tulip bulbs and start planting floral beds to make campus beautiful for commencement! Giving the tulips to the WSU community is a longstanding tradition, so you can have a piece of WSU in your yard.
And like last year, if anyone wants to donate canned goods when picking up tulips, we will provide blue containers and deliver to the Food Locker which supports WSU students, faculty and staff.
Landscape services will start digging around 7:30 a.m. today (Monday, April 22), at Grace Memorial Chapel and go from there. Locations will be announced via WSU Today, Shocker Blast, and by calling Gaddis Facilities Services at 978-3444.
Sculpture dedication: Elyn Zimmerman, Font
The Ulrich Museum of Art will add a new sculpture by Elyn Zimmerman to its renowned Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection tomorrow (Tuesday, April 23). The sculpture is one of three new pieces entering the collection in the spring of 2019.
The reveal and remarks will be held at 3:30 p.m., followed by a 4 p.m. reception at Shocker Hall Plaza. An artist talk will be presented at 5:30 p.m. at the Ulrich Museum of Art.
ܾ’s Font comes out of the artist’s decades-long fascination with stone as a material and the forms of ancient structures familiar to us through the work of archaeologists. Font evokes ancient sacred forms from a number of cultures around the world and was most directly inspired by an ancient Egyptian altar that featured a round stone sunk into a table. In ܾ’s interpretation, the round stone of the original altar is replaced by a polished black granite disk over whose edge water flows hypnotically. At WSU, the piece is sited so as to encourage interaction with passersby and will provide a meditative oasis in the midst of a bustling campus.
Elyn Zimmerman holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Fine Art from UCLA. Born in Philadelphia, she has lived in New York City since 1977. Since the late 1970s, Zimmerman has executed numerous temporary site-specific outdoor sculptural installations for major museums all over the world. Her permanent outdoor sculpture installations are marked by their use of stone and water, as well as their reference to the natural landscape.
ܾ’s work is held in the permanent collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the British Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the New Orleans Museum of Art, as well as several corporate collections.
Panel to discuss ‘Food Insecurity in ͷ’
You are cordially invited to an open panel on “Food Insecurity in ͷ” from 10:30-11:20 a.m. Wednesday, April 24, in 210 Neff Hall. We are happy to have three community leaders from the Shocker Support Locker, Kansas Food Bank, and the Lord’s Diner to talk about food insecurity in our communities. This will be an interactive presentation and open to all students and staff! The panel is being hosted by the Anthropology of Food and Nutrition course.
World Trade Council event: Kansas Agriculture & Global Trade: Issues & Strategies
The World Trade Council will feature Kansas Agriculture & Global Trade on Thursday, April 25, at the ͷ Marriott Hotel, 9100 Corporate Hills Drive. A networking reception begins at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. Introductions start at 7:50 a.m., with presentation and Q&A at 8 p.m.
Panelists are Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam; Pat Binger, vice president, International, Cargill Protein Group; Usha Haley, W. Frank Barton Distinguished Chair in International Business, and chair, World Trade Council of ͷ; and Kenlon Johannes, CEO, Kansas Soybean Association / Commission.
World Trade Council event and ticket information
Opportunity for Quality Matters training on campus
Instructional Design and Access is offering “Applying the QM Rubric” training from 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25, in 258 RSC. The training cost is sponsored in full by the Office of Online Learning, so there is no cost to participants. This all-day training will introduce participants to the new QM rubric and the fundamental ideas behind creating a Quality Matters course. This is the first training in the Quality Matters sequence, and participants who successfully complete it can move on to the Peer Reviewer course.
To sign up, please go to myTraining. The training will include an hour break for lunch on your own.
Celebrate 9th Annual Tilford Colloquium on Friday, April 26
Join us to celebrate the 9th Annual Tilford Colloquium from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Friday, April 26, in 142 RSC. The 2019-20 Tilford Fellows will be named and 2018-19 Fellows will present their work. Lunch is provided. RSVP to Gery Markova.
Nominations are due May 1 for 2019 Higuchi-Endowment Research Achievement Awards
There’s still time to submit nominations for the annual Higuchi-KU Endowment Research Achievement Awards. Late Distinguished Professor Takeru Higuchi and his wife, Aya, partnered with KUEA to create four awards that recognize individuals for their accomplishments in research, scholarship and creative activity.
Faculty from any Kansas Regents institution are eligible, and your assistance in identifying outstanding candidates is crucial. Winners receive $10,000 in support of research activities.
Registration for Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace Training is available
This Diversity in Action interactive training will highlight the benefits of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, social identities, recognizing and understanding microaggressions, introducing the matrix of oppression, understanding how to get past stereotypes and prejudices, addressing issues, as well as how and who to report them to.
This interactive training from 9-11 a.m. Tuesday, May 7, in 266 RSC, is designed to shape your understanding of diversity and inclusion while providing an open forum for questions and concerns. Find out more about this .
This training is free and available to all WSU employees (faculty and staff). Log in to myWSU and register through myTraining. For questions, contact myTraining@wichita.edu.
‘Improving Strategies Through Storytelling’ presentation
GoCreate, WSU Strategic Initiatives and the U.S. Small Business Administration will present a workshop “Improving Strategies Through Storytelling” by Whitney Proctor, from noon-1:30 p.m. Friday, April 26, in the Experiential Engineering Building.
Registration required, but no fee charged. .
Proctor is an experienced business development and HR consultant with a passion for connecting people to what matters to them. She is an advocate for businesses in Kansas and hopes to one day see the Greater ͷ Area listed as the #1 place to work in the country. She thinks that we can get there by telling a story that matters and being consistent to live out that story every day in our organizations.
Proctor is a K-State alum and is finishing her MBA with three small children at home between the ages of 3 and 7. When she's not shaking the dust on business plans or company policies, she enjoys traveling with her husband and children.
If you are not telling your own or your company’s story in a clarifying, moving way, you’re losing potential customers, hires and employees to others who have well-told stories. Learn how to tell your story in this power-packed session to attract, retain and develop top talent. Entrepreneurs, employers and employees can benefit from this workshop.
CAPS Sexual Assault Awareness Month activity today (Monday, April 22)
For Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Counseling and Prevention Services (CAPS) and the ͷ Area Sexual Assault Center (WASAC) will present information about the prevalence of sexual violence on college campuses, legal definitions, and information about respectful dating, hookups, and consent, at 5 p.m. today (Monday, April 22), in 107 Devlin Hall.
CAPS will also have a table with handouts regarding sexual violence, ways to get involved in sexual violence prevention, and resources about building a culture of consent from 5-6 p.m. in 107 Devlin Hall. The simple booth will also be available for attendees to take a picture with a sign stating how they will support a culture of consent that they can post to their social media.
‘Developing Budgets: How to Avoid a Budget Battle Before a Grant Goes Out’ workshop on April 25
Please join the Office of Research to ask all your research budget questions (Allowable costs vs Unallowable Costs; WSU Rates, Travel questions; How to Build Flexibility into Grant Budgets; What is cost match and where can I find it; What is indirect cost recovery?).
The workshop “Developing Budgets; How to Avoid a Budget Battle Before a Grant Goes Out,” will be held from 3-4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25, in 405 Jardine Hall. It will be presented by Fran Cook senior grants / contracts administrator and training manager, and Megan White, grants / contracts specialist.
For more information, contact Kendra Nguyen at kendra.nguyen@wichita.edu or 978-3285.
In search of ways to save money and generate revenue for university budget
The President's Budget Advisory Committee is looking to gather money-saving and revenue-generating ideas that can positively impact the university's budget. Ideas collected from the form will be assessed by the committee, and the most promising will be publicly posted on a WSU Idea Generator blog to seek campus comment and gauge interest. Go to to learn more and submit your ideas.
If you have any questions, please contact Jason Post in the University Budget Office at 978-6532 or jason.post@wichita.edu.
Upcoming events at University Libraries
Upcoming events at the University Libraries include “Monday Technology Workshops: Firebase (A Google Database),” “Tech Tuesdays: KIC Mini/Zeta/Regular Scanners,” “Marketing Your Small Business with Intellectual Property in Mind,” “More Endnote: What Else Can I Do With It?,” and “Understanding Populations: Where Do I Find Demographic Data for Social Research?”
“Monday Technology Workshops: Firebase (A Google Database)” from 1:00 – 2:00 pm Monday, April 22 in C-Space, Ablah Library. .
“Tech Tuesdays: KIC Mini/Zeta/Regular Scanners” from 12:00 – 2:00 pm Tuesday, April 23 in C-Space, Ablah Library. .
“Marketing Your Small Business with Intellectual Property in Mind” from 5:30 – 7:00 pm Tuesday, April 23 in the lower level of Ablah Library. .
“More Endnote: What Else Can I Do With It?” from 4:00 – 5:00 pm Wednesday, April 24 in RM 217, Ablah Library. .
“Understanding Populations: Where Do I Find Demographic Data for Social Research?” from 12:00 – 1:00 pm Friday, April 26 in RM 217, Ablah Library. See workshop details at
“Monday Technology Workshops: SDLC: Agile Development Life Cycle” from 1:00 – 2:00 pm Monday, April 29 in C-Space, Ablah Library. .
“Tech Tuesdays: Sound Booth” from 12:00 – 2:00 pm Tuesday, April 30 in C-Space, Ablah Library. .
“How Can I Continue My Research After I Graduate?” from 4:00 – 5:00 pm Wednesday, May 1 in RM 217, Ablah Library. .
“The Path to a Patent Part III: How to File a Patent Application Using EFS-Web” from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm Friday, May 3 in RM 204, Ablah Library. .
For more information and event registration, go to . Students, faculty, and staff are welcome to attend.
WSU Neurodiversity Awareness Week
Neurodiversity is both a philosophy and emerging civil rights movement.
To promote awareness and acceptance of autism within the WSU community, the WSU Neurodiversity Awareness Week: Autism Spectrum Disorder was initiated. The second annual event will take place April 22-26. See the schedule.
Each day, throughout the week, events have been scheduled with the overarching goal of reframing the discussion about autism among faculty, staff, and students. Rather than focus on autism as a deficit or disability, conversations will focus on autism as a difference or “neurological variation”, while acknowledging the challenges of this brain difference. All events are free and open to the public.
Women in Tech: More Than a Talk
The conference, Women in Tech: More Than a Talk, aims to inspire, engage, and empower women in all stages of their career. Join us for an evening of micro-talks from local female leaders presenting on a variety of topics, covering STEM and beyond from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 2, at The WAVE, the newest downtown event venue, on 2nd and Saint Francis. There also will be networking opportunities within the context of a supportive community.
The WSU Institute of Innovation has partnered with ShiftICT for this event, and a Master’s of Innovation Design grad is the keynote speaker.
The cost is $15, which includes two drink tickets and tacos from The WAVE. Register at .
Wanted: Spring commencement volunteers
2019 spring commencement ceremonies will be held Saturday, May 18. The Commencement Office is looking for individuals who are available to work for each of the ceremonies that day. If you are interested in assisting, please visit the commencement website for more information including times and sign up to assist at . If you have questions about assisting with commencement, contact commencement at commmencement@wichita.edu.
Neswick to give organ performance Tuesday, April 23
Bruce Neswick, the Canon for Music at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, Oregon, will present a program at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, in Wiedemann Hall. For tickets, call 978-3233 or go to .
Prior to coming to Oregon, he served as Associate Professor of Music in Organ and Sacred Music at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University and Assistant Organist of St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church, Louisville, Kentucky.
Active in the field of church music, Neswick holds the Fellowship degree from the Royal School of Church Music, for whom he has conducted several courses for boy and girl choristers.
As a recitalist, Neswick has performed extensively throughout the United States and Europe, and has been a frequent performer at national and regional conventions of the American Guild of Organists.
School of Education faculty awarded NASA Kansas Space Grant Consortium (KSGC) Teacher Workshop Program Grant
Soonchun Lee
Soonchun Lee, Daniel Bergman, Greg Novacek, and Cathy Durano were awarded a $30,000 grant from the NASA Kansas Space Grant Consortium (KSGC) for a Teacher Workshop Program entitled Space Science Hands-On Activities and Practices for Middle School Classrooms Using NASA Education Resources (S2HAP).
When asked why it is important for middle school teachers to participate in the NASAS workshops, Lee said, “The middle school teachers will be able to enhance the students’ interest in space-sciences and career paths to related fields or other STEM fields.”
“The teachers will be engaged in various space-sciences hands-on activities and projects that will improve their knowledge and confidence in teaching space sciences,” Lee said.
The S2HAP workshop is a practice-based and apprenticeship training program for middle school science teachers’ implementation of space-science lessons using NASA education resources.
“They will also be introduced to new advanced NASA educational technologies i.e., NASA YouTube videos, NASA Software and Apps i.e., NASA’s Eyes, NASA 3DV, and Spacecraft AR,” Lee said.
Fifteen middle school science teachers will participate in a three-day summer workshop and teach S2HAP lessons to improve their students’ interests and understanding in space-sciences in the Fall 2019 semester.
“It has been a challenge to provide a hands-on experience to assist students’ understanding of space science concepts, such as moon phases, the reason for the seasons, and the scale of the Solar system,” Lee said. “As science teacher educators, we really wanted this opportunity to help teachers to overcome the challenges and to provide well-designed hands-on activities.
For more information on the NASA Space Grant Consortium, of which ͷ is Kansas’s lead institution, visit .
Academic success resources help students finish strong
As students are working on final assignments for the semester, it’s important to share information about resources available to help them submit the best work they can. Resources like the , and are great resources for students to utilize as they work on final projects. Some quick tips for helping students finish successfully include visiting their instructor’s student hours for clarification on class content, forming study groups and cleaning and organizing dedicated study spaces for the final few weeks of the semester.
Finals Frenzy event to feature DIY succulents
Couldn’t have a pet all year, but still want a little friend to take care of? Nothing is easier to keep alive than your own mini succulent! From 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 6, on the RSC east patio, while supplies last, SAC will provide you with a mini cactus or Aloe Vera plant with decorations for your pot and other tips to keep it alive and healthy.
For more information about SAC-sponsored events, go to or contact sac@wichita.edu.
Sale on professional wear at Shocker Store in RSC
The Shocker Store has a sale this week for the Shocker fans that want to support their team in their business dress! All men’s and women’s professional wear is 20% off through Saturday, April 27, in RSC store only.