Year: 2024

Join the Department of Mathematics and Statistics for a public lecture by Lei Ni, University of California, San Diego, titled “Two Ambrose-Singer theorems and the Chern connection” at 3 p.m. Friday, April 19 in 372 Jabara Hall. Refreshments will be available at 2:30 p.m. in 353 Jabara Hall.

Lei Ni is a professor of mathematics at UC San Diego. He received his Ph.D. in 1998 at UC Irvine and was a research assistant professor at Purdue University and then a Szego assistant professor at Stanford University, before joining UC San Diego in 2002. His research interests lie in the areas of differential geometry, complex geometry and partial differential equations. His scholarly contributions are extensive, comprising over 60 published articles and co-authorship of five books on Ricci flow. He is a recipient of the Sloan Fellowship and a member of the 2018 class of AMS Fellows. In addition, he served as the chair of the Department of Mathematics at UC San Diego from 2016 to 2020 and has mentored 20 students and postdocs.

The Lecture Series in the Mathematical Sciences began Oct. 12, 1987. The lecture series was originally funded by the Boeing Aircraft Company (1987-1992) and organized by Professor Gary Crown. Since it began, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics has been bringing mathematicians and scientists from around the world to campus. For more information about The Lecture Series in the Mathematical Sciences, contact the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at 316-978-3160.

Dr. Nick Solomey, professor in the Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, provided insights on what has been described as the “Great American Eclipse” to KWCH on April 8.

He discussed the mechanics of a solar eclipse and what viewers should do to safely watch the eclipse.

Dear colleagues,

It is with mixed emotions that I announce the upcoming retirements of Dr. Shirley Lefever and Werner Golling. Both Shirley and Werner recently informed me separately of their plans to retire.

After nearly 20 years at Wichita State, Shirley will retire as provost and executive vice president at the end of the calendar year. And Werner, who has been at WSU for more than seven years, will retire as vice president of finance and administration in July.

Please be assured that while they are leaving WSU in the same year, the timing is coincidental. I am truly happy for Shirley and Werner as they move on to this next phase of their lives. I’ll miss their influence at Wichita State and the pleasure of working with them each day.

I am starting the process of forming search committees to conduct open national searches to replace both positions. I’ve asked Shelly Coleman-Martins, vice president of Strategic Communications and Marketing, to lead the search committee for the provost position and Zach Gearhart, chief of staff and executive director of Government Relations, to lead the search committee for the finance and administration position.

Stay tuned to WSU Today for announcements about the next steps in the search process and plans to celebrate Shirley and Werner’s time here.

President Rick Muma

The Wichita State Opera Theater will present Mozart’s comic masterpiece, “Le Nozze di Figaro” (The Marriage of Figaro) at 7:30 p.m. April 12 and 3 p.m. April 14 in Duerksen Fine Arts Center.

The production is directed by WSU Opera Theater Director Alan Held. The WSU Orchestra will be conducted by Dr. Mark Laycock. Long recognized as one of the pillars of operatic repertoire, the story features some of Mozart’s most famous arias and ensembles as it follows the troubles and antics of Figaro and his young bride, Susanna, on their wedding day.

The Department of Biomedical Engineering within the College of Engineering is hosting Dr. Ryan Barrs, a postdoctoral researcher at the Medical University of South Carolina, from 2 to 3 p.m. Friday, April 5 in 134 Woolsey Hall and on Teams.

Barrs will present “Nanowired human cardiac organoids for heart repair” to students, staff, faculty and industry partners. For access to the Teams meeting, send an email to lindsey.ott@wichita.edu.

Don’t miss backyard night at Shocker baseball starting Wednesday April 3 against Kansas. There will be games provided by Chicken N Pickle in the outfield parking lot starting at 5 p.m., and the game starts at 6 p.m.

There will also be a spatula giveaway for the first 250 fans in attendance, as well as postgame fireworks

The Wichita State 2024-25 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) priority date has been extended to May 1.

Unlock every dollar by completing this first step in the financial aid process. If you need help with completing your FAFSA, visit the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships during one of its tours or schedule an appointment with a financial aid advisor.

The Kansas APEX Accelerator, based at Wichita State University, has reached a significant milestone in its decade-long history of empowering businesses: the attainment of more than $1 billion in government contract awards for its clients.

With a total dollar amount of contract awards reaching $1,084,113,363, the accelerator has solidified its position as a driving force behind economic growth and innovation in Kansas. Since its inception, the Kansas APEX Accelerator (formerly Kansas PTAC) has aided 4,620 businesses, guiding them through the intricacies of government contracting and facilitating access to funding opportunities.

Contractors will pour concrete for the Ablah Library terrace starting at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 3. The pouring is expected to be done later that afternoon.

Trucks will access the site along the sidewalk on the north side of Ablah Library and the Media Resources Center (MRC), which will be closed during this time, and personnel will be on site to assist in clearing the sidewalks for truck traffic.

Join the Rhatigan Student Center for Wildlife Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 10 in the RSC East Atrium.

Have some fun interacting with Tanganyika Wildlife Park’s ambassador animals. A different animal will be featured every 30 minutes.