The Office of Instructional Resources is proud to announce the launch of a new Blackboard-based training course for all instructors and any interested others. The course, “Ultra Training for Instructors,” is now available in Blackboard in the “Courses” area, and all 2023-24 academic year instructors have been enrolled.

In addition to the course, all enrollees have received a sandbox course shell called “Ultra Practice for Instructors,” which can be found in the Blackboard Courses area. The practice course will allow instructors to follow along with the training and practice Ultra skills.  If you are not enrolled in the course and would like to be (and staff and others we welcome too), send an email to OIR@wichita.edu with your Shocker ID number.

The Department of Aerospace Engineering within the College of Engineering is hosting Dr. Md Easir Arafat Papon, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Alabama, from 10:50 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, April 19 in 209 Wallace Hall.

Papon will present “Rapid and Energy Efficient Manufacturing of Polymer Composites for Aerospace Structures” to students, staff, faculty and industry partners.

For the first time, the Center for International Business Advancement (CIBA), the Barton School of Business, the International Business Studies Association (IBSA) and the World Trade Council of Wichita (WTCouncil) welcome the Federal Reserve Bank to Wichita to speak on the Economic Outlook. The program featuring Dr. Nicholas Sly, vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 11 at the Wichita Country Club.

Few organizations are better positioned to speak on the Economic Outlook than the Fed. The Federal Reserve System is the United States central bank and promotes the effective operation of the U.S. economy (the largest and most complex in the world) and, more generally, the public interest. The Fed conducts the nation’s monetary policy to promote maximum employment, stable prices and moderate long-term interest rates in the U.S. economy. It also promotes the stability of the financial system and seeks to minimize and contain systemic risks through, among many other activities, active monitoring and engagement in the U.S. and abroad and fostering payments’ and settlements’ safety and efficiency through services to the banking industry and the U.S. government that facilitate U.S.-dollar transactions and payments.

Late registrations after April 8 or walk-ins will not be accepted.

For a quick response, send all questions to wtcouncil@wichita.edu. Learn more about this and other programs on the WTCouncil webpage.

The front entrance to Jardine Hall

The staff in the Office of the Registrar support the mission of WSU by providing essential enrollment, curricular, and student record services to the campus community. While these activities are often behind the scenes,” they contribute greatly to the success of the faculty, staff and students.

Annual data for calendar years 2022 and 2023 have been compiled to recognize the type and volume of work they do, and can be viewed on the Office of the Registrar website (wichita.edu/ROannualreport). These numbers reflect hard work, dedication and collaboration across campus.

For the first time, the Center for International Business Advancement (CIBA), the Barton School of Business, the International Business Studies Association (IBSA) and the World Trade Council of Wichita (WTCouncil) welcome the Federal Reserve Bank to Wichita to speak on the Economic Outlook. The program featuring Dr. Nicholas Sly, vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 11 at the Wichita Country Club.

Few organizations are better positioned to speak on the Economic Outlook than the Fed. The Federal Reserve System is the United States central bank and promotes the effective operation of the U.S. economy (the largest and most complex in the world) and, more generally, the public interest. The Fed conducts the nation’s monetary policy to promote maximum employment, stable prices and moderate long-term interest rates in the U.S. economy. It also promotes the stability of the financial system and seeks to minimize and contain systemic risks through, among many other activities, active monitoring and engagement in the U.S. and abroad and fostering payments’ and settlements’ safety and efficiency through services to the banking industry and the U.S. government that facilitate U.S.-dollar transactions and payments.

Late registrations after April 8 or walk-ins will not be accepted.

For a quick response, send all questions to wtcouncil@wichita.edu. Learn more about this and other programs on the WTCouncil webpage.

The Smart Factory at Deloitte @ Wichita holds two open house events/tours for WSU leaders, faculty and staff each year. 

The Spring Open House is scheduled from 3 to 4:30 p.m. May 1. If you would like to attend, add your name to the invitation list.

Diagram depicting the orbit of the Earth around the Sun, showing where the proposed sunshade could sit between the Earth and the Sun at L1

Shielding the Earth from the sun seems like a good idea, in theory, to fight climate change, Wichita State’s Dr. Nickolas Solomey and graduate student Kelly Kabler agree. 

Good ideas, they also agree, must be grounded in science.    

In early February, the New York Times reported that Asher Space Research Institute Physics Professor Yoram Rozen was working on a prototype for a sunshade in space. Other scientists have proposed using dust as a shield. And Amazon has even teamed with researchers to run models on the possibilities for blocking the sun.

Solomey and Kabler, though, aren’t so sure that the popular idea of protecting the planet with a sunshade is as simple as some propose. 

The Women of WSU will offer two $2,000 scholarships to enrolled WSU students for the 2024-25 academic year. The deadline for applications is April 15.

The east half of Lot 5, the parking lot near Eck Stadium, will be closed starting at noon Thursday, March 28 through Friday, March 29 for an athletics event at the stadium. All vehicles must be removed from this area by noon, any vehicles still parked after this time frame are subject to an event parking citation. Students that typically park in this lot will need to park in other green lots during this time. The YMCA lot is not available for faculty, staff or event guest parking and could result in a citation.

The purpose of lot reservations is to help accommodate large groups of guests visiting campus for events or the event itself. Lot reservations are not to be used for WSU affiliates. Remember, visitors to campus can park without an ePermit up to three times each semester.

Red reserved and ADA stalls are not subject to lot closures and proper use is permitted during this time.

The Graduate School is seeking faculty, staff and community volunteers to judge during the poster session of the 2024 Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects (GRASP) Symposium Friday, April 26 in the Rhatigan Student Center Ballroom. Judges will be asked to be available from 9:15 to 11:30 a.m. on the day of the event.

The Graduate School is counting on volunteer services this year, and this will give volunteers an excellent opportunity to learn about the research graduate students have been engaged in across campus.