WSU Today: Friday, April 17, 2026

Weather Awareness

Stay weather aware this week

As Wichita anticipates potential severe storms this week, stay prepared and aware of weather forecasts.

Read more of Stay weather aware this week

Faculty and Staff Resources

Voya Financial in-person KBOR retirement plan consultations to be available at WSU

Leo Wetta, investment adviser representative with Voya Financial, will be available for in-person meetings at Wichita State Wednesday, April 22. Faculty and staff can get one-on-one advising and review their Voya Financial accounts as part of their KBOR retirement plan, or new employees can receive assistance in enrolling in their KBOR plan.

There is a weekly Thursday option to meet if all meeting times on April 22 are taken. You can select a time and a place of your choosing for the meeting.

If you are interested in meeting with Leo, you can schedule a time to meet and select the “Wichita State University – Rhatigan Student Center Room 313 (Prairie Room)” location. Time slots are limited, so reserve a time soon. For questions, you can call Voya Financial Advisors at 316-686-2428.

News

Finals are approaching so submit test information to OSAT

The spring semester is coming to an end, and final exams are just around the corner. Faculty and GTAs, complete and submit a “Test Information Form” (TIF) so the Office of Student Accommodations and Testing can enter the details into RegisterBlast and students can begin scheduling their final exam appointments.

If your final exam is not yet ready to upload, still submit the form. OSAT can collect the exam from you once it is prepared. You may email testingcenter@wichita.edu with any questions and to share additional information.

Service-Learning Showcase announces 2026 award winners

The Service-Learning Showcase is a unique opportunity for students who participate in service-learning through applied learning opportunities to showcase their experience through a research or reflective poster about the application of their course work to current community issues.

The showcase is an open forum for students to interact with faculty/staff, community partners and other students to engage in conversation about Wichita State’s commitment to the public good. This year, 15 individual and group projects participated, supporting 26 community partners, and representing four academic colleges (College of Engineering, Dorothy and Bill Cohen Honors College, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and College of Health Professions). Thanks to all the students, faculty and community partners that are working together to ensure Wichita State is supporting the greater public good.

Awards were presented in the following categories:

Overall Service-Learning Award:

Title: Service-Learning at BILL’S Trip
Community partner: Hot Springs National Park, Little Rock HS National Monument, Lake Catherine State Park
Students: Olive Colfelt, Bentley Hagerman, Claire Stewart, Elijah Allen, Lorena Favela, Harper Wright, Jenna Moore-Kirby, Karaline Scott and Layton Maienschein
Faculty: Dr. Chelsea Redger-Marquardt, Cohen Honors College + College of Education, Olivia Cutler, College of Education

Community Impact in Service-Learning Award:

Title: A Work Systems Study with Dear Neighbor Ministries
Community partner: Dear Neighbor Ministries
Student: Cody Goetz, Daniel Gonzalez, Tanatswa Mafume
Faculty: Dr. Laila Cure, College of Engineering

Innovation, Creativity, & Advocacy in Service-Learning Award:

Title: Los Pollitos Service-Learning Showcase
Community partner: Wichita State University Child Development Center
Student: Lydia Scheck, Kimberly Rader, Cary Doerflinger
Graduate student: Daniela Yañez Zuazo
Faculty: Dr. Rocio Del Aguila & Dr. Maria Hernandez-Etura, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Collaboration and Leadership in Service-Learning Award:

Title: Donation Warehouse Process Improvement
Community partner: Union Rescue Mission
Students: Devin Taylor, Logan Erion, Domanic Wood, Esteban Ruiz
Faculty: Dr. Laila Cure, College of Engineering

For more information about service-learning, visit wichita.edu/servicelearning.

Events and Recreation

Campus community invited to last legislative update session of the semester in Morrison Hall

Join Zach Gearhart, chief of staff and executive director of government relations, for updates on the legislature relevant to Wichita State. The last meeting for the legislative session is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Friday, April 17 in 101 Morrison Hall. The meeting is open to all faculty, staff and students.

WSU to host American Conference Academic Symposium

Wichita State is proud to host the American Conference Academic Consortium’s 2026 Academic Symposium April 16-18. The consortium funds grants for research in the area of student-athlete well-being and brings together student-athletes, scholars and athletics staff from member institutions to learn about important research implications.

The symposium features interactive research presentations, student-athlete panels and a keynote by coach, educator and community builder Marshall Cho.

Space limitations preclude open attendance by the full campus community, but Friday’s and Saturday’s sessions will be livestreamed YouTube:

A girl with long dark hair is bent over a long, skinny sheet of paper and holding a traditional Japanese calligraphy brush in one hand, writing Japanese characters on the sheet.

Annual Japan Festival to be held April 24

The Japanese Culture Association, with sponsorship from the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literature, will be holding its annual Japan Festival beginning 12:30 p.m. Friday, April 24 in 233 Rhatigan Student Center, Santa Fe Trail Room.

The event will begin at 12:30 p.m. with martial arts performances, and booths will open at 1 p.m. and run until 3:30 p.m. Visitors can learn about a variety of Japanese traditional arts including ikebana, calligraphy, ink painting and origami. Games and a bazaar will also be available, and visitors can purchase traditional Japanese foods as well.

Students row in the Arkansas River during the fall.

Attend Plains Regional Regatta April 26

Shocker rowing will host the annual Plains Regional Regatta 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, April 26 at this year’s launch site, South Riverside Park (531 N. Nims Ave.).

Collegiate teams from across the plains region will compete including CSU, KSU, KU, UNL, OSU, WSU, WashU and St. Thomas, providing athletes the chance to race on the water close to home.

Races will be held along the river between Murdock Bridge and 11th Street. Support Shocker rowing, bring a chair and enjoy watching the action from the riverfront.

Fine Arts

Wichita State to host Wichita Jazz Invitational April 24

The WSU Jazz Invitational is an annual celebration of jazz and jazz education, held every April in partnership with the Wichita Jazz Festival. This full-day event brings together student big bands from across the region for performances, adjudications and educational clinics led by distinguished jazz educators. Events are at 12:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 24 in Miller Concert Hall at Duerksen Fine Arts Center.

Get your tickets

Presentations and Talks

Math for Everyone Lecture Series presents a special two-part event

Join a special double feature in the Math for Everyone Lecture Series. The first event, “Mime-matics,” a fusion of mathematics and mime performed by Tim and Tanya Chartier, will take place at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 30 in 127 Jabara Hall. The second event, a public lecture by Tim Chartier (Davidson College) titled “Get in the Game: Data Analytics via Sports,” will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, May 1 in 127 Jabara Hall.

Following Friday’s talk, there will be an informal Q&A session and light refreshments for further discussion and engagement.

Lecture Series in the Mathematical Sciences presents Alexander Solynin from Texas Tech University

Join for a public lecture by Alexander Solynin from Texas Tech University. The lecture, titled “Capacities of constellations of disks and balls: New results and open problems,” will take place at 3 p.m. Friday, April 17 in 372 Jabara Hall. Refreshments will be available at 2:30 p.m. in 371 Jabara Hall.