Author: Caelin Bragg

Walking through campus with Wichita State University First Gentleman Rick Case is like taking a stroll with an anthropomorphized version of the Farmer’s Almanac.

Case — who’s fluent in the care and feeding of flora — points out irises, lilies, hydrangeas, wisteria, ivies and chrysanthemums that thrive both at the President’s Residence on campus and at their private home in Wichita.

Ever the teacher, Case shares growing tips and offers advice about how to maintain the various blooms and nurture new seedlings. And ever the gardener, he stoops down every few yards to pull weeds, pick up bits of trash from the meticulously manicured pathways and steppingstones, or get a closer look at the progress of a particular plant.

The black granite memorial in Piatt Park describes the tragedy of January 1965 and lists the names of those who died in the predominately Black neighborhood.

For Dr. Kevin Harrison, director of diversity, equity and inclusion for the Cohen Honors College, the story of that day is one that deserves more discussion and examination to understand.

Harrison grew up in the Wichita neighborhood around 20th and Piatt Street, less than a mile from campus. The memorial park marks the site where a U.S. Air Force Boeing KC-135 refueling tanker crashed, shortly after takeoff on the morning Jan. 19, 1965. The crash and resulting explosion and fires caused the deaths of 30 people, numerous injuries and the destruction of 10 homes. According to news reports, around 31,000 gallons of jet fuel covered the area with flames and smoke.

Learn more about the newest research and innovation coming out of Wichita State by reading the June 2023 edition of Research & Innovation News.

Learn more about research Mathew Muether, associate professor of physics, is conducting on neutrinos; a group of students who are attempting to create soundless propellers for drones; and a WSU professor, Dr. Mark Schneegurt, who is working with NASA to help evaluate the possibility of life on other planets.

Research & Innovation News publishes every other month. Subscribe to the mailing list.

The Office of Strategic Communications in Morrison Hall will be closed for staff development on Tuesday, June 20. The office will reopen at 8 a.m. Wednesday, June 21.

For immediate issues, contact Shelly Coleman-Martins, vice president of strategic communications and marketing, at shelly.coleman-martins@wichita.edu, or leave a voicemail at 316-978-3045 and the office will get back to you when it reopens June 21.

This week’s Student Success and Persistence highlight comes from Dr. Chelsea Redger-Marquardt, assistant dean of the Cohen Honors College.

• What is one small thing any faculty or staff member can do to make a student’s day or let them know they’re cared for?
  “Build rapport with your students. Listen to them — they are fantastic humans. Dream with them — make suggestions for courses, programs or opportunities that you think the student would be great for. A person telling you that they think you would be awesome at doing something goes a long way in building confidence and a student seeing themselves as a part of a community or experience.”
• What role do you think faculty and staff play in a student’s success and persistence?
  “It’s vital. Every chance you get to interact with a student; every class you teach, every program you host, every service you provide is a chance to create a moment for a student — hopefully one that inspires, makes them curious and reinforces that they matter.”

Do you know of a faculty or staff member who promotes student success, or a student who has been helped by a faculty or staff member, that should be highlighted in WSU Today? Email your ideas to Caelin Bragg, newsletter editor with the Office of Strategic Communications, at caelin.bragg@wichita.edu.

Through a new collaboration with McFarland Research and Development, Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) will expand its burgeoning military fleet sustainment research and development capabilities.  

McFarland R&D, founded by Randy McFarland, will continue in operation. To further leverage McFarland R&D’s existing programs, NIAR will assume its facilities, equipment and operations — which focus on unique airframe repair and replacement strategies, tooling development to support repairs and modifications and depot support — beginning June 1. 

The C.H.I. scholarship, founded by the Courageous Chi Chapter of the Lambda Pi Upsilon Sorority, Latinas Poderosas Unidas, and partnered with the Student Government Association, was created to help foster youth with limited resources pursue a higher education and to support them throughout their collegiate career. The C.H.I acronym stands for those who exemplify courage, honor and independence by recognizing their strive to better themselves academically.

The Chi Chapter strongly believes that it is crucial to help aid, educate and mentor disadvantaged persons in order to change, challenge and improve society. The chapter’s philanthropy for children in foster care is not only significant for the members of the sorority, but also within Kansas. Numerous foster youth are discouraged to attain a higher education due to the lack of financial support and management. The Chi Chapter will provide financial literacy and mentorship directly to the recipient in order to help combat the systemic challenges they face with being in foster care.

The deadline to apply is July 7.

Eligibility for the scholarship:

• High school foster youth
• Full-time enrollment
• Have a minimum GPA of 2.5

General requirements for the scholarship:

• Unofficial transcript
• One letter of recommendation
• Application must be completed and signed
• One essay or video submission

For any questions, contact chi@lambdapiupsilon.org or SGA@wichita.edu.

This week’s Student Success and Persistence highlight comes from Lubna Aldulaimi.

Lubna — a senior majoring in exercise science — made her way to Wichita State after graduating from Tomball High School in Tomball, Texas. She is currently a member of the track and field team.

Lubna found it difficult balancing the time required for school, work, track and family, and was worried about asking for the help she needed for fear of it being seen as her making excuses. However, she was able to find support through Kristyn Waits, design educator and communication manager for the College of Innovation and Design, who saw Lubna struggling and offered her an extension in her class.

“I just needed someone to press pause and let me catch back up and Kristyn Waits did that for me. One day, we had a major project due that I was very behind on, but I didn’t want to ask for extra time because I didn’t want my professor to think I was this bum athlete who is just looking to make excuses. She was able to notice me and gave me an extension without me asking for it. Maybe she couldn’t see how drained I was mentally, but that gesture meant so much to me. I really appreciated it so much. We only get to see her once a week, yet that day, I felt the most cared for. That extension on my project gave me the time I needed to breathe and catch back up with life.”

Waits says that faculty need to be aware of what students are dealing with outside of the classroom to better serve their needs and make sure they succeed in their studies.

“I think it’s important to remember that our classes are not the only thing our students are focused on. Many students work, have families, are involved in various organizations, play sports or, in Lubna’s case, all of the above. Having some empathy for students is the least we can do as faculty.”

Do you know of a faculty or staff member who promotes student success, or a student who has been helped by a faculty or staff member, that should be highlighted in WSU Today? Email your ideas to Caelin Bragg, newsletter editor with the Office of Strategic Communications, at caelin.bragg@wichita.edu.

This week’s Student Success and Persistence highlight comes from Meghann Kuhlmann, instruction and research services librarian and associate professor for WSU Libraries.

• What is one small thing any faculty or staff member can do to make a student’s day or let them know they’re cared for?
  “When we interact with students, we can take an extra step beyond the inquiry at hand and ask how their studies are going in general or if there’s anything more they need to feel supported. That can go a long way toward making students feel welcome on campus and help identify issues they might not have thought to bring up initially.”
• How do you promote student success through your campus duties?
  “Students sometimes feel uncomfortable asking questions because of a belief that they ‘should’ already know certain things or be able to figure it out themselves. I try to encourage students to ask questions by letting them know it’s a strength to seek out resources and reminding them that faculty and staff are here to support them every step of the way.”

Do you know of a faculty or staff member who promotes student success, or a student who has been helped by a faculty or staff member, that should be highlighted in WSU Today? Email your ideas to Caelin Bragg, newsletter editor with the Office of Strategic Communications, at caelin.bragg@wichita.edu.

A veteran leader with nine seasons of head coaching experience, Brian Green was named the fifth head coach in the modern era of Wichita State baseball, Kevin Saal, director of athletics, announced June 5.

Shocker Athletics will introduce Coach Green at a press conference at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 7 in the home locker room at Eck Stadium. The event is open to the public and will be streamed live on ESPN+. Those attending can enter through the baseball offices located on the west side of the facility.