Author: Caelin Bragg

Visit Charles Koch Arena starting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11 as Shocker men’s basketball faces South Florida. The game will celebrate the impact of education and literacy in the community. Champions for Literacy night highlights the importance of reading, while educators are recognized for their dedication and service. It’s an inspiring night that blends basketball with purpose.

With your Shocker ID, you get admission to all home athletics events at no additional charge, thanks to the Student Government Association. Claim your student ticket online now by going to goshockers.com/StudentTickets.

Let’s build a high-energy Shocker Zone designed to spark curiosity, celebrate innovation and connect thousands of visitors with the incredible people and programs across WSU at this year’s FutureFest. All colleges, departments and divisions are invited to host an engagement footprint in the Shocker Zone.

For questions or more information, you are invited to attend an upcoming virtual information meeting at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 6 via Microsoft Teams.

Faculty Senate and Staff Senate are jointly sponsoring Love on the Locker, an effort to support the Kiah Duggins Shocker Support Locker during these challenging times, in collaboration with the Wichita State University Police Department. This is not a competition, but a collective opportunity for faculty and staff to come together in support of students, faculty and staff.

The shared goal between the senates is to raise 2,000 donated items or $1,000 in monetary donations through combined faculty and staff participation.

Donations will be accepted through Feb. 13. In-kind donations may be dropped off at the University Police Department or at various collection locations across WSU:

• Student Engagement & Belonging in 216 Rhatigan Student Center
• Business Student Success Center in 129 Woolsey Hall
• Financial Aid or OneStop in Jardine Hall
• College of Health Professions Dean’s Office on the fourth floor of Ahlberg Hall
• Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office on the second floor of Lindquist Hall
• College of Applied Studies Deans Office in Corbin Education Center
• College of Engineering Dean’s Office in Partnership Building 2
• Fine Arts Advising Center on the third floor of the McKnight Arts Center
• Ablah Library Circulation Desk
• Student Government Association in 219 RSC
• Hughes Metropolitan Complex
• First floor of Wallace Hall
• WSU Old Town

Non-perishable items supporting basic needs — such as hygiene and cleaning supplies, family items, pantry staples, and microwave-ready meals — are especially needed. If donating money, be sure to designate yourself as faculty/staff when donating.

After garnering six total match victories, Wichita State’s Vichitraporn Vimuktananda was named the American Conference Women’s Tennis Player of the Week by the conference office on Feb. 3.

Vimuktananda earned three victories each in singles and doubles over the last two weeks of competition. She was pivotal in the Shockers’ two road victories last weekend against Iowa State and Iowa, posting a perfect 4-0 record. Her 4-6, 7-5, 6-0 win at No. 5 singles against Iowa Feb. 1 was the clinching point in the Shockers’ 4-2 victory.

The Office of Strategic Communications and Marketing is seeking students who are comfortable on camera to be featured in an upcoming series of Student Stories videos for Wichita State’s social media. If you know of a student who would like to share their story, encourage them to submit an audition.

Students can submit their two minute audition videos through the online Student Stories form, which should briefly showcase their stories and personalities. If a student is selected, Wichita State will produce a short feature video to be posted on WSU’s social media.

The following are a few examples of similar features created by WSU:

• From Wichita to Amazon Robotics: A Mechanical Engineering Journey
• From WSU to NASA: My Journey Into Space Innovation
• This Shocker Followed His Passion at Shocker Studios

For questions, contact Marcus Wright, director of videography in the Office of Strategic Communications and Marketing, at marcus.wright@wichita.edu.

Your instructors might be using SEAS (Student Early Alert System) to share feedback about how you’re doing in class on things like attendance, participation or missing assignments.

If you get an alert, don’t panic — it’s just a heads-up to help you get support early. You’ll also get info on campus resources that can help.

Questions? Be sure to respond to your instructor. Need help and don’t know where to turn? Raise your hand here and Student Success will help.

One of the most defining aspects of Shocker Nation is our athletics programs, made up of your peers, and with your Shocker ID, you get admission to all home athletics events at no additional charge, thanks to the Student Government Association.

And today, Feb. 4, you can attend Shocker men’s basketball’s home game against Charlotte at 6:30 p.m. in Charles Koch Arena. Claim your student ticket online now by going to goshockers.com/StudentTickets.

Wichita State students have the opportunity to test their business strategy skills and compete for scholarships in the upcoming ERPsim Competition, hosted by the Barton School of Business.

The competition challenges teams to manage a virtual company using an SAP enterprise resource planning (ERP) simulation. Participants make real-time decisions related to pricing, production, inventory and finance while competing against other teams in a dynamic market environment. The experience is designed to build data-driven decision-making skills, cross-functional collaboration and resume-ready experience.

The top three performing teams will receive tuition awards, with $4,000 for first place, $2,000 for second place and $800 for third place. The top team can also advance to a national competition in March 2026.

The ERPsim Competition will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27 in the Woolsey Hall atrium. Registration is open through Feb. 15, with preparation sessions running Feb. 16-26.

Students who have completed at least one core business course or have a minimum of one year of industry experience are eligible to participate. Teams consist of three to four students, and individuals may register and be matched with a team.

GoCreate, a Koch Collaborative, at Wichita State University was recently honored by the Kansas Department of Commerce with a Merit Award in the nonprofit category of the To The Stars: Kansas Business Awards.

“This award represents the collective effort of the entrepreneurs, mentors, and partners who believe in our work,” said Kimberly McCollum, associate director of GoCreate. “Being recognized shows that creating access to innovation and opportunity across Kansas, especially in rural and underserved communities, is having real impact.”

Nominees were reviewed and scored for various criteria, including training and educational programs, which is where GoCreate excels. The makerspace has helped more than 100 innovation-driven projects move from idea to commercialization through prototyping, applied R&D and mentorship programs, while simultaneously expanding access for rural and underserved communities across the state.

“We’re always striving to enhance the human potential within our community, which includes students, members and even ourselves,” said Ken Wiseman, GoCreate operations and facility manager. “The future is always changing, but this award is proof that the team and the community will always rise to the challenge.”

GoCreate’s mission mimics the university’s mission: to be an essential educational, cultural and economic driver for Kansas and the greater public good.

“This award is a great reminder that our mission matters,” said McCollum. “GoCreate has always been about creating a welcoming, supportive space where people feel empowered to take ideas further. Being recognized for that tells us we’re on the right path. It gives us momentum to keep growing, expanding access, strengthening the state’s entrepreneurial pipeline and supporting entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of our state.”

Housed within the John Bardo Center at Wichita State, GoCreate is a premier workspace open to creators of all ages and experience levels to bring their ideas and projects to life. The 18,000-square-foot space features studios for 3D printing, design, electronics, woodworking, finishing, metals, welding and textiles with an evolving inventory of sophisticated tools, machinery and equipment. Members and receive the expert training can take advantage of all the materials and equipment GoCreate has to offer.

Faculty: Have you submitted SEAS (Student Early Alert System) feedback yet? SEAS is open for all students. Use it to flag concerns around attendance, participation, assignments and quizzes/exams. If no students are at risk in your class, check the “no students at-risk” box.

New this week:

• No Academic Activity: Use this to flag students who haven’t engaged in your class at all (no communication, no course logins, no work submitted, etc.). Student Success will follow up.
• Student Progress: If a flagged student improves, remove the alert to help us track impact.

Access SEAS via myWSU > Home or Teach/Advise tab > SEAS link.

For more information about SEAS, visit the SEAS website.