Author: Caelin Bragg

To help employees plan their time-off and work schedules throughout the year, Wichita State has shared the winter closedown schedule, which has been approved this year to commence at the end of the day on Friday, Dec. 20 and end starting the morning of Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. The closedown is 10 days, two of which are paid holidays. In addition, employees may use Presidential Administrative Days to remain in pay status for the four days between Christmas and New Years Day — thanks to President Rick Muma. Classes will not be in session during this period.

Unclassified professional and university support staff who would normally be scheduled to work these days may use accumulated vacation leave or their 2025 discretionary day* during the winter closedown. Non-exempt employees may also use accumulated compensatory time off during the winter closedown.

If your role requires you to work during the winter closedown it must be approved in advance by your immediate supervisor.

Winter closedown schedule:

• Monday, Dec. 23, 2024
• Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024
• Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024 (Paid holiday)
• Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024 (Presidential Administrative Day)
• Friday, Dec. 27, 2024 (Presidential Administrative Day)
• Monday, Dec. 30, 2024 (Presidential Administrative Day)
• Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024 (Presidential Administrative Day)
• Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025 (Paid holiday)
• Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025
• Friday, Jan. 3, 2025

An employee must be in pay status the entire workday before and the entire workday after state holidays to receive holiday pay. The official state holidays are Christmas Day, Dec. 25, and New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, 2025.

Employees required to work during the winter closedown will be allowed to use their four Presidential Administrative Days anytime from Monday, Dec. 23 through Jan. 31, 2025. WSU appreciates your dedication and service to the university.

*The discretionary day for 2024 must be used on or before Friday, Dec. 20 prior to the beginning of the winter closedown. The discretionary day for 2025 will be available starting Sunday, Dec. 22 and may be used during the 2024 winter closedown.

From the second floor of his office in Morrison Hall, President Rick Muma can see the Duerksen Fine Arts Center Amphitheater. Three miles to the west, he can see the Beachner Grain Elevator mural “El Sueño Original – The Original Dream,” from his office window.

By May, that view will be connected when Nathalia Gallego (GLeo) completes a new mural, called “Adelante Juntos – Forward Together,” covering the on-campus amphitheater.

“It adds to the cultural vibrancy of the university,” said Muma. “We’re now an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution. Bringing art focused on the Latino population, of the university, the city and the state demonstrates that we value everybody on campus. That’s what I see this mural doing for the campus.”

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 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.

On the afternoon of April 8, Wichitans looking up into the sky will be able to see a partial solar eclipse, with the best view at around 1:45 p.m. Central Time. Despite not being in the path of totality, it will still be an event worth watching.

If you’re planning to view the solar eclipse, KMUW offers tips to safely watch, from start to finish, including where to find proper eyewear and alternative methods to view the eclipse.

You can also find additional information on safely viewing the eclipse from NASA, and NASA will host a livestream of the eclipse starting at noon April 8.

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

Hear from Zachary Brown, director of strategic enrollment and student services in the Barton School of Business and a current employee at Wichita State who went to college as a first-gen student, about the first-gen experience.

Wichita State is home to nearly 5,000 first-generation students, individuals whose caregivers weren’t able to complete a college degree and who lack the firsthand experience to tackle college life. To help with their transition, Wichita State offers a number of resources to first-gen students to support them during their time in college, including F1RST GEN SHOCKERS.

A professor and graduate student from Wichita State University have been awarded the 2024 John A. See Innovation Award.

The John A. See Innovation Award is given each year as a way to recognize novel ideas that have the potential to meet a market need and attract further funding once they have advanced through the early prototyping phase. Examples of supported costs are prototype development, design, product testing and market analysis.

The 2024 winners are as follows:

• Richard Sack, lab manager of the Project Innovation Hub in the College of Engineering. His winning research project is titled “manufacturing conductive nano-scale fibers by combining electrospinning with ultrasonic phased arrays.”
• Nick Vasilescu, a graduate student in innovation and design, was awarded for his biotech startup TestKey.

Join Corbin Connect for an evening focused on summer engagement opportunities for students and educators from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 15 at Wichita State Connect.

The event, What’s Hot This Summer: Educators Involved With Wichita, is free for educators, education students and community organizations, and complimentary cookout style dinner will be served.

Local organizations with summer educational programs will share opportunities for local P-12 students and volunteer opportunities for educators.