Author: Caelin Bragg

The Wichita State Opera Theatre, under the direction of Alan Held, professor of voice and director of opera studies, will present its final production of the academic year, “Handelmania,” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 31 and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 2 in the Miller Concert Hall of the Duerksen Fine Arts Center.

The performances will be accompanied by the WSU Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Mark Laycock, professor and director of orchestra. The performances are presented in honor of Dr. Pina Mozzani, who will be retiring after 18 years of teaching in the School of Music. A reception for Mozzani will be held following the April 2 performance.

“Handelmania” is a unique presentation of George Frideric Handel’s opera, “Acis and Galatea.” A new and entertaining concept has been developed for these performances that will make the story come alive in a contemporary manner. The short opera, with added arias, was first performed in 1718, but it is rarely performed in its entirety.

Tickets for the performances may be purchased at the Duerksen Fine Arts Box Office, by visiting the box office website or by calling 316-978-3233.

The Great Plains has often been overlooked in the history books of North America, but recent discoveries made by a team of Wichita State University archaeologists are rewriting the history of where the beating heart of North American actually was in the pre-historic era before the arrival of Christopher Columbus.

According to research findings by Dr. Don Blakeslee, professor of anthropology and archaeologist at Wichita State, it turns out that the Great Plains was much bigger and much more politically and economically influential in North America than previously thought.

The Student Government Association (SGA) executive branch was recognized as the next recipient of Rick Rewards, awarded each month by President Rick Muma to show his appreciation for the efforts of our campus community.

Members of the SGA were honored for their dedication to serving and representing the needs of the student body.

Distinguished Professor of Psychology Dr. Virginia Valian — member of the doctoral faculties of psychology, linguistics and speech-language-hearing sciences and director of the Language Acquisition Research Center and the Gender Equity Project at Hunter College, CUNY — is visiting Wichita State. The National Science Foundation Advance Catalyst team on campus is sponsoring the visit, including Valian speaking on gender equity at two events.

Valian will deliver the talk, “The Advancement of Women: Better, but Still too Slow,” 10-11 a.m. Friday, March 31 in 265 Rhatigan Student Center. Faculty, staff and alumni are invited to attend the talk.

An open forum featuring Valian will be from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in 265 RSC. Undergraduate and graduate women in STEM fields are encouraged to attend the event.

The Capitol Graduate Research Summit took place in Topeka on March 22. Close to 50 graduate students from six Kansas public universities presented their research and how it contributes to the economic development of the state.

Two Wichita State students were awarded at the summit, including Kaitlyn Hemberger, English major, for her poster on cybersecurity intervention measures in educations for vulnerable refugee populations in Kansas, and Sarangan Rajendran, electrical and computer engineering major, for his poster on location planning of distributed energy resources based on the impact on transmission networks.

Their advisors were Dr. Mythili Menon and Dr. Visvakumar Aravinthan respectively.

Wichita State students are cordially invited to meet Cody Keenan, director of speechwriting to former President Barack Obama, at 3 p.m. Thursday, March 30 in the Beggs Ballroom at the Rhatigan Student Center for an informal meet-and-greet.

Students attending the meeting with Keenan will receive a copy of his book, “Grace: President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America.”

The event is exclusively for registered WSU students and refreshments will be served. Capacity is limited, and reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis at no charge.

Keenan rose from a campaign intern to become chief speechwriter at the White House and Obama’s post-presidential collaborator. Together, Keenan and Obama’s efforts resulted in what have been called some of the most unforgettable addresses of our time.

The Craig W. Barton Speaker Series is an annual WSU event established to expose students and the community to differing points of view and encourage critical thinking and conversation.

To enhance public finance conversations, the Kansas Public Finance Center, the Hugo Wall School of Public Affairs and the Environmental Finance Center are hosting a free workshop focused on building partnerships between public service practitioners and academic researchers. Join the day of activities starting at 8 a.m. Friday, March 31 in Woolsey Hall.

The conversations at the workshop will feature speakers from across the country who will speak on topics including infrastructure financing, decision-making, municipal sustainability, assessment tools and more.

And join an evening networking reception from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, March 30 at Social Tap in Braeburn Square.

The Criminal Justice Student Association and the School of Criminal Justice present the Criminal Justice Career Fair from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 5 in 305 Rhatigan Student Center, Beggs Ballroom.

Learn about careers in corrections, criminal justice, forensic science, homeland security, law enforcement, police science, public safety, public security and more.

Network with employers who are looking to hire interns, co-op students, and full-time employees.

Get prepped for the career fair by attending these events:

• Career fair prep workshop
  • 11-11:45 a.m. Thursday, March 30 in 265 Rhatigan Student Center.
• Resume clinic
  • 11-11:30 a.m. Monday, April 3 in 231 Woolsey Hall.
• Resume reviews
  • 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 4 in 337 Law Enforcement Training Center.

This event is free and open to all majors and the community.

Los Angeles-based indie pop band SAINT MOTEL will perform in concert at Wichita State at 8 p.m. Friday, April 14 in Charles Koch Arena. 

Ticket prices are $10 for WSU students, $25 for WSU faculty/staff and $35 for general public. This concert is for those 18 and older. Tickets can be purchased online. 

Formed while attending film school in Southern California, SAINT MOTEL’s kaleidoscopic sound and inventive live performances have earned the band a loyal fanbase that flock to its headlining shows and standout sets at festivals such as Coachella, Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo.  

Wichita State University’s chapter for Society of Professional Engineers will host Noche de Ciencias for Wichita Public School students and their families, from 4:30 to 6:45 p.m. Thursday, March 30 at Wichita North High School, 1437 N. Rochester St.

This is a free event to introduce Hispanic students to STEM education and career opportunities.