Author: Caelin Bragg

Join Zach Gearhart, chief of staff and executive director of government relations, for updates on the Kansas legislature relevant to Wichita State. The next meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26 in 101 Morrison Hall.

The meeting is open to all faculty, staff and students and is held every other Friday in Morrison Hall following each legislative session.

The Elliott School of Communication, with the Kansas Professional Chapter of Professional Journalists, will host a screening of the Wichita Eagle documentary “Unwarranted: The Senseless Death of Journalist Joan Meyer” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1 in the CAC Theater followed by a panel discussion.

Jeff Jarman, director of the Elliott School, will be the moderator for the panel with guests:

• Jaime Green, visual journalist with the Wichita Eagle
• Travis Heying, visual journalist with the Wichita Eagle
• Eric Meyer, editor and publisher for the Marion County Record
• Emily Bradbury, executive director in the Kansas Press Association

For more information, contact Amy DeVault, assistant professor of communication, at amy.devault@wichita.edu or 316-978-6052

Join President Rick Muma and his team as they prepare future Shockers for a lifetime of success. The President’s Team is raising money for the United Way’s Champions for Literacy initiative, which puts books and supplies into the hands of USD 259 students.

Reading helps children build cognitive skills, gain a deeper understanding of the world, improve their concentration and fuel their imagination. As an educational driver for the state of Kansas, Wichita State is committed to helping students of all ages achieve success and become the leaders of tomorrow.

During the 2022-23 school year, 79% of third graders in Wichita were not reading at a proficient level, and students not reading proficiently by the fourth grade are four times more likely to drop out. Donations to the campaign stay local to the Shocker Neighborhood through United Way of the Plains to alleviate illiteracy in the community.

President Rick Muma and Shirley Lefever, provost and executive vice president, are conducting a town hall for College of Applied Studies faculty and staff at 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1 via Zoom.

The Spring Involvement Fair allows students an opportunity to connect with a diverse pool of student organizations who want to enhance Shockers’ student experiences.

From recreational, academic, social, special interest, political, religious and cultural organizations, the fair hopes to find a place where you belong. The Spring Involvement Fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25 on the first and second floors of the Rhatigan Student Center. Prizes such as an iPad, FijiFilm polaroid camera, Kitchen Aid mixer and Ninja Creami will be up for grabs, as well as T-shirts and food, while supplies last.

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.

President Rick Muma and Shirley Lefever, provost and executive vice president, are conducting town halls for the Graduate School and College of Engineering faculty and staff Wednesday, Jan. 31 remotely.

• Graduate School: 2 p.m. via Zoom
• College of Engineering: 3 p.m. via Zoom

Come celebrate the service of Detective Jeffery Rider, WSU Police Department, who will retire Friday, Feb. 2 after serving Wichita State for 33 years. A reception is planned from noon to 2 p.m. that same day in 142 Rhatigan Student Center, Harvest Room.

Rider is currently the most senior officer in the WSU PD, has served in law enforcement since 1984 and is a military veteran.

Interstellar Seminar is fortunate to host Kansas native Todd Barber, a JPL engineer that drives spacecraft, at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday Jan. 24 remotely in 104 Jabara Hall and on Zoom. He will talk about his experiences driving Voyager, the only interstellar spacecraft.

Barber has worked with Galileo at Jupiter, Cassini at Saturn, Deep Impact, Dawn and the Mars missions that landed Opportunity, Curiosity and Perseverance.

Congratulations to the 13 high school seniors who have been chosen as finalists for Wichita State’s 2024 Distinguished Scholarship Invitational. Ultimately, three of them will win the $64,000 Harry Gore Memorial Scholarship, which are among the largest undergraduate awards in the Midwest, and all will receive scholarship offers to attend WSU.