Author: Caelin Bragg

Are you looking for volunteers for your event? Reach out to Sarah Brasure, alumni coordinator with WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement, at sarah.brasure@wichita.edu with your volunteer opportunity and invite Wichita State’s engaged alumni to help.

Neal Allen, associate professor of political science, was featured in a live interview with CNBC International July 15 about the effects of J.D. Vance being selected as vice presidential nominee and President Biden’s viability as a presidential candidate.

CNBC International is based in London and covers international business news.

Sheree Utash, vice president of workforce development and president of WSU Tech, was inducted into the 2024 Kansas Aviation Hall of Fame from the Kansas Aviation Museum.

Inductees will be celebrated at the Kansas Aviation Honor Awards Nov. 19 at the Kansas Aviation Museum.

Utash has been the president of WSU Tech since 2015 and previously served as its vice president of academic affairs. She oversaw the college’s transition to WSU Tech

Campus map (wichita.edu/map) – The interactive map includes buildings, campus dining, where you can park, selfie spots, campus emergency phones and more. Search for a building and get walking directions from anywhere on campus.

Parking on campus – Wichita State posts signs at every parking lot on campus to help you find where to park: Keep an eye out for the green signs with an “S” on them for where you can park. Shocker Hall residents, look out for parking lots with the orange signs that have an “H” on them. ePermits can be purchased online and are required to park in student parking lots while school is in session. Or find short-term, hourly parking in the parking garage near the Rhatigan Student Center.

As an employee of the state, benefits-eligible employees of Wichita State and their dependents have access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services at no charge. EAP can provide information and connect you with professionals who can help with a wide variety of services, and your use of EAP services is completely confidential.

Some services provided are:

• Connecting with a financial expert for financial related issues and questions
• Legal advice for concerns such as divorce, custody, adoption, real estate, debt, landlord / tenant issues, etc.
• Locating support groups
• Short-term personal counseling services
• Family and parenting questions
• Customized resources and referrals for child and elder care, moving, pet care, home repair, selling a home, college planning and more.

You can find more information here. To check out the EAP services offered, visit the EAP website at www.guidanceresources.com using company ID: SOKEAP or call EAP at 1-888-275-1205 (option 1).

WSU TV has begun a new series looking back through the history of WSU and the WSU TV channel. Each week, it will feature a new video showcasing a piece of that history.

For its inaugural episode of Throwback Thursday, WSU TV will air a program broadcast in December 1999 that celebrated the then 100 years of WSU. The episode premieres at 8 a.m. Thursday, July 18 on YouTube.

Wichita State has released the list of all 2,384 Shockers who graduated in spring 2024.

Overall, graduates completed a total of 2,645 degrees — 1,495 undergraduate degrees and certificates and 1,150 graduate degrees and certificates — with 301 honored as cum laude, 428 honored as magna cum laude and 136 honored as summa cum laude.

The arrival of a nanosatellite — referred to as a CubeSat — on campus signals significant progress in Wichita State’s NASA project to design a solar probe to investigate neutrinos. 

“This is the first major spacecraft to be at Wichita State,” said Dr. Nickolas Solomey, a professor of mathematics, statistics and physics. “That’s a great step.” 

A team of researchers, led by Solomey, has worked on the development of a CubeSat, a kind of nanosatellite, since 2021. The CubeSat, built by NanoAvionics of Lithuania, will carry and test a WSU-designed prototype neutrino detector in low Earth orbit to prove the detector can operate in space and measure the rate of cosmic and gamma rays.  

Aaron Mitchell, associate vice president for financial services at Montana State University, is the third candidate for the senior vice president for administration, finance and operations position. He will be on campus for a public forum from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Friday, July 12 in 261 Rhatigan Student Center, Olive Room.

Wichita State University has announce the receipt of a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for its ADVANCE project, “REACH for Excellence: WSU’s ADVANCE Adaptation Initiative for Equity in STEM Faculty.” Leading this initiative are principal investigator Jan Twomey and co-principal investigators Linnea GlenMaye, Rhonda Lewis, Moriah Beck, David Eichhorn and Tiffany Franks.

This important ADVANCE award is a direct response to the challenges highlighted in WSU’s previous institutional assessment, focusing on increasing the representation of female and underrepresented faculty. With proven strategies, REACH aims to break down barriers and create a more inclusive academic environment.

The REACH project is driven by three ambitious objectives:

1. Revolutionize recruitment and hiring practices to ensure equity.
2. Establish robust support systems for faculty success and career progression at all levels.
3. Foster a culture of equity, with clear expectations and accountability for deans and department chairs.

Although the initiative is centered on STEM faculty, all faculty members at WSU will have the opportunity to benefit from the REACH programming. This is more than a grant; it’s a commitment to shaping a diverse and equitable future for Wichita State University. More details will be shared in the fall.