Author: Caelin Bragg

Kristyn Waits, faculty member in the College of Innovation and Design and assistant director of the Open XR Lab, recently received the inaugural Artemis Educator Award during the NASA SUITS Test Week May 19-25 in Houston.

The award recognizes educators who go above and beyond to inspire, motivate and elevate their students to achieve more than they ever thought possible.

You can read more about the NASA SUITS Test Week earlier this month and learn more about CosmoShox on its website.

Jeremy Kohn, ChFC, TIAA financial consultant, will be available for in-person meetings at Wichita State June 4 and 5. At these meetings, Jeremy can help you confirm that you are on track for retirement and provide specific investment recommendations for your TIAA accounts.

If you are interested in meeting with Jeremy, schedule a time to meet, and have your TIAA login credentials handy. If you need scheduling assistance, you can call the TIAA scheduling team at 800-732-8353.

If you are not able to schedule a meeting with Jeremy because appointments have filled and you do not see a virtual option with Jeremy on another day, you can email Jeremy directly at jeremy.kohn@tiaa.org to schedule another appointment and his team will assist you.

Celebrate Vice President for Finance and Administration Werner Golling’s time at Wichita State at a retirement reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, June 21 in 301 Rhatigan Student Center, Gridley Room. Remarks are at 2:30 p.m.

Werner, who announced his plans to retire earlier this year, has been with Wichita State for over seven years. Come wish him well on his retirement as he moves on to this next chapter of his life.

Wichita State plays a pivotal role in advancing aerospace research and economic resiliency in southern Kansas, which was highlighted in a case study from the Brookings Institution. From spearheading workforce development initiatives to driving technology adoption among small and midsized manufacturers, WSU’s collaborative efforts, including those through WSU Tech and NIAR, are shaping the future of the region.

Wichita State University graduate student and high jumper Marissa Jensen loves staying busy, so she starts her days at 4 a.m.

She works as a coach at a cross-fit gym from 5 to 7 a.m. Then it is time for class and studies. Track and field practices takes up her afternoons.

Some WordPress websites hosted by Wichita State University will be temporarily unavailable for scheduled maintenance starting at 8 a.m. Thursday, May 23.

These websites, including those for the Shocker Blast newsletter, will be inaccessible while the server’s operating system is upgraded. These updates are substantial and could require up to four hours to complete.

The websites that will be unavailable while the updates are being made include, but are not limited to:

• news.wichita.edu
• ulrich.wichita.edu
• wichitastate.tv
• learn.wichita.edu
• police.wichita.edu
• openrecords.wichita.edu
• airlinequalityrating.wichita.edu
• badges.wichita.edu
• eoc.wichita.edu
• itstraining.wichita.edu
• kcee.wichita.edu
• kfbf.wichita.edu
• ksarn.org
• nasainkansas.org
• realestate.wichita.edu
• servicelearning.wichita.edu
• shockeripe.org
• somos.wichita.edu
• digiproj.wichita.edu
• wsubridges.org
• suspenders4hope.com

As noted previously, the Shocker Blast newsletter will be inaccessible during the scheduled time, which includes submitting items to the newsletters. Shocker Blast questions or submissions can be sent to Caelin Bragg, newsletter editor, at caelin.bragg@wichita.edu.

For more information or questions on the scheduled maintenance, reach out to ITS at helpdesk@wichita.edu or 316-978-4357.

Some WordPress websites hosted by Wichita State University will be temporarily unavailable for scheduled maintenance starting around 8 a.m. Thursday, May 23.

These websites, including those for the WSU Today newsletter and general website support, will be inaccessible while the server’s operating system is upgraded. These updates are substantial and could require up to four hours to complete.

The websites that will be unavailable while the updates are being made include, but are not limited to:

• news.wichita.edu
• ulrich.wichita.edu
• wichitastate.tv
• learn.wichita.edu
• police.wichita.edu
• openrecords.wichita.edu
• airlinequalityrating.wichita.edu
• badges.wichita.edu
• eoc.wichita.edu
• itstraining.wichita.edu
• kcee.wichita.edu
• kfbf.wichita.edu
• ksarn.org
• nasainkansas.org
• realestate.wichita.edu
• servicelearning.wichita.edu
• shockeripe.org
• somos.wichita.edu
• digiproj.wichita.edu
• wsubridges.org
• suspenders4hope.com

As noted previously, the WSU Today newsletter will be inaccessible during the scheduled time, which includes submitting items to the newsletters. WSU Today questions or submissions can be sent to Caelin Bragg, newsletter editor, at caelin.bragg@wichita.edu.

For more information or questions on the scheduled maintenance, reach out to ITS at helpdesk@wichita.edu or 316-978-4357.

Wichita State is one of 10 teams that advanced to the spring semester competition in the NASA SUITS (Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students) challenge. Teams are tasked to design and build an augmented reality heads-up display for astronauts on missions to Mars, as well as a web browser user interface for local mission control.

Yumi Kikuchi attended an information session in Devlin Hall for the NASA SUITS design challenge last fall. She considered passing on the opportunity.  

“I was like, ‘Wow, this sounds like a lot of work,’” she said. “I’m glad that didn’t discourage me.”  

Kikuchi, a graduate student in Wichita State University’s Master of Innovation Design (MID) program, is now co-leader of the nine-student group. She considers the experience an essential part of her time in the MID program. 

Those on campus starting Thursday, May 23 will notice an influx of visitors. We expect nearly 35,000 high school athletes and spectators on campus through Saturday, May 25 for 5A state baseball and softball (May 23-24) and state track (May 24-25).

For the state track events, tents and golf carts will be deployed across campus to assist visitors, but anyone who notices someone looking lost can use the information on the WSU state events webpage to guide our guests to the resources they need.

Participants and spectators for state events can also rest and relax at Wichita State Connect (formerly the Wonder School) May 24-25, where visitors can find air-conditioned resting areas, crafts and yard games, which are sponsored by Scheels, between events and throughout the day.

During these events, faculty and staff should plan accordingly for increased traffic on campus and closure of Perimeter Road north of Shocker Hall, near Cessna Stadium.

To view the schedule of events or to purchase tickets, visit the links below:

• State baseball
• State softball
• State track

Veterans are invited to join Veterans Upward Bound for a workshop on mental health from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 23 in John Bardo Center, room EE264. Light refreshments will be provided.

Topics include, but aren’t limited to: stress management for the adult learner, knowing your learning style, how to find on campus mental health resources and suicide prevention. RSVP for the workshop by Wednesday, May 22.

Please note, these workshops are for veterans only. For questions, contact Shauntelle Thompson at shauntelle.thompson@wichita.edu or 316-978-7391, or call Veterans Upward Bound at 316-978-6742.