Author: Caelin Bragg

In conjunction with the National Weather Service, the State of Kansas will participate in the Severe Weather Preparedness Week March 2-6. At 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 4, Sedgwick County Emergency Management Services will sound the severe weather sirens throughout the county.

All personnel — faculty, staff, students and guests — are expected to go to a designated shelter until the all clear is given. This drill will be educational for all involved and provide those overseeing campus safety a way of evaluating the effectiveness of WSU’s emergency preparedness during a tornado. Go to the Wichita State tornado shelters webpage to learn more about what to do during a tornado warning and to locate your designated shelter.

Make sure you are signed up to receive alerts in the case of a real emergency by going to wichita.edu/alert and signing up for ShockerAlert.

For more information, contact Andrew Clem — Environmental, Health and Safety Department director — at 316-978-7904 or andrew.clem@wichita.edu.

The Wichita Police Department will use the Hughes Metropolitan Complex for WPD Honor Guard training all day Monday, March 2.

The campus community may see an increased presence of police vehicles and may hear gunfire as the Honor Guard practice ceremonial rifle movements, including the 21-gun salute. This is only for training purposes.

President Rick Muma and WuShock stopped by the Student Success and Persistence Coalition’s monthly meeting to recognize the team as the next recipient of Rick Rewards. The team was celebrated for their work in promoting and enhancing WSU’s Student Success and Persistence initiative, which has resulted in large increases in fall-to-fall retention and bolstered overall enrollment.

Rick Rewards is awarded by President Muma to show his appreciation for the efforts of the campus community.

Need help setting up your online professional footprint? The Shocker Career Accelerator has a number of resources that can get you started:

The Career Closet in the lower level of the Shocker Success Center has free professional attire available for students. After you have your career fit, come get a free professional photo any time from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Marcus Welcome Center, when the university is open.

From there, you can start setting up your LinkedIn profile using this helpful guide from SCA, which goes over the things you need for your profile, how to start networking with others and posting regular content. Additionally, you can start putting together your resume and cover letter using these templates developed by SCA.

Want to walk through creating your profile or resume with someone more experienced? You can schedule an appointment with an SCA career coach through Shocker Central, emailing sca@wichita.edu or calling the office at 316-978-3688.

A perk of your Shocker ID is access to all College of Fine Arts events on campus at no additional charge, thanks to the Student Government Association. Whether you want to listen to concerts from the School of Music or watch theater or dance performances from the School of Performing Arts, there’s something for everyone.

Coming up is the SPARK Spring Dance Concert at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26-28 and 2 p.m. March 1 in Wilner Auditorium. Just present your Shocker ID at the Fine Office Box Office in Duerksen Fine Arts Center to grab your ticket.

Join President Rick Muma as he visits with Carl Bowden about how his Master of Business Administration from Wichita State helped him pivot from a career in wildlife conservation to a career focused on strategy, leadership and influence.

Periodically, information will be posted regarding Watermark’s Course Evaluations & Surveys (CES) tool to help users better understand Wichita State’s course evaluation tool.

Today’s focus is on accessing CES.

• While in Blackboard, instructors can access CES anytime by choosing “Tools” from the main menu and selecting “CES Course Evaluations.” It can also be directly accessed via the links provided in emails sent to the instructor.
• Watermark Course Evaluations & Surveys Dashboard will appear.
• Widgets will appear on the dashboard. When a task is available for a course, it will display information. If not, it may state “No Project Found.”
• The “Manage Courses” Widget will only appear when that option is open and available to instructors.
• There is a dedicated CES website that includes additional information.

For questions, contact Sandra Ranney at evaluations@ces.wichita.edu.

At Wichita State, the safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff is our top priority. During periods of inclement weather or extreme cold, we closely monitor weather conditions and make informed decisions about campus operations.

Each weather event is different, and decisions require input from many parts of the university. Facilities staff assess whether sidewalks, parking lots and campus roadways can be cleared and maintained. Dining and housing staff evaluate whether they can continue supporting the students who live on campus and rely on university services. Academic leaders consider the implications for course requirements, while Human Resources evaluates employee obligations and safety.

Since no decision can perfectly fit the circumstances of every member of our community, WSU emphasizes shared and personal responsibility. Each individual must evaluate their own situation, prioritize personal safety, and make responsible choices about whether it is safe to come to campus.

The 2026 Kansas Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol features up to 40 students from all Kansas Board of Regents institutions, including five from Wichita State.

Students, faculty, Kansas Board of Regents members, state lawmakers and members of the public are invited to visit the Capitol Rotunda from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26 to view the students’ presentations.

Student presenters from WSU:

• Stephanie Cruz Ponce
  Major: Applied engineering
  Project title: “Applied Structural Optimization of an Aircraft Wing Spar for Light Sport Aircraft”
  Faculty mentor: Dr. Adam Lynch, professor of practice of applied engineering
• Jessa York
  Major: Communication sciences and disorders
  Project title: “Auditory Function in Children with Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders”
  Faculty mentor: Dr. Cynthia Richburg, professor of communications sciences and disorders and Au.D. program coordinator
• David Rich
  Major: Chemistry
  Project title: “Investigation of NbTe4 as a Potential Anode Material for Li-Ion Batteries”
  Faculty mentor: Dr. Jian Wang, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry
• Riley McMillan
  Major: Biology
  Project title: “Immunohistochemical (IHC) Analysis of HNSCC/CAF Cells and Xenotransplants”
  Faculty mentor: Dr. Bill Hendry, chair and professor of biological sciences
• Garett Knight
  Major: Communications sciences and disorders, linguistics and music
  Project title: “From Sound to Synapses: Music’s Impact on Psychological States & Emotional Intelligence through Mental Imagery”
  Faculty mentors: Dr. Erin O’Bryan, assistant professor of CSD; Dr. Mythili Menon, associate professor and director of linguistics; and Dr. Courtney Long, assistant professor of music

For questions about the 2026 Research Days at the Capitol, contact Dr. Michael Birzer, director of the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Hub, at michael.birzer@wichita.edu

Jaila Harding’s school record-breaking performance led the Shockers to a 62-61 win over UTSA Feb. 21 afternoon during the annual Play4Kay pink game in Charles Koch Arena.

With her third make from deep, Harding broke Wichita State’s 26-year old single-season record for made three-pointers, previously set by Courtney Sims in the 1999-2000 season, and she pushed her season total to 75 by the end of the night. She added a steal and logged nearly 37 minutes on her way to 19 points in the win.