Author: Caelin Bragg

Faculty and staff are invited to a virtual town hall with university leaders from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 27.

You can access the streamed town hall on YouTube. Staff and faculty interested in submitting questions for consideration can email townhall@wichita.edu before the town hall, or questions can be asked in the YouTube chat during the town hall.

The Wichita State University Police Department wants to remind Shockers to stay vigilant of scammers. A current scam going around fraudulently claims to come from the police notifying the individual that they are at risk of being arrested if they do not pay. Make sure you’re informed of the telltale signs of scammers:

• The police will never notify an individual over the phone that they have a warrant for their arrest, and the police will never demand payment through cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, or through gift cards.
• Do not share personal or financial information over the phone unless you are certain of the caller’s identity. If you are ever concerned a caller may be a scammer, hang up and find a phone number from a trusted source, such as an official website or phonebook, and call back to confirm.
• Make sure to reach out to law enforcement if you have been contacted by one of these scammers or have fallen victim to them. WSUPD can be contacted at 316-978-3450, and the Wichita Police Department can be contacted by dialing 911. You can also file a police report to the Wichita Police Department by calling 316-268-4221. And make sure you contact your friends and family so that they know to not engage with potential scammers.

WSUPD is here to help the campus community stay safe and hopes that everyone can help keep their peers safe from scammers. If you have questions, email WSUPD at police@wichita.edu.

You can learn more about the scam callers by watching the PSA video from the Wichita Police Department.

Former Kansas City Royals star Mike Sweeney knew a lot about Wichita and Wichita State from his life in baseball. He knows even more now that he is a future Shockers baseball dad.

“It had been a while since I had been in this great city,” he said at Saturday’s First Pitch Banquet at Charles Koch Arena. “When I stepped on campus here, I knew there was something different. When I met Coach (Brian) Green and his coaching staff, I knew they were setting themselves apart from every other staff in the country.”

MJ Sweeney, his oldest son, decided to play baseball for the Shockers and Green in 2026. The recruiting visit brought Mike Sweeney back to Wichita and, ultimately, to spending Saturday as the keynote speaker.

Students are cordially invited to an exclusive Q&A session with this year’s Craig W. Barton Speaker Series headliner, Ben Stein — economist, lawyer, actor and prolific author — at 2 p.m. March 11 in 209 Hubbard Hall. RSVP at wichita.edu/meetben.

Stein, a Yale Law School valedictorian, has worked as a speechwriter for former Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, authored more than 30 books on finance and law, and has become a key figure in exposing the junk bond scandal. Widely recognized for his iconic role in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and for hosting “Win Ben Stein’s Money,” Stein continues to speak on economics and politics.

The Craig W. Barton Speaker Series is an annual Wichita State event established to expose students and the community to differing points of view and encourage critical thinking and conversation. Previous speakers include Robert Gates, 22nd United States secretary of defense (2006-2011); Cody Keenan, former White House director of speechwriting for President Barack Obama; and Norah O’Donnell, former anchor for the CBS Evening News and “60 Minutes” contributor.

Heading to Charles Koch Arena for a Shocker men’s basketball game? Fuzzy’s Taco Shop has you covered with free shuttle services to and from all men’s home basketball games. Park conveniently and for free at Braeburn Square and let Fuzzy’s do the driving.

The next game is Sunday, Feb. 16 against Memphis, so come early, grab a dinner and enjoy a round of drinks with friends before hopping on the shuttle to kick off game day.

Join Zach Gearhart, chief of staff and executive director of government relations, for updates on the Kansas legislature relevant to Wichita State at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 7 virtually via Microsoft Teams.

To find a link to the meeting, reach out to Olivia Kerschen, executive assistant to the president, at olivia.kerschen@wichita.edu.

The meeting is open to all faculty, staff and students. Legislative updates are held every other Friday.

The School of Performing Arts is hosting a screenwriting workshop for your students with Los Angeles-based screenwriters, Derick and Rebecca Otto, from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7 in 233 Rhatigan Student Center, Santa Fe Trail Room.

Students will learn:

• The structural basics and elements of a feature screenplay 
• How to construct an idea into a one to two sentence logline and develop that into a first draft 
• The collaborative nature of writing with producers, executives and directors 
• How to navigate the business side of the industry 

This is a good opportunity for your students to enhance their skills and understanding of screenwriting outside of their normal classes.

President Rick Muma, first gentleman Rick Case and WuShock stopped by Landscape and Ground Maintenance at Gaddis Physical Plant to recognize them as this month’s Rick Rewards recipient. President Muma and Case wished to celebrate their work in keeping the campus beautiful for our students, employees and visitors, and for all of their hard work making sure our community is safe during inclement weather, like during the winter storms the campus experienced in January.

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

As we learn more about the Jan. 29 plane crash, we know the profound effect it has had on many in Wichita, including Wichita State University. As a tight-knit community, this hits especially close to home. 2017 graduate Kiah Duggins was tragically one of the passengers aboard the American Airlines flight. Read more about Kiah and the legacy she leaves behind.

Nearly a week since the accident, we anxiously await confirmation of the full passenger list. Until then, we are unable to confirm if anyone else with ties to Wichita State University was on the flight. We are keeping the families and loved ones of all those affected in our thoughts.

Dr. Rick Muma, president

Dr. Monica Lounsbery, Wichita State’s new senior executive vice president and provost, brings with her a wealth of experience in higher education leadership. Learn more about Dr. Lounsbery, her early impressions of WSU and what she hopes to accomplish during her tenure.

Watch the episode on YouTube or listen on Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts or Apple Podcasts (iTunes).

Subscribe to be notified when new episodes are available.