Author: Caelin Bragg

Ava Wilkie, senior at Wichita East High School, is the winner of the 2024 Lenora N. McGregor Endowed Scholarship at Wichita State University.

The Lenora N. McGregor Endowed Scholarship awards up to $26,000 over four years to an incoming freshman student who has demonstrated academic excellence, has an academic vision for the future and who expresses an interest in advancing knowledge through individual learning. The McGregor Scholar agrees to maintain active membership in WSU’s Dorothy and Bill Cohen Honors College.

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, March 8 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.

Suspenders4Hope, a program developed at Wichita State University, is highlighting different departments and individuals on campus who are advocates for mental health in hopes that their stories will inspire others to continue supporting one another in the community.

The WSU School of Social Work (SSW) is being recognized for its support of the mental health of students, faculty, staff and health care professionals.

Four undergraduate students from Wichita State University were among the 18 students recognized at the 22nd annual Kansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (K-INBRE) Symposium in Manhattan, Kansas.

The WSU students who were recognized:

• Yousaf Khan, senior in chemistry
• Alia Michaelis, senior in biochemistry
• Bao Nhu To, junior in biology and health science
• Julie Tran, junior in chemistry

Wichita State and President Rick Muma has recently become a member of the Excelencia in Education’s Presidents for Latino Student Success (P4LSS). P4LSS is a group of college and university presidents dedicated to making their institutions an environment Latine students can thrive.

WSU joins the P4LSS and 175 higher education leaders from 29 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico committed to the collective goal of ensuring America’s future, working in common cause with Excelencia in Education to make the country stronger with the talents, skills and contributions of Latine college graduates.

Continuing its commitment to Excelencia in Education, WSU has participated in a couple programs over the past year. Last year a team consisting of Bobby Berry, assistant dean for diversity and outreach; Aaron Hamilton, director of OneStop; Teri Hall, vice president of Student Affairs; and Sara Mata, executive director of Hispanic Serving Initiatives participated in the Evidence-Based Practices Institute.

Excelencia’s technical assistance with these institutes offer institutional teams the time and space to learn and share strategies that further institutional efforts to align data, practice and leadership as a community of learners and practice committed to more effective. In addition, the team most recently participated in the Seal Serving Institutional Transformation Assessment, exploring how to authentically and intentionally serve students.

Sara Mata has also been named lead affiliate for WSU’s institutional team for Excelencia in Education, which is comprised of Shirley Lefever, provost and executive vice president; Brett Bruner, assistant vice president of Student Success and Persistence; and Ashlie Jack, senior associate vice president, Institutional Effectiveness/Strategic Enrollment Management.

Stop into Fuzzy’s Taco Shop over spring break and take advantage of its Bajawesome patio.

Purchase any of its primo baja items and get an OG taco of your choice for only $1, and don’t forget about Half-Price Happy Hour, from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Must be 21+ to order alcohol.

Join University Press of Kansas (UPK) staff — including Tim Paulson, director; Kelly Chrisman Jacques, assistant director; and Joyce Harrison, editor in chief — from 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 27 in 266 Rhatigan Student Center, Pike Room, to answer common questions like:

• How do I revise my dissertation into a book?
• How do I find the right publisher?
• What does a job in publishing look like?

The event is open to the entire campus community at no additional charge, and light refreshments will be provided.

UPK is one of more than 150 worldwide university presses who publish books that contribute to important scholarly and public debates. Founded in 1946, UPK represents all six state universities: Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Kansas State University, Pittsburg State University, the University of Kansas and Wichita State University.

Faculty and staff can visit the Faculty/Staff Acute Care Clinic for minor and acute medical issues only. Appointments are required for the clinic.

The clinic is located in the Student Wellness Center within the Steve Clark YMCA. Most appointments are $30 to $50 for an office visit evaluation by a Student Health Services medical provider, dependent on insurance. The office visit cost does not include the costs for laboratory services, medications or radiology services. Call 316-978-4792 to schedule an appointment.

Co-pays or deductibles are the employee’s responsibility and depend on personal health insurance benefits.

Examples of minor/acute illness/injury acceptable for treatment:

• Cough, cold, fever and flu
• Sore throats and sinus infections
• Bronchitis and pneumonia
• Allergies and asthma
• Sprains and strains that are non-work related
• Headaches and acute migraine
• Urinary tract infections
• Ear and eye infections
• Rashes and skin infections
• Minor procedures, such as ear lavages
• In-house laboratory services – rapid strep, UAs, mono, etc.
• Radiology X-ray services – not ultrasound
• Pharmacy services — with prescriptions written by SHS providers
• Immunizations
• Tuberculosis testing
• Blood pressure checks
• Sexually transmitted infections with symptoms

Injuries and illnesses occurring while on the job at WSU must be reported to your supervisor and follow Human Resources procedures. Student Health Services cannot treat potential workers’ compensation injuries or illnesses.

WSU Student Health employees will provide medical services as licensed medical providers. They are nurse practitioners, physician assistants and registered nurses. The clinic is a Student Health Services clinic.

President Rick Muma and Shirley Lefever, provost and executive vice president, along with representatives from Gensler, a global architecture, design and planning firm that helped develop the plan, hosted a presentation discussing Wichita State’s next 10-year Master Plan March 1.

The presentation was an opportunity for the campus community to see the general direction for the campus’ future and ask university leadership questions.

And starting Monday, March 4 in the Rhatigan Student Center, the campus community will have a chance to view the Master Plan easels, which showcased portions of the Master Plan that were on display following the presentation. The first availability will be after 11 a.m. March 4 near the information desk.

As a member of the Kansas Board of Regents, Wichita State is required to provide a master plan every 10 years to guide the vision of the future of the university, and the session is a chance for members of the campus community to learn more from university leadership on what the next 10 years of Wichita State could look like.

Research conducted by Matthew Howland, assistant professor of anthropology and director of the Geospatial Archaeology Laboratory, has been featured in Newsweek.

The research found that over 4,200 archaeological sites in Georgia are at risk of destruction from severe weather, rising sea levels and climate change, significantly more sites than previous models predicted.

The study was made in collaboration with Victor Thompson of the University of Georgia.