Author: Caelin Bragg

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 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 26 in 101 Morrison Hall.

The meeting is open to all faculty, staff and students and is held every other week in Morrison Hall following each legislative session.

Staff from the WSU CARE Team were recognized as the next recipient of Rick Rewards Feb. 21. The staff were honored for their commitment to helping members of the campus community overcome difficult situations and ensuring all students, faculty and staff can achieve their full potential.

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

President Rick Muma and Shirley Lefever, provost and executive vice president, are conducting a town hall for Honors College and College of Innovation and Design faculty and staff at 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 29 via Zoom.

Yolanda and Gene Camarena — the dynamic Entrepreneurs-in-Residence duo at the Barton School of Business for the spring 2024 semester — will provide a keynote presentation as part of the James Schwartz Lecture Series, “Unlocking Success: Key Insights from Visionary Entrepreneurs on Building, Innovating, and Transforming Futures.”

Gene is the president and CEO of La Raza Pizza, Inc., and Yolanda is a dedicated leader in social justice and equity advocacy in education, bringing unparalleled expertise and insights to our academic and entrepreneurial community.

The keynote event is at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 22 in the Woolsey Hall Auditorium.

Doors open at 9 a.m. All are welcome and encouraged to attend this free event.

President Rick Muma and Shirley Lefever, provost and executive vice president, are conducting a town hall for Barton School of Business faculty and staff at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28 via Zoom.

Dr. Rhonda Lewis is a professor of psychology at Wichita State University. She says her identity as a Black individual has influenced everything she does in her work as an instructor and researcher.

Black History Month provides an opportunity for contemplation, learning and raising awareness about the extensive and varied history of the Black community. Wichita State is embracing the rich tapestry of history and heritage by highlighting some of the amazing Black educators who make a difference in students’ lives every day.

HealthHum (Academic Center for Biomedical and Health Humanities) is meeting to discuss grant possibilities at 2 p.m. every Tuesday beginning Tuesday, Feb. 20 in 301 Lindquist Hall.

Anyone who’d like to find collaborators for health-related grant projects is welcome. Email susan.castro@wichita.edu with any questions.

Yolanda and Gene Camarena — the dynamic Entrepreneurs-in-Residence duo at the Barton School of Business for the spring 2024 semester — will provide a keynote presentation as part of the James Schwartz Lecture Series, “Unlocking Success: Key Insights from Visionary Entrepreneurs on Building, Innovating, and Transforming Futures.”

Gene is the president and CEO of La Raza Pizza, Inc., and Yolanda is a dedicated leader in social justice and equity advocacy in education, bringing unparalleled expertise and insights to our academic and entrepreneurial community.

The keynote event is at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 22 in the Woolsey Hall Auditorium.

Doors open at 9 a.m. All are welcome and encouraged to attend this free event.

Faculty and staff are invited to attend an Implicit Bias Session with speaker Crystal U. Davis — a dancer, movement analyst and critical race theorist whose current research explores implicit bias in dance through a critical theory lens — at noon Tuesday, Feb. 20 in 233 Rhatigan Student Center, Santa Fe Trail Room.

The work of Davis, CLMA, has been renowned by a broad community of adjudicators and audiences from Donald McKayle to the royal family of Jodhpur, India.

Lunch will be provided for attendees. Be sure to register ahead of time as space is limited.

The session is coordinated by the Campus Climate Committee and sponsored by Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and the College of Fine Arts.

Ten high school students from Kansas, Missouri and Texas have been awarded the Koch Scholarship at Wichita State University, starting in the fall 2024 semester.

Each scholar each will be awarded $30,000 to attend WSU over four years.

Fall 2024 Koch Scholarship:

• Alexander Baird, Campus High School, electrical engineering (Haysville, Kansas)
• Samir Barraza, Colby High School, computer science
• Carson Brewer, Andover Central High School, computer science
• Tyler Casely-Hayford, Stephen F. Austin High School (Richmond, Texas), mechanical engineering
• Mayce Cashman, Andale High School, finance
• Sophie Clarke, Eisenhower High School, computer science
• Kayla Gann, Smithville High School (Smithville, Missouri), accounting
• Jack Rue, Wichita Northwest High School, computer engineering
• Israel Torres, Wichita Northeast Magnet High School, mechanical engineering
• Erin Vance, Wichita Trinity Academy, mechanical engineering