Author: Caelin Bragg

2023-24 seasonal influenza vaccines and updated 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccines have arrived at Student Health Services. WSU faculty, staff and students — make your appointment now, while supplies last.

Everyone 6 months and older is recommended to receive one dose of updated influenza and mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. The new COVID-19 vaccine formula targets the variants that are currently circulating in the United States. Who is eligible for the Flu and COVID-19 vaccines at Student Health Services?

• Ages 18 and over
• Currently enrolled WSU students
• Current WSU employees
• Must be at least 10 days past a positive COVID test or COVID-19/influenza-like symptoms.

How to get your vaccination?

• Appointments are required. Call 316-978-4792 to schedule.
• Bring your current health insurance card to use your possible free immunization benefits. If SHS is considered out of network with your insurance, you may have out-of-pocket costs.
• Allow 15 minutes to sit and wait after receiving the COVID-19 vaccination.

How much do the vaccinations cost?

• Flu Vaccines – $25, plus administration fee
• 2023-24 COVID booster vaccine – Pfizer Comirnaty – $125, plus administration fee

Other COVID-19 vaccination locations in the Wichita Community: vaccines.gov/search

• When searching on the site, uninsured or underinsured persons should be sure to click the box for “Bridge Access Program Participant” while searching for a vaccine using this site. This program provides no-cost COVID-19 vaccines to adults without health insurance and adults whose insurance does not cover all COVID-19 vaccine costs. There are 19 pharmacies or health departments in the Wichita area that are authorized participants of this program.

Did you get an email that promises you amazing financial aid, grants or an amazing job opportunity from UNICEF? If so, ask yourself – could this be a scam?

Key things to look for:

• Sender: Does the sender make sense? UNICEF or anyone promising money would not legitimately email you from another college or a free email account (Like @outlook.com or @gmail.com).
• Do they claim that you cannot email them back with your @shocker account because it is part of a “reading test” or “checking your attention to detail”?
• Do they claim to be from a generic organization without a website, physical address, or logos/branding?
• Are they going to hire you without an interview?
• Did they claim that they know you, but then ask your name, phone number, name of your university and want your mobile number?
• Do they only want to talk to you via text?
• Do they claim you have free money?

If you see this in an email – it’s a scam.

They will send you fake checks. They work out a deal where you cash the check and send them the money via bank transfer app. The scam is the checks take a few days to clear, but the bank makes the money available to you right away. When the checks fail to clear and turn out to be fake, the bank will take the money out of your account. There is no insurance for this. You end up losing it all.

Be smart – do not take checks from unknown sources and think about emails before getting excited.

Unsure if an email is a scam? Report it. Hit the “Report Phish” button in outlook or send the message to spamreport@wichita.edu.

Dr. Tania Betancourt, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Texas State University, will discuss applying for funding for, and directing, a large research center at a workshop at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 15 in 262 Rhatigan Student Center, Herrman Room or virtually via Teams.

Specifically, Dr. Betancourt will discuss the National Science Foundation’s Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) program as an example of a large research center.

Dr. Betancourt is a faculty member of the Materials Science, Engineering and Commercialization Program, and director of the NSF PREM Center for Intelligent Materials Assembly at Texas State. There will be opportunities for questions with WSU researchers at this hybrid session.

For more information or to receive a link to the virtual workshop, contact funding@wichita.edu. You may also register directly on myTraining through myWSU. 

Dr. Betancourt is also presenting a chemistry seminar, “Pulsatile Drug Delivery via Photothermal Modulation of Dynamic Covalent Poly(ethylene glycol)/PEDOT Hydrogels,” as part of WSU’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry colloquium series at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 14 in 224 McKinley Hall. She will also participate in a discussion of Latin-X and Women in STEM from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15 in 261 RSC, Olive Room. RSVP to carol.mccall@wichita.edu if you plan to attend.

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop has announced that its online ordering is now available as early as 9 a.m. daily for pick-up or delivery at the Braeburn Square location.

Enjoy breakfast favorites from the comfort of your home, classroom or office. Dine-in options kick in at 10:30 a.m. daily.

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 — There will be two sessions to choose from, at noon Tuesday, Feb. 20 or 9 a.m. Friday, Feb. 23 both 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 on Tuesday, and a continental breakfast will be served at the Friday event. 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.

Wichita State is joining more than 200 of the nation’s leading artificial intelligence (AI) stakeholders to participate in a Department of Commerce initiative to support the development and deployment of trustworthy and safe AI.

Established by the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the U.S. AI Safety Institute Consortium (AISIC) brings together AI creators and users, academics, government and industry researchers, and civil society organizations to meet this mission.

Wichita State has released the list of all 1,280 Shockers who graduated in fall 2023.

Overall, graduates completed a total of 1,380 degrees — 834 undergraduate degrees and certificates and 549 graduate degrees and certificates — with 168 honored as cum laude, 184 honored as magna cum laude and 48 honored as summa cum laude.

Wichita State has released the names of the 3,686 students included in the fall 2023 semester Dean’s Honor Roll list. To be included on the honor roll, students must be a full-time student (at least 12 credit hours) and have at least a 3.5 grade point average on the 4.0 scale.

Our community helped raise $15,000 toward alleviating illiteracy in Shocker Neighborhood through United Way’s Champions of Literacy initiative.

The total amount raised was announced at the Feb. 7 Shocker men’s basketball game against UTSA, where United Way alongside President Rick Muma and Kevin Saal, director of athletics, presented the money raised.

Shockers can still donate to the campaign through the following teams:

• The President’s team
• Shocker Athletics
• Admissions
• Evelyn Hendren Cassat SLH Clinic

Reading helps children build cognitive skills, gain a deeper understanding of the world, improve their concentration and fuel their imagination. As an educational driver for the state of Kansas, Wichita State is committed to helping students of all ages achieve success and become the leaders of tomorrow.

BreAnn Gilkey is an associate clinical professor, field practicum director and undergraduate coordinator in WSU’s School of Social Work. She says her experience as a Black woman lets her know it’s imperative that she shows up for all her students. Read more about BreAnn’s experience.

“Representation matters, and it helps to be a face out there that looks like some of the students that come through the social work program,” BreAnn said “However, I am here for all of my students.”

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.