Author: Caelin Bragg

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.

What started as a work study position in the costume shop of her university’s theater department has propelled Melissa Penkava Koza’s sewing hobby into guiding the next generation of costume creators.

Penkava Koza, who was recently promoted to assistant teaching professor of design and technical theatre at Wichita State, always enjoyed helping others grow and sharing her passion. So for her, it seemed like the natural evolution to work in higher education.

“I’ve always known I would be an educator,” Penkava Koza said. “But after connecting with my mentors in undergrad, it was clear that working in costuming would allow me to apply the skills I loved in a way that could be transformative to not only the performers, but the technicians and the industry at large.”

Wichita State has selected the 2025 recipients of the Harry Gore Memorial Scholarships. Each student will receive a $64,000 scholarship to attend WSU in August 2025.

The 2025 Gore Scholars are:

• Beckett Sollars, Park Hill Senior High School (Missouri)
• Mei-Li Hunt, Wesclin Junior-Senior High School (Illinois)
• Aidan Thibodeau, Herington High School

We are keeping the families and loved ones of those affected by the devasting plane crash in Washington, D.C. in our thoughts. As a close-knit community, this incident has shaken the entire Shocker community.

We want to remind students that they have numerous support systems available as members of our community.

• You can schedule an appointment with Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). It offers individual and group therapy, and no student will be turned away for the inability to pay. Learn more and schedule an appointment.
• The CARE Team offers proactive support to the entire Shocker community. If you or someone you know is struggling during this time, you can submit a concern at: wsu.news/careteamreporting
• Student Health Services can help a number of physical and mental health related issues that can result from difficult situations, such as treat acute symptoms like headaches, prescribe mental health medications after consultation with CAPS and more.

After such tragedies, it is more important than ever to come together and support your fellow peers.

As we learn more about the tragic Jan. 29 plane crash, we know the profound effect it has had on many in Wichita, including our campus. As a close-knit community, this hits especially close to home. As Shockers, we all need to support each other.

We also want faculty and staff to know that there are resources available to support you through these difficult times.

• The Employee Assistance Program is available to all employees at Wichita State through the state of Kansas and offers a variety of services, including personal counseling. Learn more about the Employee Assistance Program.
• The CARE Team offers proactive support to the entire Shocker community. If you or someone you know is struggling during this time, you can submit a report at: wsu.news/careteamreporting

During times like this, it is more important than ever to lean on your colleagues.