Author: Caelin Bragg

Want to better get to know the president and provost of Wichita State? Connect with President Rick Muma and Provost Shirley Lefever on social media.

See how they engage with students, participate in events and give back to the campus community.

President Muma:

• Instagram
• X
• LinkedIn

Provost Lefever:

• Instagram
• X
• LinkedIn

Wichita State Dining is going high tech with the rollout of robotic food delivery on campus, thanks to a partnership with Starship Technologies.

Starting today (Aug. 14), Starship’s fleet of autonomous, on-demand robots are available to deliver food from the following campus restaurants:

• RSC Starbucks
• Panda Express
• Freddy’s Frozen Custard
• Tu Taco
• Market at Groundhouse
• Cargill Cafe
• Black & Gold Grill: A Delivery Ghost Kitchen

Welcome to Shocker Blast, Wichita State’s internal student newsletter! Shocker Blast provides you regular updates about Shocker Nation every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning, sent directly to your official student email.

Here, you can learn more about the resources available for you to succeed; important campus updates about parking, traffic, closures and deadlines; how to get involved on campus; messages and news from Wichita State; and more.

Shocker Blast is here to help all students engage with Shocker Nation and get the most out of their time at WSU.

For more information about Shocker Blast, reach out to Caelin Bragg, newsletter editor in the Office of Strategic Communications, at caelin.bragg@wichita.edu.

This week’s Student Success and Persistence highlight comes from Andréa Banke, assistant professor of music theory and program director for the Master of Arts in Arts Leadership and Management.

• What role do you think faculty/staff play in a student’s success and persistence?
  “I think we can proactively foster a classroom environment in which students feel heard, seen and comfortable seeking support, both academically and emotionally, if they need it. And everybody will need it at some point. Frequent and regular office hours are a must, especially in applications-based courses like the ones I teach. The one thing I try to stress above everything else is to engage in the process, don’t chase the reward. The process and progress is so much more important than the grade, and here’s a success secret: if you deeply engage in and commit to the process, you’ll get the result you want faster than if you had just chased the grade anyway.”
• What is one small thing any faculty/staff member can do to make a student’s day or let them know they’re cared for?
  “Greet them whenever you see them — in the hallway, foyers, etc. Students who feel seen will connect better in class. Observe and describe without judgment: ‘I see you’re struggling this week. How can I help?’ then listen to the reply. The best conversations are not started with a discussion of a grade or an absence.”
• How do you promote student success through your campus duties?
  “Our field of music has historically been dominated by white, male composers. My goal is to create a diverse classroom advocating for, and using as examples, women composers, BIPOC composers and LGTBQ musicians. When students see themselves represented, they thrive.”

Do you know of a faculty or staff member who promotes student success, or a student who has been helped by a faculty or staff member, that should be highlighted in WSU Today? Email your ideas to Caelin Bragg, newsletter editor with the Office of Strategic Communications, at caelin.bragg@wichita.edu.

In 2020, the Athletics Policy and Culture Task Force was created to examine the WSU Athletics Department’s organizational policies and practices, with the goal to support WSU’s student-athletes and athletics staff members.

The task force, comprised of a cross-section of athletics and university staff and students, examined the policies, procedures and practices of WSU and the Athletics Department; the policies and procedures of WSU’s American Athletic Conference (AAC) and other institutional peers; and data produced from a self-reported climate study.

After examining all the data, the task force made 41 recommendations in the following areas. As of spring 2023, ICAA has reached completion (or substantial completion) in 39 of the 41 recommendations.

• Reporting and procedures
• Policies and statements
• Additional resources, trainings and/or organizational best practices
• Recommendations for the AAC

Bolstered by a $2 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, a group of Wichita State researchers is hoping to create a paradigm shift from the use of harmful nitrous oxide-based fertilizers to more eco-friendly nitrogen fertilizers that would reduce greenhouse gases.

The project to curb nitrous oxide is a collaboration between researchers at WSU and Iowa State University, led by WSU’s Dr. Shuang Gu, associate professor in the College of Engineering, and Dr. Wenzhen Li, a professor in the College of Engineering at Iowa State. The ISU researchers also received $2 million from the NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).

The WSU team will work alongside the ISU team to explore fertilizers that have a lower environmental footprint by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide, with the goal of enabling a shift toward more sustainable agriculture.

The second candidate, Dr. Michele Reilly, Alma implementation lead, content services digital projects coordinator and professor, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, will be on campus Monday, Aug. 7 and Aug. 8.

The third candidate, Stephen Patton, chair of the Systems Department, Cunningham Memorial Library, Indiana State University, will be on campus Aug. 9 and Aug. 10.

Faculty, staff and students are invited to attend a public forum for Dr. Reilly at 3:30 p.m. Aug. 7, and for Patton at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9, both in 261 Rhatigan Student Center, Olive Room.

Additional information regarding the candidate can be found on the Academic Affairs webpage.

Wichita State University and WSU Tech are key drivers of economic growth, fueling job creation, fostering industry partnerships, and supporting local businesses — and the numbers prove it. According to the 2022 Economic Impact Study, WSU and WSU Tech’s total economic impact in Kansas in 2021 was $1.3 billion.

The study, published recently by WSU’s Center for Economic Development and Business Research, used best practices laid out by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and Association of American Universities.

WSU and WSU Tech’s impact on the Kansas economy is substantial and can be seen through a variety of metrics.

The office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Logistics and Product Support has sponsored a contract through the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) to award Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) a five-year $100 million cooperative agreement for digital engineering and technologies to support sustainment of legacy U.S. Air Force platforms.

This cooperative agreement provides for an indefinite quantity of supplies or services during a fixed period of time. Initially, it will be used to develop digital engineering solutions to support the sustainment and modifications of the B-52 Stratofortress and the C-130 Hercules aircraft; as well as complete the development of the F-16 Fighting Falcon and B-1 Lancer digital twins.

Wichita State’s badge program makes workforce training and continuing education accessible and affordable. Each badge is designed with the practicing professional in mind so coursework can be completed online and at your own pace.

The Successful Grantwriting 101: Narrative Writing and Budgets badge program is a comprehensive introduction to grantwriting. Topics include developing grant opportunities based on your organization’s strategic plan, researching grantmakers (funders), using the Request for Proposals (RFP) for successful project and proposal planning, understanding persuasive narrative writing, preparing the project budget, and optimizing the proposal for re-submission if it is rejected.

Additionally, the Successful Grantwriting 101: Theory and Practice badge program will offer a big-picture approach, more theoretical than the first, hands-on introductory course. Students will engage in discovery learning, focusing on online and library research. The assignments are designed to assist students as grant writers in developing a supportive theoretical structure for their project development and proposal writing processes.

Employees may apply for tuition assistance through Aug. 25 to cover the cost of the badge program.

To register for a badge program, follow the admission/enrollment instructions. For additional assistance, fill out the badge form and a representative from WSU will contact you to assist you with the admission and enrollment process.