Author: Caelin Bragg

Each week, Shocker Athletics provides an update on the latest results, upcoming events and notable moments in WSU sports history.

This week begins the first annual Dining Services coffee crawl. From Monday, Feb. 6 to Sunday, Feb. 12, purchase a drink at Starbucks in the Rhatigan Student Center, Cargill Café in Woolsey Hall and at Groundhouse and receive a punch on the coffee crawl passport from each location.

Bring your card with all three punches to 235 RSC from 1 to 3 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 13 to receive an exclusive 2023 coffee crawl ceramic mug.

Mugs are first come, first serve, while supplies last.

Kathy Downes, dean of WSU Libraries, will retire at the end of the year. Downes has served as dean since 2017 and has worked for over 40 years at Wichita State.

During her time with WSU Libraries, she spearheaded many facility expansions, including coordinating the west addition project from 1985 to 1989 and helping with the 2019 expansion of the 24-hour study room.

She also co-led the systems migration from NOTIS to Voyager and initiated an ongoing project to prepare for the next generation of cloud-based library services. Many other transformations and enhancements of Ablah Library’s learning spaces, collections and services were also led by her.

“Dean Downes is leaving a lasting impact and legacy at WSU and will be missed,” said Shirley Lefever, provost and executive vice president. “The WSU community wishes her well on her well-deserved retirement.”

Each week, Shocker Athletics provides an update on the latest results, upcoming events and notable moments in WSU sports history.

A recent PBS “News Hour” story highlights the role Wichita State University plays in the arts community of Wichita.

Among the Wichita State connections featured are Kristin Beal, a lecturer in the Masters of Arts Administration program for the WSU College of Fine Arts and special projects manager for Strategic Communications; and Mina Estrada a lecturer for the dance department. Dr. Timothy Jones, assistant professor of violin, is shown performing for the Wichita Symphony Orchestra.

For Music Theatre Wichita, assistant professor of musical theatre Richard Biever, and student Sophia Hillman are pictured during rehearsals.

The director of the National Science Foundation visited Wichita State University in January.

The Honorable Sethuraman Panchanathan toured Wichita State’s National Institute for Aviation Research, WSU Tech and the National Center for Aviation Training as a guest of U.S. Senator Jerry Moran.

The tours focused on demonstrating how Wichita State partners with industry to educate and train students for the workforce through applied learning.

The American Red Cross is seeking blood donors of all races and ethnicities to help meet the diverse needs of patients, including those with sickle cell disease. The most compatible blood for patients often comes from donors of the same race or similar ethnicity.

Encourage friends, family and the community to make an appointment at the WSU blood drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 7 and 8 at the Heskett Center.

Appointments can be made on the Red Cross website or by calling 1-800-733-2767.

Wichita State University has selected the 2023 recipients of the Harry Gore Memorial Scholarships. Each student will receive a $64,000 scholarship to attend Wichita State University in August 2023.  

The 2023 Gore Scholars are:

• Maley Hansen, Wichita North High School
• Lesly Hernandez, Maize High School
• Jayden Island, Derby High School

President Rick Muma and Shirley Lefever, provost and executive vice president, are conducting a town hall for faculty and staff about WSU’s Student Success and Persistence (SSP) initiative. Join them 9-10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7 in the Rhatigan Student Center ballroom to learn more.

The SSP initiative, which falls under the umbrella of Strategic Enrollment Management, includes comprehensive and holistic tactics to support students throughout their academic journeys.

Students should take time to reflect on their past semester and think about their successes and what they can change to maximize their future success. To do this, there are a number of resources are available to students, including meeting with a success coach or a peer financial coach in Student Success for assistance in setting goals, completing success plans or designing a financial plan to remain on the path to graduation.

Students should also think about about what applied learning experiences they are interested in as well as social and leadership opportunities, which can be found in Student Involvement.