Author: Abigail Klein

Following a national search for the Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art creative and executive director, Vivian Zavataro has been selected for the position, effective Oct. 16.

Zavataro is the director and chief curator of the John and Geraldine Lilley Museum of Art of the University located in Reno, Nevada. In that role, Zavataro successfully led the museum through a transition from a gallery to a university-based museum. She also brings extensive international experience after working for museums and galleries worldwide and has earned a master’s in museum and heritage studies from the University of Amsterdam.

As the creative and executive director, Zavataro’s immediate priorities will include providing strategic leadership in collaboration with faculty, staff, students and other key internal and external stakeholders.

“Vivian has a passion for diversity, equity and inclusion and an eye toward innovation that makes her a perfect fit for Wichita State University,” said Shirley Lefever, WSU executive vice president and provost. “She also brings a dedication to strong community engagement that will contribute to the future success of the museum.”

The July 2022 issue of Wichita State’s Research and Innovation Newsletter is now available. The issue features a collection of Research and Innovation news stories including the brand-new Deloitte Smart Factory @ Wichita, the opening of NetApp’s Wichita headquarters at WSU and the Student-created parking app Everwhen.

Nick Elam, educator and inventor of what is known as the Elam Ending in basketball, will speak at Wichita State University at 5:15 p.m. Aug. 23 in 231 Hubbard Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

The Elam Ending has gained acclaim as an exciting format to end basketball games, and it is currently employed by TBT: The Basketball Tournament, including at TBT regional being played in Wichita. The story of the Elam Ending is about more than basketball and statistics. It’s about persistence and positive thinking. Elam’s speech will explore the personal side of a 15-year (and counting) journey to bring a vision to life on the court. The speech will have takeaways for an audience of future leaders, innovators and risk-takers.

Wichita State University faculty and staff are invited to the annual Fall Address at 2:30 p.m. today, Wednesday, Aug. 17, at Woolsey Hall. The event will also be available via a YouTube livestream.

President Rick Muma, with the assistance of several university representatives, will outline key focus areas for the coming year:

• Access and affordability
• Talent pipeline
• Economic prosperity

Free Shocker car magnets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Light refreshments will be served following the address.

Please note that parking by Woolsey Hall is limited. Refer to the faculty/staff parking map for nearby lots.

Wichita State University’s 330-acre campus is filled with picturesque buildings and construction projects that will carry the university forward. Works of art, tulips and quiet places to study add to the beauty. Throughout campus, the landmarks carry stories of history and significance.

Who is the pioneering woman who saved one of Wichita State’s enduring scenes from bulldozers? Which educational building on campus has its roots in Baghdad, Iraq?

WSU senior Kyle Walter is interning as a student team lead at the Deloitte Smart Factory @ Wichita located on Wichita State’s Innovation Campus. Kyle says the internship has provided him valuable skills in smart manufacturing technology development.

More than 5,000 Shockers each year take what they’ve learned in the classroom and transfer that knowledge into real-world environments. Applied learning — which is required for every Wichita State student — happens in offices, factories, laboratories, nonprofits, industries and companies across the globe. Students work side-by-side with seasoned professionals to ensure that they’re fully prepared to make meaningful contributions to their employers and their communities when they graduate.

Wichita State University, along with several community partners, presents the Suspenders4Hope Preventing Suicide Training at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 21 at The Phoenix Gym, 145 N. Wabash in Wichita. This free training will be facilitated by Dr. Jessica Provines, Wichita State’s assistant vice president for wellness and chief psychologist. It’s open to all addiction treatment counselors and providers and community members. 

Texan Kyndal Nystrom chose Wichita State because of the opportunities and affordability available at the university.

Shockers come from all over, and students from selected major metropolitan areas in Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas may be eligible to receive regular in-state tuition at Wichita State. Read what some out-of-state students have to say about why they chose WSU — and Wichita — as their new home.

Following an internal search and interviews with four finalist candidates for the position of associate vice president (AVP) for institutional effectiveness (IE), Dr. Ashlie Jack has been selected for the position, effective July 26. Jack recently served as the interim associate dean and accreditation officer for the College of Applied Studies. Before this, she served as assistant dean and accreditation officer for the college, beginning in 2015.

During her tenure as assistant dean and accreditation officer, Dr. Jack successfully led the educator preparation programs through the national accreditation process, resulting in full accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Education Providers (CAEP) as well as full state-level accreditation from the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE). In addition to this, she has served as a national reviewer for CAEP.

In her role as accreditation officer, she also supported the specialized professional association accreditation process for the School Psychology, Counseling and Athletic Training programs and led the college-wide assessment and governance efforts.

As Dr. Jack assumes her new role as AVP for IE, her immediate priorities will include providing strategic direction and leadership in the coordinating, planning, development, execution and management of the university-wide regional and specialty assessment and accreditation activities within the division. Dr. Jack will also collaborate with others to align academic assessments with the co-curriculum. This work will include leading the Higher Learning Commission accreditation process and the Kansas Board of Regents program review processes.

Dr. Neal Allen — associate professor of political science, department chair, undergraduate advisor and Washington and Topeka internship coordinator — will speak on NPR’s “1A” at 10 a.m. today, July 13 on KMUW. During the program, Neal and a legal historian will discuss abortion and democracy in the United States.