Author: Abigail Klein

Dr. Mythili Menon, assistant professor of English and linguistics and director of linguistics at Wichita State University, will speak as one of three panelists during a special edition Engage ICT event “Sorting out Facts, Truth, and Opinion” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 12 at the Brickyard. All spots for this in-person event have been reserved.

The event is presented by “1A” as part of “1A’s Remaking America.” The conversation will not be live-streamed, but a future episode of “1A” will feature the discussion. Participants can also follow KMUW on Twitter for a live look of the conversation.

Dr. Walter Mays, College of Fine Arts professor of music theory and composition, passed away July 11.

Among the many honors he accrued during his distinguished career, he was a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Music Composition, and received the Naumburg Recording Award and Composers Award from the Martha Baird Rockefeller Fund for Music.

His oratorio, “Voices from The Fiery Wind,” was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1981. He had commissions from many prestigious ensembles, including the Pro Arte String Quartet, and his works were performed throughout the world.

NetApp will host an E-waste and shredding event 11 a.m.-1 p.m. July Friday, July 29 at its location on Wichita State’s Innovation Campus. The event is open to all students, faculty, staff and innovation partners.

During the event, participants can bring the following items:

•  Personal documents accepted for secure shredding
•  All personal electronics, including appliances
•  Secure data destruction for E-Waste (hard drive shredder)
• On-site assistance available for larger loads

For more information, contact chris.hepner@netapp.com.

Christopher Leonard, a licensed psychologist and Student Wellness Center director of counseling, has been selected to be part of the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) Advisory Board. The CCMH Advisory Board, operated out of Penn State, directs and advises CCMH initiatives based on expertise and knowledge of challenges, trends and best practices in the field of college student mental health counseling.

Leonard will serve for three years on the board and provide recommendations on current and future projects, organizational and administrative protocols, as well as collaborate with the CCMH Business Team. 

Leonard has been instrumental in applying predictive data analytics to assist CAPS in maintaining low wait times with rapid access for crisis appointments while maintaining a focus on quality treatment and applied learning.  His knowledge and expertise will have broad impacts on college students’ access to mental health servicees with this appointment, and will help Wichita State continually adapt to the changing college student’s mental health landscape.    

Three Wichita State University Shocker Ad Lab teams received state and national honors recently during the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW) Communications Contest recognition ceremony in Fargo, North Dakota.

The teams won for an advertising campaign and public relations work completed and published during the spring and fall 2021 semesters. Shocker Ad Lab is a student advertising agency offered as a class in WSU’s Elliott School of Communication.

All entries were published or broadcast between Jan. 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2021. NFPW is a nationwide organization of women and men pursuing careers across the communication spectrum, including print and electronic journalism, freelancing, new media, books, public relations, marketing, graphic design, photography, advertising, radio and television.

Professional communicators from across the United States — including 13 WSU students — were honored. The Shocker Ad Lab creative work was entered in the Kansas contest, conducted by the Kansas Professional Communicators (KPC) by Shocker Ad Lab faculty creative director Madeline McCullough, a member of KPC and NFPW. After winning first place in Kansas, both campaigns went on to compete at the national contest in Fargo.

During the competition, a distinguished group of professional journalists, communication specialists and educators judged nearly 2,000 entries in a variety of categories from 39 states. Only first-place winning entries at the state level are eligible to enter the national contest. WSU was honored for the following:

NFPW “Honorable Mention – Advertising Campaign” for “Off the Grid with Gridiron”

Promoting the 2021 Wichita Gridiron variety show and fundraiser — a comedy show staged annually in support of the Kansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists’ scholarship fund. The campaign promoted in-person ticket sales, online ticket sales and donations in support of the scholarship fund, which benefits journalism students across Kansas.

Spring 2021 Shocker Ad Lab staff being recognized:

Anita Chokbengboun – Team co-leader, strategist and chief copywriter

David Diaz – Team co-leader and chief designer

Raquel Diaz – Video producer

Trey Greening – Copywriter

Joey Nichols – Broadcast and production coordinator

Madeline McCullough – Faculty creative director

NFPW “Honorable Mention – Public Relations Campaign” for “Valley Center Vietnam Moving Wall”

Promoting the “Valley Center Vietnam Moving Wall,” a half-size replica of the Washington, D.C. Vietnam Veterans Memorial as it toured the United States, making a stop in October, 2021 in Valley Center, Kansas. Visitors totaled 7,120.

Spring 2021 Shocker Ad Lab staff being recognized:

Melissa Tran – Team leader and copywriter

Dawsyn Long – Art director (WSU Undergraduate Admissions marketing coordinator)

Lori Froehlich – Strategy, research, military consultant recently retired from the Air Force

Jessica Oldenettel – Social media, historic research and copywriter

Spencer Hynes – Team support, research assistant

Fall 2021 Shocker Ad Lab staff being recognized:

Theresa Tran – Art director (Elliot School of communication temp)

Jeannie Qualls – Art director (Career Development multimedia coordinator)

Mariah Relph – Writer

Madeline McCullough – Faculty creative director

  

Wichita State University’s Molecular Diagnostics Lab will continue to offer free COVID-19 testing to the public through December 2022.

The MDL, which opened in October 2020, was built in response to COVID-19 as a lab that could test large quantities of specimens with a short turnaround, allowing for precise quarantine and treatment of those infected and mitigating the spread of the virus.

KMUW’s free calendar stickers are back for the 2022-2023 academic year. To request one or more, send an email to cooper@kmuw.org. In the email, please include a name, campus box number and the quantity requested. Orders will be fulfilled by the end of July.

Wichita State Prevention Services is launching a new campaign focusing on substance abuse prevention. The program includes a new informational website that will help students learn more about substance abuse prevention and about the counseling and resources available to students.

The campaign also encourages students who use a designated driver ride-share services to avoid drunk driving to post about their decisions on social media using the #WSUWeSupportU hashtag.

If you want to share your reason for sober driving or to be in a promotional video for WSU Prevention Services, contact us prevention.services@wichita.edu.

The Office of Strategic Communications in Morrison Hall will be closed for staff development on Thursday, June 23. The office will reopen at 8 a.m. Friday, June 24. For immediate issues contact 316-978-3045 or shelly.coleman-martins@wichita.edu.

Josue Renteria is an applied computing senior who is spending his summer working with Houston Cyber Fusion Center to expand their operational technology security capabilities. His classes at Wichita State sparked his interest in cybersecurity.

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.