Author: Abigail Klein

The Kansas Council for Economic Education (KCEE) has received a $5,000 grant from Evergy. The KCEE will use the grant in providing its economic and financial literacy programs for K-12 students throughout the state of Kansas.

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $200,000 grant to Dr. Ajita Rattani, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering’s School of Computing, that seeks to improve facial recognition technology, addressing civil liberties concerns that some demographic groups are more likely to be misidentified. 

In response to the increasing community spread of the COVID Delta variant – Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced a new mask requirement for state employees and in state facilities that will go into effect Monday, Aug. 2.  

In her news conference, Gov. Kelly stated that all state employees and visitors inside state facilities will be required to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status. 

At this time, we believe this new mandate applies to all WSU employees, students and campus visitors. However, we are still awaiting final confirmation.  

We will communicate that information to the campus community once we know more. 

I feel confident that we can handle this change as we’ve handled so many others. I implore those of you in Shocker Nation to get vaccinated against COVID-19 if you are able.  

Stay tuned for more updates on this evolving situation. 

Sincerely, 

Rick Muma,
President, Wichita State University 

Dorothy (Dotty) Harpool, senior marketing educator and executive director of marketing, enrollments and communication for the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University, is one of four distinguished members to be inducted into the 2021 40 Under 40 Hall of Fame by the Wichita Business Journal. Each person selected has been chosen for a previous 40 Under 40 class and has continued to grow their career in Wichita.

“To be honest, I was completely shocked when I was told I was selected for the Hall of Fame,” said Harpool “This honor isn’t just mine, it is a representation of the cumulative effort by my colleagues within the Barton School of Business. Every day we strive to contribute to the success of the future business community and whenever a member of our team is recognized, it reinforces that we are on the right path.”

The 2021 honorees are Harpool, Lathia DeSilva from Signal Theory, Dustin DeVaughn of DeVaughn James Injury Lawyers, and Ed O’Malley at the Kansas Leadership Center. The 40 Under 40 program was created in 1998. Since then, only 28 others have been named to its Hall of Fame.

“Dotty is one of the most intelligent, creative, dynamic, and dedicated individuals I’ve had the pleasure of working with,” said Dr. Larisa Genin, dean of the Barton School of Business. “I’m continually inspired by her passion for the business school, university and city.”

Harpool and the rest of the Hall of Fame class will be recognized at the 40 Under 40 dinner, which will take place on July 29 at the Hyatt Regency Wichita.

“Our university is very lucky to have phenomenal people like Dotty stay and build their legacy in Wichita,” Dr. Shirley Lefever, interim executive vice president and provost at WSU. “Dotty’s work has helped shape the Barton School into the program it is today. The 40 Under 40 Hall of Fame is right where she belongs.”

Student Affairs offices will close at 2 p.m. today for professional development. Some offices will remain open. For more information, please contact individual offices. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Dr. Maurine A. Fry served as professor and dean of the College of Education from 1988 to 1993 at Wichita State University. Fry, 85, passed away on July 17 in Venice, Florida.

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $175,000 grant to Wichita State University’s Dr. Saideep Nannapaneni for research that has implications for increasing the speed and accuracy of data-driven decision-making.

For the first time in Wichita State history, the Barton School of Business has awarded three, multi-year scholarships to transfer students committed to joining the business program, in association with the Phi Theta Kappa honor society.

Wichita State University’s partnership with the Advanced Robotics Manufacturing Institute (ARM) has resulted in the Department of Engineering Technology being among the first programs in the nation to earn an ARM endorsement for their mechatronics track – a certification that will translate to stronger job prospects for graduates.

People from France farmed and produced silk in Kansas in the 1860s as part of a dream of a utopian community.

“Who knows what was going on here in Silkville,” John Wise says as he stands in front of a stone schoolhouse in Franklin County near the end of his 12-minute video.