Author: Abigail Klein

Richard Dinkel, senior vice president and chief financial officer at Koch Industries, Inc., has been named to the Dean’s Advisory Board of the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University. Dinkel becomes one of 50 diverse industry leaders from around the country.

“As an alumnus of this wonderful school, it is an honor to join the Dean’s Advisory Board,” said Dinkel. “I hope to impart the principles that have shaped me throughout my life to help transform the Barton School.”

“The Dean’s Advisory Board is pivotal to the success of the Barton School,” said Dr. Larisa Genin, Dean of the W. Frank Barton School of Business. “By tapping into the knowledge and insights that Richard and our other members have, we can revolutionize our college and community.”

The Dean’s Advisory Board works to advance the mission and strategic priorities of the Barton School through strengthening, enriching and enhancing the student experience. Dinkel’s expertise in finance and progressive industries such as analytics and information technologies will be an asset to the team.

“Richard’s business acumen, commitment to excellence, and experiences at Koch will be invaluable to our group and I welcome him aboard,” Margaret Dechant, chair of the Dean Advisory Board.

As the CFO, Dinkel has responsibility for Koch’s finance functions including accounting, tax, treasury, risk and IT in addition to Koch’s Global Services group. Dinkel has more than 30 years of experience in finance and accounting operations for large companiesand is also a certified public accountant. 

Dinkel serves on the board of directors of Flint Hills Resources, Guardian Industries, Georgia Pacific, INVISTA, Molex, Koch Global Services, and JDRF (formerly Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) of Missouri and Kansas. He has also served as a board member of Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Salvation Army and the Kansas Society of Certified Public Accountants. Dinkel is a past member of the Financial Accounting Standards Board advisory committee.

This month’s issue of Forward Together starts off with a message from President Rick Muma about how Wichita State fits into the New University model. Additional items include the following:

• The importance of faculty and staff to support students’ success
• The transformation of Clinton Hall into the Shocker Success Center
• The groundbreaking for the Millie Marcus Annex at the Marcus Welcome Center

The Wichita State University Board of Trustees approved funding for the first two phases of the renovation of Cessna Stadium last week. The timing of the demolition and renovation will be scheduled to avoid interruption of high school and Wichita State track and field meets.

When completed, the new university stadium will accommodate more than 10,000 spectators and include an 8-lane track and space for a soccer field.The stadium opened in 1946 as Veterans Stadium and was expanded and renamed Cessna Stadium in 1969.

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the College of Applied Studies (CAS) Diversity Committee is hosting a presentation titled “Liberation and Decolonized Mental Health Practices” noon-1 p.m. today, Sept. 26, via Zoom. Dr. Edil Torres Rivera — professor and Latinx Cluster coordinator and Interventions Service and Leadership in Education (ISLE) — will present during the event.

This event is a part of the CAS Diversity Committee Faculty, Staff and Community of Color Lecture Series. Registration is required to attend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

For more information, please contact Dr. Valerie Thompson valerie.thompson@wichita.edu.

Experience the entire month-long celebration as students return to campus to begin the fall 2022 semester.

Welcomefest takes place during the first four weeks of each semester and features dozens of activities. Popular programs awaiting new and returning Shockers include Clash of the Colleges and Involvement Fair.

Hosted by various student groups and campus departments, most events are free and give all students a chance to get acquainted with each other, learn their way around campus, and find ways to connect with the community.

President Rick Muma will host a town hall for University Libraries 2-3 p.m. today, Sept. 26, via Zoom. The link to the Zoom meeting can be found below.

Basil Hourani, co-founder and former CEO of Pulse Systems Inc. and co-founder and executive partner of Capital7, has been named as the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University for the fall 2022 semester.

The Entrepreneur-in-Residence program was established in 2021 to provide essential collaboration and outside industry knowledge to Barton School students, faculty and the Wichita community.

Brian Umbenhauer and Geoff Tuff, principals at Deloitte, are joining forces to become the joint Executives-in-Residence at the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University for the fall 2022 semester.  

The Executive-in-Residence program was established last year to provide Barton School students, faculty and the Wichita community with vital perspectives and knowledge from industry leaders.

The Tallgrass Film Festival has become a staple in Wichita’s arts community during the past 20 years, engaging audiences with world-class programming in a celebration of cinematic arts. The festival is known for connecting film-savvy audiences with cutting-edge filmmakers from all over the world, providing a unique experience throughout the four-day festival. This year, Wichita State student Corri Newman will be added to the list of distinguished filmmakers who have contributed to the festival’s legacy.

Corri’s short documentary, “Kansas Honor Flight,” was selected to be screened at the 2022 festival, and the news came as a pleasant surprise to Corri.

President Rick Muma will host three town halls at three separate times today, Sept. 23, via Zoom. The times and groups include the following:

• College of Applied Studies — 10-11 a.m.
• College of Health Professions — 1-2 p.m.
• College of Engineering — 3:30-4:40 p.m.