Author: Cheryl Miller

Mathew Muether, associate professor of physics, is one of several thousand scientists worldwide studying neutrino behavior. His grant support from the U.S. Department of Energy totals nearly $500,000 and finances his work on two projects anchored underground at FermiLab, the particle physics and accelerator laboratory in Batavia, Illinois.

Wichita State’s Master of Science in mathematical data science produces professionals who can communicate the principles of data science statistics and analytics, and assist with the design and implementation of data systems.

Formerly the master’s in mathematical foundations of data analysis, graduates of the program will possess an in-depth mathematic and statistical understanding of data analysis methods as well as a broad skill set that can be applied to tech-related careers such as data analysis, data engineering and data architecture. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the employment of data scientists to grow 36% from 2021 to 2031, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.

Wichita State students wanting to earn a degree in American Sign Language will be able to make progress toward that goal starting fall 2023, when WSU launches a Bachelor of Arts in American Sign Language.

Shockers will be able to tailor the Bachelor of Arts in ASL to their interests and needs by choosing one of three tracks: The Structure of Language; Language and Culture in Context; or Interpreting Methods.

Approximately 1,800 students from across the United States, Canada and Japan will travel to Wichita State for the Science Olympiad National Tournament in May. Teams will begin checking in May 17 and 18, and a STEM Expo will be held May 19. The tournament, ending with an awards ceremony, will run May 20.

Many volunteers are needed to help make this multi-day event possible, and tasks range from completing administrative duties, running errands and judging individual events. Several time blocks are available for volunteering each day.

For more information, contact Jill Fisher, event co-chair and community outreach coordinator, at jill.fisher@wichita.edu.

Campus and community members who missed the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Perspectives on Pedagogy talks can now access them on the Fairmount College YouTube channel.

Videos of each Perspectives series dating to 2020 are also available on the channel. Dr. Andrew Hippisley, Fairmount College dean, hosts each series.

• Supporting and Coaching GTAs in the Classroom 
• Being an Ally in the Classroom
• Active Learning
• Student Perspectives on Teaching and Learning

Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ next Perspectives series will focus on pedagogy. This week’s Perspectives is “Student Perspectives on Teaching and Learning.”

At the receiving end of instruction are students, who provide feedback in personal meetings with faculty and through teaching evaluations. Undergraduate student panelists discuss what they find effective in the classroom and ways that faculty may engage them more productively. Dr. Andrew Hippisley, dean of the Fairmount College, will host, and Brien Bolin, professor of social work and associate dean for student success, will moderate the panel.

Each episode in the Perspectives series will be presented at 2 p.m. Tuesdays, through April 11 via Zoom. Recordings will be made available afterwards on the Fairmount College YouTube channel.

Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ next Perspectives series will focus on pedagogy. This week’s Perspectives is on “Active Learning.”

To engage students and encourage their success are hallmarks of successful teaching approaches. Panelists will discuss activities that foster in-class participation while boosting student and instructor confidence. Dr. Andrew Hippisley, dean of the Fairmount College, will host, and Brien Bolin, professor of social work and associate dean for student success, will moderate the panel.

Each episode in the Perspectives series will be presented at 2 p.m. Tuesdays, through April 11 via Zoom. Recordings will be made available afterwards on the Fairmount College YouTube channel.

Scott Stucky, retired senior judge of the Court of Appeals for the U.S. Armed Forces, will present “The value of a liberal arts and sciences education” at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 30 in 334 Woolsey Hall. 

Stucky graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history from Wichita State in 1970. He was appointed by Former President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2006 to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. His career accomplishments include having served as civilian counsel for the Department of the Air Force, as general counsel of the Senate committee on Armed Services, as a judge advocate Individual Mobilization Augmentee in the Air Force Reserve, and as an appellate military judge on the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals. He became chief judge of the Court of Appeals for the U. S. Armed Forces in August 2017 and, upon the expiration of his term of service in August 2021, he was named senior judge.

Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ next Perspectives series will focus on pedagogy. This week’s Perspectives is on “Being an Ally in the Classroom.”

Occasionally students can make a statement or ask a question in class that is insensitive to classmates’ personal experiences. Panelists will discuss how to address such incidents in the classroom and include positive and negative examples. Dr. Andrew Hippisley, dean of the Fairmount College, will host, and Jean Griffith, associate professor of English and associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion, will moderate the panel.

Each episode in the Perspectives series will be presented at 2 p.m. Tuesdays, through April 11 via Zoom. Recordings will be made available afterwards on the Fairmount College YouTube channel.

Want to know more about life in space? Join alumna Dr. Sarah Wallace as she talks about NASA experiments with microbes on the International Space Station. She will present “Microbes in space” at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 28 in 209 Hubbard Hall and via Zoom. The ID for the meeting is 977 7689 8339, password is 574212.

The presentation is geared towards the general public. Wallace serves as a technical lead in the Microbiology Laboratory at the NASA Johnson Space Center, which is responsible for mitigating infectious disease risk during human spaceflight. Her responsibilities include the assessment of microbial risk based on vehicle and mission architectures as well as crewmember, food and environmental monitoring. These assessments are used to develop requirements for NASA and commercial spaceflight vehicles, including the International Space Station.

In addition to her operational support of human spaceflight, Wallace leads new technology initiatives for her discipline with the goal of reducing Earth-dependence for complex sample analysis. She has served as the principal investigator for numerous spaceflight investigations, including those to increase off-planet molecular biology capabilities.

The Watkins Visiting Professorship was created in 1974 by the Watkins Foundation. The grant is now provided through the Watkins fund, a part of the Wichita State Foundation’s endowment. For more information about this lecture series, contact Dr. David Eichhorn, associate dean for faculty development and research, at 316-978-6659.