Author: James Schisler

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University has partnered with Envision’s Arts Program to showcase five paintings from Savannah, a visually impaired artist, in the new Woolsey Hall. Her work, which resides on the third floor of Woolsey, can be viewed at any time during operating hours and is part of a rotating art installation with Envision in the space. Savannah’s art joins a variety of other original pieces from local artists located throughout the facility.

Savannah uses continuous spirals to create repetitive patterns in her art. Along with having her pieces displayed in Woolsey Hall, her work can be found on a special limited edition wine label with Liquid Art Winery and Estates in Manhattan, Kansas. Her art is also featured in the Envision Art Gallery and Community Engagement Center, which opened its doors earlier this year.

The Barton School’s Woolsey Hall art collection and promotion of visual artists are rooted in a commitment to helping its business students blossom. By developing creative and artistic mindsets, the Barton School opens its students’ eyes to innovative and inspired solutions.

Wayne and Kay Woolsey Hall, the new home of W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University, has a dynamic new art installation, which is sure to draw the eyes of passersby.

Stratosphere (2022) — created by Hybycozo, an artist duo that includes Serge Beaulieu and Yelena Filipchuk — will welcome drivers and visitors to Woolsey Hall. As part of a collaboration between the Ulrich Museum of Art, the Barton School of Business, WSU Foundation, and WSU Facilities Planning, this piece will be the 86th piece in the Ulrich Museum’s Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection.

‘Stratosphere’ is a stainless-steel structure with gold powder-coating that measures 12 feet in diameter. Hybycozo stands for “Hyperspace Bypass Construction Zone.” The name is an allusion to the Douglas Adams science fiction book, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and captures the artists’ shared interests in the many dimensions of geometry, natural patterns found at scales ranging from the microscopic to the cosmic, and advanced manufacturing and fabrication.

The W. Frank Barton School of Business has awarded scholarships worth $40,000 to four Butler Community College students interested in furthering their business education at Wichita State. These scholarships will help amplify and activate the coordinated 2+2 program between the two schools where Butler students will receive their associate’s degree and pursue a business degree at WSU.

“These students are very deserving of their scholarships,” said Dr. Larisa Genin, dean of the Barton School of Business. “We hope this gives them the confidence and help they need to continue to achieve at the Barton School and in their careers.”

The scholarship recipients include three students from Wichita and one from Augusta, Kansas. Each has a different business emphasis they are pursuing.

• Kevin Do — Information technology/ management Information Systems
• Jaren Jackson — business administration
• Linh Lai — finance
• Edson Lopez-Melara – marketing

To be eligible for the scholarship fund, they had to achieve at least a 3.0 GPA, be a full-time Butler student, complete a Butler associate’s degree in spring 2022, show financial need, and be interested in pursuing an undergraduate major within the Barton School. Each will receive $5,000 scholarships for two years.

“We are so excited for Kevin, Jaren, Linh and Edson,” said Dr. Kim Krull, president of Butler Community College. “We loved watching them grow and learn as Grizzles. And we wish them the best of luck as Shockers.

Two uniquely interactive sculptures have been installed next to Woolsey Hall as part of the Ulrich Museum of Art’s world-class Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection.

The two sculptures — “Ernest and Ruth” (2015) — double as a bench and have the unmistakable shape of a speech bubble. Two of these sculptures are located slightly off the main traffic area leading up to Woolsey Hall to encourage interaction. “Ernest and Ruth” was created by the artist Hank Willis Thomas. Many of Thomas’ playfully conceptual works co-opt ubiquitous pop culture symbols to inspire deeper reflection on society’s norms and beliefs.

Thomas’ art is the first work by an African American artist in the Ulrich Museum’s Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection. It is not, however, his first work represented in the Ulrich collection. Thomas’ 2009 series of 20 paintings titled “I Am a Man” is a key work that the museum recently lent to the artist’s large-scale traveling mid-career retrospective.

In association with the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, the W. Frank Barton School of Business has given three multi-year scholarships to transfer students committed to joining the WSU business program. This three recipients hail from three different community colleges across Kansas.

Braeden Althoff — management
Overland Park, Kansas
Transfer college: Johnson County Community College

Corbin Gillihan — accounting
Derby, Kansas
Transfer college: Cowley Community College

Hayden Jansen — accounting
Augusta, Kansas
Transfer college: Butler Community College

Each of the three students will receive $1,000 a year for two years. This scholarship is the first of its kind at WSU. To be eligible for the scholarship, each student had to be registered as a full-time student at WSU taking at least 12 credit hours, have a minimum GPA of 3.25 and be a member of Phi Theta Kappa.

Phi Theta Kappa is the official honor society for two-year colleges, with more than 3.5 million members around the world.

Woolsey Hall has unveiled its first sculpture to join the Ulrich Museum of Art’s world-class Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection. Lumen, the cast bronze sculpture of a horse created initially out of found wood, stands near the serene pond that stretches around the southern wall of Woolsey Hall.

The art serves as a focal point for all visitors to the landscaped public space. The sculpture was created by renowned American sculptor Deborah Butterfield and is her first piece on public display in the state.

Butterfield is known for her work depicting horses made from found objects. Lumen, which means “light” in Latin, was carefully created using sticks and found pieces of wood, cast in bronze, reassembled, and welded together. Its calm and peaceful presence is intended to provide opportunities for individual reflection and conversation for all who visit.

Butterfield’s work can be found in dozens of public collections, including numerous major American museums.

All are welcome to the opening ceremony of WSU’s Behavioral Economics Laboratory from 2:30-4 p.m. Nov. 30 in Woolsey Hall.

The guest of honor will be Dr. Vernon Smith, winner of the 2002 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to behavioral economics and his work in the field of experimental economics. Smith is originally from Wichita.

Smith laid the foundation for the field of experimental economics. He has developed an array of experimental methods, setting standards for what constitutes a reliable laboratory experiment in economics. This event is sponsored by the Department of Economics, Department of Marketing and the Institute for the Study of Economic Growth.

Learn more about the new lab and the field of behavioral economics.

About the event:

• Vernon Smith presentation: “Propriety, Property, and Price Discovery in Adam Smith’s Classical Economics” — 2:30-3:30 p.m. in the Woolsey Hall auditorium
• Reception: 3:30-4 p.m. in the Woolsey Hall atrium

Pre-registration is required. Space is limited. RSVP by Nov. 24 at ise.wichita.edu/rsvp.

Questions? Email siyu.wang@wichita.edu.

Basil Hourani — co-founder and executive partner at Capital7 and the fall 2022 Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the W. Frank Barton School of Business — will provide a keynote presentation, along with Navin Thukkaram — lead investor at Skykick and founder of NT Capital — as part of the James Schwartz Lecture Series, “Lessons learned from $3 billion in exits.”

The keynote event is at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9 in the Woolsey Hall Auditorium.

Doors open at 9 a.m. All are welcome to attend this free event.

The Dean’s Alumni Advisory Board for the W. Frank Barton School of Business has appointed new leaders.

Erin Cummings, owner and founder of YESyoga, will serve as president, while Ryan Potter, director of Portfolio Development at Koch Investment Group, will serve as her vice president. Cummings and Potter have both sat on the board since 2020.

The Alumni Council makes recommendations to the dean on the school’s strategic direction, curriculum, student experience, business partnerships and global outreach. Members also serve as guest speakers and mentors, host alumni events and engage in community service initiatives.

Cummings is an alumna of the Barton School and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in real estate. Potter is a graduate alumnus of the Barton School and holds an MBA degree.

The W. Frank Barton School of Business has selected Dr. Duane Nagel as chair for the college’s marketing department. Nagel has worked within the Barton School for more than six years as an assistant and associate professor.

His academic research examines how brands engage and co-create/collaborate with their various stakeholders through technology. Currently, Nagel is working on projects that focus on how brands can leverage new tools such as virtual influencers, AR/VR/Mixed Reality, and the coming metaverse to engage consumers and support brand objectives.