Author: Jamie Stoskopf

Wichita State’s Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences is hosting an information session from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29 via Zoom.

Faculty and students will give an overview of the Medical Laboratory Sciences program at Wichita State, the application process and career opportunities in the medical laboratory sciences profession.

Call 316-978-3146 to schedule a lab tour or in-person appointment.

The College of Health Professions is excited to announce the new Shocker Student Dental Discount Program with the WSU General Dentistry Practice.

The program offers discount pricing for dental care to WSU students and their spouses and children. Students can save approximately 25% from the average prices at a private dental practice. The discount applies on all dental services, including cleanings, fillings, teeth whitening, dental implants and more.

August is National Breastfeeding Month, and Wichita State has received the Gold Level Employer Supporting Breastfeeding award and has been designated as a “Breastfeeding Welcome Here” campus by the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition.

These designations acknowledge WSU’s efforts to incorporate lactation support into the university’s culture and establishes WSU as an employer concerned about the health and well-being of the campus community. WSU provides a supportive environment for faculty, staff, employees and students to reach their breastfeeding goals by providing private locations and flexible time to pump and have written policy to support lactating people.

Private, comfortable places to accommodate lactation needs of employees, students and campus visitors are available on the WSU main campus and satellite locations.

The College of Health Professions invites students, faculty and staff to an ice cream social from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23 in the Ahlberg Hall second floor lobby. Come mingle and beat the heat with ice cream at no additional charge.

The College of Health Professions (CHP) recently hosted the second annual Kansas High School Health Science Teacher’s Workshop, providing high school teachers with educational opportunities and insights into the latest industry topics.

The workshop featured speakers Dr. Sam Smith and Dr. Jennifer James from CHP, as well as Dr. Bassem Chehab and Dr. Brett Grizzell, leaders of the groundbreaking structural heart program at Ascension Via Christi, who presented about their innovative work on heart valve replacement technology and robotic surgery. The workshop also included a panel of Ascension Via Christi associates, led by former Shocker Ron Baker, who shared information about job opportunities, shadowing opportunities and community outreach.

Participants had the chance to tour cutting-edge laboratories in the CHP, including the Gross Anatomy Lab, Human Simulation Lab and School of Nursing Simulation Lab. The teachers received valuable resources and information to take back to their classrooms, with the goal of sparking interest in healthcare careers among young students.

Jolynn Dowling, associate educator, and Janice M. Riordan, Distinguished Professor in Maternal Child Health in the School of Nursing, contributed authorship to the article “Electronic Monitoring of Mom’s Schedule (eMOMS): A Qualitative Study of Experiences in a Lifestyle Change Program with Lactation Support” in the American Journal of Health Promotion.

A subscription may be required to view the article.

Dowling will also co-present with the lead investigator on the topic at the International Lactation Consultant Association Conference in August.

The Department of Physical Therapy, along with Davis-Moore Auto Group, is excited to sponsor the iCan Bike program at Wichita State. This program helps individuals with disabilities learn how to ride a two-wheel bicycle. The event will be July 31-Aug. 4 at the Heskett Center.

iCan Bike is part of iCan Shine, a national organization that provides recreational programs for people with disabilities.

Wichita State nursing students on the WSU and Kansas State University campuses celebrated their Nightingale nursing commitment ceremonies on March 3. Students recited and signed the modern Nightingale pledge as a commitment to uphold the standards of the nursing profession. The milestone affirms the student’s dedication to the study of the discipline of nursing. The two ceremonies took place simultaneously in Wichita and Manhattan and were live streamed to include both locations.

The event’s speakers included Dr. Voncella McCleary-Jones, associate dean of the College of Health Professions, and Dr. Debra Pile, chair and associate dean for nursing practice, who gave opening remarks. Kris Hammer, recent graduate of the accelerated bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program, followed as keynote speaker. Dr. Theresa Cooper, assistant teaching professor, acted as moderator and Dr. Maryon Habtemariam, associate teaching professor, led the reading of the pledge. Members of the Nurses Honor Guard attended both ceremonies.

This was the first Nightingale Ceremony for WSU nursing students on the KSU campus, which included the inaugural BSN class. The WSU nursing program is part of the dual-degree Pathway to Nursing program with KSU.

Interested in a career in nursing? Join the School of Nursing for an information session about its Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs, admission requirements and ask questions directly to nursing faculty.

It will host the session at 10 a.m. Friday, March 10 in 110 Ahlberg Hall. Register at least 24 hours prior to the session.

Dr. Betty Lou Elder, longtime professor in the School of Nursing, passed away Feb. 7. During her time at Wichita State, Betty taught several courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

Her teaching of pathophysiology helped baccalaureate, master and doctoral students prepare for their degrees and careers as health care practitioners. She was essential to the graduate nursing program and the ultimate success of graduating nurse practitioner students. She retired as an associate professor in 2019.

Betty graduated from Smith Center High School in Smith Center, Kansas and pursued a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Kansas State University and Wichita State University. Betty earned many degrees over her lifetime, including a doctorate in genetics from Texas A&M University and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction-science education from the University of Nebraska. 

Betty enjoyed a long and illustrious teaching career. She became a second-grade teacher in 1974 and a first-grade teacher in 1976. As an adventure, she left Kansas temporarily to take a position as a park ranger in Yellowstone National Park and was part of the forest fire team. When she returned, she began her post-secondary teaching career at Fort Hays State University and Texas A&M University. She was an instructor at multiple colleges before joining the WSU School of Nursing in 2003. 

Donations can be made to the Betty Elder Memorial for Nursing through the WSU Foundation, or donors can mail a check to 1845 Fairmount, Box 2 Wichita, KS 67260 (reference Betty Elder in the memo).