Author: Sara Ornelas

The EVP/Provost search committee welcomes the WSU community to attend an open forum today with candidate Dr. Shirley Lefever, interim executive vice president and provost, Wichita State University.

The one-hour forum is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. in 208 Hubbard Hall. If you are unable to attend in person, you are invited to interact with the forum via Zoom using the link below.

You are encouraged to complete an Evaluation Survey on your interactions today with the position candidate. Please complete the following Qualtrics survey no later than noon Tuesday, April 5.

The vision for varsity encompasses much more than people gaming on Cybertron Computers and wearing a Logitech Headset.

While gaming success is important, the program is also seen as way to provide extra-curricular activity and applied learning for students in disciplines across campus.

Travis Yang, hired in December as WSU’s Esports director, wants to build a program that follows that direction. As esports grows in popularity, the program is also a recruiting tool for high school students – Wichita Public Schools offer an esports program at the middle and high school levels.

“It was really cool in the interview process to hear him talk about his vision for what an esports program can be, because it really aligned one-to-one with things we were already talking about,” said Clay Stoldt, interim dean of the College of Applied Studies. “Esports is a lot more than just the varsity competition. Esports is a big part of student life. It can contribute to the student experience for a ton of our students. He had already grasped that vision.”

In the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings of universities offering a Ph.D. in engineering, the College of Engineering at Wichita State University once again was ranked in the top 100 engineering graduate programs in the country and the only institution in Kansas to make it in the top 100.

The 2023 report by US News and World Report — released today — ranks Wichita State’s graduate program in engineering as No. 59 in the United States. That’s up from No. 77 last year and No. 94 the year before.

Wichita State President Dr. Rick Muma and interim Vice President/Provost Dr. Shirley Lefever will be featured on KMUW’s at 7 a.m. Wednesday, March 30 for the station’s spring fundraiser.

During the show, Muma and Lefever plan to issue a matching-funds challenge, which will be funded by them personally.

Listeners can tune into KMUW at 89.1 on their radios or listen online at www.kmuw.org.

The executive vice president/provost search committee welcomes the WSU community to attend upcoming open forums for the three candidates as they visit campus.

The open forums will take place April 4 in 208 Hubbard Hall, April 5 in 208 Hubbard Hall, and April 7 in 230 Hubbard Hall. All forums will be from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. each day. A virtual option will be available to the WSU community via Zoom if you are unable to attend in person.

Names and CVs for each candidate will be announced on the day preceding their respective campus interview in WSU Today. Feedback from those in attendance (virtual and in-person) will be collected using a Qualtrics survey. Links for Zoom and Qualtrics will be included in each announcement in WSU Today.

The Office of Tech Transfer and Commercialization at Wichita State University has launched a program designed to connect experienced entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs with cutting-edge technologies and the opportunity to commercialize them.

The new Matchmaking Program links entrepreneurs, investors and businesses with technology, ideas and opportunities developed at Wichita State – paired with the guidance and support necessary to commercialize these marketplace-shaping technologies.

Lucy Schneider is a sports fan who played volleyball, basketball and softball at Caldwell High School and loves the Kansas City Chiefs. She watches the Wichita State University women’s basketball team with a fondness because she is a resident assistant at Shocker Hall, where four of the team’s freshmen live.

In recent weeks, she learned to watch sports on TV with a new perspective. It takes collaboration, organization, and a flair for the theatrical to pull off a big-time event.

Schneider watches the small army of people running things on the sidelines because she is now one of those people. Schneider, a junior majoring in sport management, will work as floor manager for the women’s NCAA Tournament Regional Round basketball at Intrust Bank Arena.

“Watching the games and seeing all the staff and what they’re doing behind the scenes, it’s really apparent to me now,” she said. “Something I’m really excited for … is the celebration ceremony and the trophy presentation. It’s super-interesting to me to tie in with the TV side of things, but also the arena side of things and making sure the fan experience is well throughout all aspects.”

Wichita State University’s College of Engineering has named the latest group of high school seniors to join the Wallace Scholar program.

The 13 Wallace Scholarship recipients will receive $28,500 each to attend Wichita State for four years. In addition, two students receiving other major university scholarships will be designated as Wallace Scholars.

Robert M. Gates, U.S. secretary of defense from 2006-2011 and former director of the CIA, will kick off Wichita State University’s inaugural Craig W. Barton Speaker Series this spring.

Gates, who grew up in Wichita, will be the featured speaker in the moderated discussion at 6 p.m. April 27, in WSU’s Wiedemann Hall.

Thanks to a generous gift from Meritrust Credit Union, students in WSU’s Barton School of Business will now have greater access to career readiness tools and connections. Learn more about the launch of the business school’s Office of Career and Professional Development.