Category: Events and Recreation

The Japanese Culture Association will host it’s annual Japan Festival begins at 12:30 p.m. today, April 29 at the Rhatigan Student Center 233. Festivities will include a study abroad presentation, games, karaoke, arts, crafts, giveaways, Japanese baked goods, and a traditional Samurai-style martial arts performance.

The research and creative works of faculty in Fairmount College’s 18 departments will be featured at an open house 1-3 p.m. today, April 22 at Ablah Library.

“Research is one of the strengths of our college,” Andrew Hippisley, Fairmount College dean, said. “Last year all 18 departments participated in external grant proposals, and our publication output is high. The showcase provides an opportunity to tell our story and engage with the campus community and beyond.”

Visitors may come and go during the event, which is set up next to the Circulation Desk at the Ablah Library. Poster presentations will include information about research and creative activity, grant procurement, awards and publications. Representatives from each area will answer questions about their department.

For more information, contact David Eichhorn, associate dean for faculty research and development at 316-978-7367 or david.eichhorn@wichita.edu.

The next Industrial, Systems, and Manufacturing Engineering (ISME) Colloquium will feature Courtney Allen, Spirit AeroSystems operations engineering manager at 11 a.m. Friday April 22 via Zoom. Allen’s presentation is titled “The Journey of an Industrial Engineer.”

Allen has a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Industrial Engineering, with an emphasis in data analytics, from WSU. Allen joined Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. in 2019, and has since supported Lean and Root Cause and Corrective Action activities across the fabrication business unit. In 2020, she moved to the Core Industrial Engineering team. This team supports global industrial engineering initiatives across all Spirit sites.

Allen is an active member of the Society of Women Engineers and the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers. She has also served in several leadership positions for the internal Spirit Women in Engineering Professions and Technology organization.

The Graduate School invites you to view the innovative, state-of-the-art research and scholarly projects being conducted by graduate students and their faculty advisors at the Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects (GRASP) Symposium 9 a.m.-noon Friday, April 29 at the Rhatigan Student Center (Beggs Ballroom).

The event will begin with poster viewings and presentations. Closing remarks and winners will be announced at noon. For more information about the annual GRASP Symposium, visit our the Grasp website.

Wichita State University Theatre’s feature film, “Popcorn Movie,” will be shown at 7:30 p.m. April 29-30 at the Welsbacher Theatre. Admission is $10. The show was written by Acting for Digital Arts at WSU theatre professor and program Bret Jones.

“Popcorn Movie” is a comedy and drama about a senior filmmaking student who desperately needs to complete her final project so she can graduate. The production is a feature film and is approximately one hour long.

WSU Theatre has been making a film project as part of its annual season for the past few years. The film’s cast includes WSU Theatre students Katy Reko, Carson Ediger, Emily Redfield, Zachary Richardson, Molly Strickler, and Hagan Simmons.

“The training for the actors working in front of the camera is a valued part of our performers’ training,” Jones said. “It’s been nice as recently WSU Theatre has had several of its film projects accepted and shown in film festivals around the country,” said Jones.”

Students cast in the film project learn what is required to act on camera, what the expectations are on a set and other aspects of performing in a film. The training complements the students’ work in theatrical productions, as well as audio work, which the students are exposed to while participating in the theatre program at WSU.

The Indian Student Association (ISA) will host VASANTH 2022 – Festival of Togetherness at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 23 at the Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex. The festival is open to all students, faculty and staff and is a conglomeration of dances, songs, food, and Indian attire.

For tickets or more information, contact Maharaja Sivasubramanian, event coordinator, at 313-413-9237 or Sai Charan at 540-647-0800.

The Summer Leadership Institute will take place  May 16-19. This overnight retreat immerses participants in personal and professional leadership development opportunities facilitated in small and large groups. All meals, transportation, and lodging are provided free of charge. Topics for the event include the following:

• Effective communication
• Emotional intelligence
• Conflict management
• Values congruence
• Ethical leadership
• Community building

The Summer Leadership Institute can be taken for academic credit and also meets the Engineering Plus Leadership requirement. Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. Sunday, May.

For more information, contact randi.beggs@wichita.edu.

Join Wichita State’s Innovation Partners for a Block Party 4-6:30 p.m. April 28 at the WSU Innovation Campus Airbus parking lot between Airbus and NetApp. This family-friendly event is open to all students, faculty, staff and innovation partners. The event will feature a visit from Wu, food from Social Tap and local food truck vendors, music by D.J. Carbon, and outdoor games including giant Jenga and cornhole.

Wichita State Student Activities Council (SAC) is reinventing Finals Frenzy as De-Stress Fest May 2-6. To view all the events, or to register an organization or a department to be displayed at the event, visit the WSU De-Stress Fest webpage. The week is dedicated to students who need a study break to explore natural and healthy ways to reduce stress and relax.

For more information, contact sac@wichita.edu.

Free and open to all community members, the ignitor eight-week accelerator focuses on ideation for startups and provides structured support for innovators and entrepreneurs.

Participants will learn how to improve an idea, conduct customer discovery, build a minimum viable product, gain valuable user feedback, develop a business strategy, and how to pitch to customers.The next cohort begins June 1.