Category: Kudos

The staff senate invites the WSU community to submit nominations of outstanding staff members for the President’s Award for Distinguished Service.

These awards recognize the dedication and excellence of WSU employees who have provided exemplary, dedicated and caring service to the WSU community that is beyond the expectations of the duties and responsibilities of their position. Selected honorees are recognized at the annual Shocker Pride Celebration.

Submit a nomination by 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3 to jessica.pierpoint@wichita.edu.

Do you know a faculty member who exemplifies any of the traits below? If so, nominate that person for the Wichita State President’s Distinguished Service Award.

• Distinguished service to the university
• Distinguished service to the community
• Notable outreach efforts or forging of connections among WSU and the community
• Long-term commitment to WSU through extensive committee service

Consider nominating them for the Presidential Service Award. Complete a nomination form, attach a CV that includes the nominee’s service activities, and include a letter of support. Previous recipients of this award are not eligible for nomination.

Nominations will be accepted until 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27. Please send your nominations to leeann.birdwell@wichita.edu.

United Way thanks WSU faculty and staff for their generosity and contributions to its United Way of the Plains campaign to improve the quality of life for WSU and the neighboring communities.

United Way of the Plains supports south central Kansas and helps those in need with health, education, financial stability and basic needs. In 2022, WSU faculty and staff raised a total of $29,533.40 and 10% were first-time donors.

Because of its donors, United Way is able to collectively make a greater impact on the community and could not do so without all of its generous Shockers.

Elvira Valenzuela Crocker and Louis E. Sturns will be inducted into the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame. The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. Feb. 7 in Wiedemann Hall.

Hall of Fame honorees are chosen because they exemplify the merits and advantages of a liberal arts and sciences education. Induction into the Fairmount College Hall of Fame is the highest recognition from the college of outstanding alumni who have had a significant impact on the region, nation and world.

Dr. Usha Haley, W. Frank Barton Distinguished Chair in International Business and Kansas Faculty of Excellence, serves on the panel of judges for the Financial Times’ prestigious annual awards for research that has a societal impact. 

In the Financial Times article, “Academic research award: tipping point for action,” Haley and other judges highlight research aimed at academic acclaim, but also identified ways to turn aspirations into concrete, real-world results.

Usha Haley, W. Frank Barton Distinguished Chair in International Business and Kansas Faculty of Excellence, had her research highlighted in Times Higher Education. Free registration is required to read the article.

Her Sage white paper titled, “Measuring Societal Impact in Business & Management Research: From Challenges to Change,” co-authored with Andrew Jack, education editor of the Financial Times, was discussed in the article.

Congratulations to Kyle Wilson and Liz Thornton — both of whom work in Student Conduct and Community Standards — on being chosen by the Association for Student Conduct Administrators to present their paper, “Challenging the Culture of Conduct through Assessment,” at the national conference in January 2023.

Below is an excerpt from their presentation:

Are you struggling with getting people to understand the importance of your offices work, campus visibility or utilizing data to help guide your community outreach and engagement plans? Then this is the presentation for you.

Wichita State University Student Conduct & Community Standards (SCCS) recently revamped our assessment initiatives. Through the new assessment model, SCCS identified meaningful changes to our programming initiatives, partnerships, and community visibility. Additionally, SCCS identified multiple ways to challenge the culture of conduct and improve upon community engagement opportunities.

Participants will be able to see where SCCS started, the active changes SCCS made, and how that is shaping our offices future. A big highlight of this presentation will be providing a roadmap for how to create a digital story within a Conduct Office.

The Men of Color/Educators of Tomorrow program has awarded its first scholarship, thanks to a donation from Credit Union of America. Timothy Reynolds, elementary education major, is the recipient of the $5,000 scholarship and was presented with the award Nov. 21 at Credit Union of America.

The Men of Color/Educators of Tomorrow program, housed in the College of Applied Studies (CAS), launched last year. Its purpose is to support and develop leadership skills in Men of Color with high academic potential and a commitment to teach.

The scholarship awarded to Reynolds is part of the recently renewed five-year partnership between Credit Union of America and the CAS. The partnership spans multiple programs, including the Teacher Apprentice Program and Corbin Connect.

The Office of Adult Learning is preparing to host its third annual Adult Learner of the Year (ALOTY) Awards Ceremony on Thursday, March 9. Every year, the ALOTY recognizes an outstanding adult student at Wichita State University, a WSU partner, and a community partner who supports these adult learners on their journey towards a degree.

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.