Category: Kudos

Dr. Usha Haley, —W. Frank Barton Distinguished Professor in International Business, professor of management, and director of the Center for International Business Advancement — feels strongly about the connection between higher education and research. Her eighth book, “Impact and the Management Researcher,” has recently received attention from higher-education media, businesses, governments and regulatory bodies.

Haley’s latest interview was featured in “Poets and Quants,” a leading site focused on the higher business-education market and Master of Business Administrations degrees (MBAs).

Dorothy (Dotty) Harpool, senior marketing educator and executive director of marketing, enrollments and communication for the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University, is one of four distinguished members to be inducted into the 2021 40 Under 40 Hall of Fame by the Wichita Business Journal. Each person selected has been chosen for a previous 40 Under 40 class and has continued to grow their career in Wichita.

“To be honest, I was completely shocked when I was told I was selected for the Hall of Fame,” said Harpool “This honor isn’t just mine, it is a representation of the cumulative effort by my colleagues within the Barton School of Business. Every day we strive to contribute to the success of the future business community and whenever a member of our team is recognized, it reinforces that we are on the right path.”

The 2021 honorees are Harpool, Lathia DeSilva from Signal Theory, Dustin DeVaughn of DeVaughn James Injury Lawyers, and Ed O’Malley at the Kansas Leadership Center. The 40 Under 40 program was created in 1998. Since then, only 28 others have been named to its Hall of Fame.

“Dotty is one of the most intelligent, creative, dynamic, and dedicated individuals I’ve had the pleasure of working with,” said Dr. Larisa Genin, dean of the Barton School of Business. “I’m continually inspired by her passion for the business school, university and city.”

Harpool and the rest of the Hall of Fame class will be recognized at the 40 Under 40 dinner, which will take place on July 29 at the Hyatt Regency Wichita.

“Our university is very lucky to have phenomenal people like Dotty stay and build their legacy in Wichita,” Dr. Shirley Lefever, interim executive vice president and provost at WSU. “Dotty’s work has helped shape the Barton School into the program it is today. The 40 Under 40 Hall of Fame is right where she belongs.”

Dr. Sindhu Preetham Burugupally, Wichita State University Department of Mechanical Engineering assistant professor, was recently honored by the Institute of Physics in the special issue as an emerging leader in micromechanics and microengineering.

The issue discusses how Burugupally and his co-workers in the College of Engineering have designed, fabricated and characterized a transparent, stretchable miniature electrostatic actuator for driving microrobots.

The Toronto Sun, a Canadian newspaper, recently interviewed Dr. Usha Haley, W. Frank Barton Distinguished professor in International Business, professor of Management, and director of the Center for International Business Advancement, for her views on the terrorists’ attacks that rocked Mumbai, India, 15 years ago. Haley, is a leading authority on global-risk assessment, geopolitical calculations and Asia.

The Toronto Sun asked Haley’s opinion about whether or not the attacks had any long-term effects.

Sgt. Efrain Rueda and Ofc. Matthew Feldt of the Wichita State University Police Department were awarded the Wichita State Life Saving Medal on Thursday, July 8 for their recent heroic actions and exemplifying the core values of the police department.

Rueda has been a member of WSUPD since 2016. In 2019, he was honored with the University Police Ribbon for Outstanding Actions. Feldt has served with WSUPD since 2018, and he also earned an Exceptional Duty Award earlier this year. 

“The officers and sergeants of the Wichita State University Police Department serve this community,” said Rodney Clark, WSUPD chief of police. “Through it all, they commit hundreds of acts of kindness, caring and compassionate policing every day. Their actions at times are lifesaving. I could not be more proud of them and the devotion and commitment they have to this campus and this university.”

Two members of the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences staff were honored with awards for their contributions to the college.

Kristin Brewer, from the School of Criminal Justice, received the Fairmount College Ripple Effect Award, which acknowledges a staff member’s unique level of service to students, the department and Fairmount College.

Marsyl Nelson, from the Department of Psychology, received the Fairmount College Excellent Service Award, which acknowledges appreciation for coworkers who make a difference at the department level.

Both awards include a $1,500 in professional development funds.

Counseling and Prevention Services (CAPS) is excited to announce we have been awarded the Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to help prevent suicide at Wichita State.

CAPS was awarded this same grant in 2015, which was used to develop the #WSUWeSupportU program.

The Media Resources Center would like to congratulate Dr. Carolyn Speer on becoming a certified professional in training management (CPTM). The CPTM program is a rigorous six-month experience that prepares training managers to lead institutional training programs that align with and support institutional goals and outcomes. As a CPTM, Carolyn can work with departments and offices to help align their programs with university priorities.

The Wichita American Marketing Association recently selected the Wichita State Admissions team’s “Future Shocker Fall 2020 Recruitment Campaign” as the winner in two categories during it’s annual marketing awards competition celebrating the area’s best marketing work.

The campaign included print, social media, video and personal outreach from the Office of Admissions to prospective students, and the results from the campaign yielded a record for initial engagement toward enrollment despite the pandemic. The campaign was selected as the solo gold winner for the award categories of Best Nonprofit Campaign and Best Pandemic Response Campaign.

Montana Loibl was announced as the 2021 recipient of the Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award during a department meeting on May 7. The award recognizes exemplary contributions made by graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) who educate in mathematics and statistics.

A portion of Mr. Loibl’s teaching philosophy best describes his heart for education:

“Mathematics is a beautiful field of study which is developed through logical arguments and is in pursuit of the unknown, whether this be in the physical world around us, or the unexplored realms of a particular area of mathematical interest. To achieve an understanding, and more importantly, an appreciation of this commonly feared subject, a strong base of knowledge and discipline must be built. For my academic career, this ‘easier said than done’ statement has been the forerunning philosophy that has not only driven my studies as a student but has also played a vital role as an instructor. I encourage students to see mathematics as more than symbols and to seek out patterns and themes. It is an honor to be able to instruct and challenge the minds of those who want to better themselves and their community through the medium of higher education.”

Montana’s teaching and encouragement of his students were also said to be a factor in the department’s selection and said they were proud to present Montana with the award.