Category: Kudos

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.

Dr. Ted Bolema, Wichita State University Institute for the Study of Economic Growth economics associate professor and executive director, and Dr. Eric Mota, WSU ISEG entrepreneurship assistant professor and research fellow, were featured in this week’s issue of Econ Weekly.

Dr. Bolema and Dr. Mota partnered to discuss Wichita’s economy and current local efforts  for economic development after Wichita was chosen as the issue’s featured place.

The Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) honored Dr. Richard Muma with an article recognizing him as the first physician assistant (PA) to be named president of a university. The PAEA is the only national organization representing PA educational programs and works to provide quality education by developing and distributing educational services and products designed for meeting the needs of PA programs, the PA profession and the health care industry.

According to the article, Muma sees his background as a PA and PA educator as a significant contributor to his success in higher education, and obvious parallels between health care and higher education.