Category: News

Two undergraduate student teams from the Department of Biomedical Engineering within the College of Engineering placed during the national Medical Device Make-A-Thon (MDM) competition. The event was Feb. 28 through March 2 at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma. Twenty-seven teams from across the country participated in the competition, including teams from the University of Illinois and the University of Texas at Austin.

The design competition, which ran from Friday evening to Sunday morning, tasked teams with developing innovative solutions in the field of physical rehabilitation, focusing on areas such as prosthetics, orthopedics, and physical therapy. Teams were given the prompt at 8 p.m. on Friday and had until 3:30 p.m. on Saturday to present their initial design ideas.

The ShockCure Engineers team, consisting of Stephanie Brock, Sophiya Dahal, Caitlyn Joseph and Taylor Spinelli, presented a solution, “ElectroStride,” for asymmetrical pressure distribution in athletes. The team advanced to the second round of the competition and ultimately secured fifth place. The WuShock team, consisting of Benjamin Anderson, Cynthia Chidziwo, Jamie Claeys, Cleopatra Nyevera and Abby Otten, presented a device, “Internal Hypermobility Splint,” for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). Their team placed in the top 12.

Open Streets ICT – WSU & Shocker Neighborhood returns April 13 and university colleges, groups and organizations are encouraged to participate.

From noon to 4 p.m. April 13, Open Streets ICT will take place on 17th Street from Oliver to Volutsia. The almost two-mile stretch is open for biking, walking and running.

The event is free and open to the public.

WSU groups can register for free by putting “on route” on their registration.

In 2024, 90 vendors and 10 food trucks set up on campus and in the neighborhood. Naquela Pack, director of K-12 connections and special projects for Wichita State Connect, expects similar numbers in April.

“We want to take advantage of summer coming up,” Pack said. “Groups can share their services, camps, opportunities they have for young people.”

The Service-Learning Showcase is a unique opportunity for students who participate in service-learning through applied learning opportunities to showcase their experience through a research or reflective poster about the application of their course work to current community issues.

The showcase is an open forum for students to interact with faculty/staff, community partners and other students to engage in conversation about Wichita State’s commitment to the public good. Awards are presented in the following categories:

• Outstanding Overall Service-Learning Project: $550 scholarship to winning entry
• Innovation and Creativity in Problem Solving: $350 scholarship to winning entry
• Community Impact/ Community Choice: $350 scholarship to winning entry
• Collaboration and Leadership in Service-Learning: $350 scholarship to winning entry

And new this year: Faculty Mentoring Awards will be provided to the sponsoring faculty of students awarded in the above categories.

Submissions are due April 4. For more information and to submit, visit the showcase website.

Wichita State is launching a campus-wide university climate survey starting March 3. The survey will be sent to official university email addresses. All students, faculty and staff are asked to participate in this confidential survey about the campus environment.

This survey will guide Wichita State University as it works to continue its mission of inclusive excellence — a commitment to being an inclusive campus that reflects and promotes — in all community members — the evolving diversity of society. Every member of the campus is encouraged to participate.

How the survey will work:
Starting March 3, a survey invitation will be emailed directly to all active students, faculty and staff official university email addresses from Hanover Research, an independent market research and analysis surveyor. The survey has been extended to March 31.

You will be asked direct questions, and you can also fill in open-ended answers about your campus experiences and your thoughts. The study is for quality improvement purposes only; all information you provide will be maintained on a confidential basis by Hanover Research and will only be reported to Wichita State University. The survey should only take 20-25 minutes of your time.

The email will come from Hanover Research (surveys@qemailserver.com) with subject line, “Please share your feedback with Wichita State University.” If you do not see an email, be sure to check both your “focused” and “other” emails. If you still do not see an email, check your junk folder.

Wichita State University’s dedication to being the essential educational, cultural and economic driver for Kansas and the greater public good can only be fully realized if it is intertwined with a commitment to inclusive excellence.

It is essential to the mission of the university as an educational institution to ensure that each member of the Wichita State community (faculty, staff and students) has full opportunity to thrive in its environment, for the university believes that diversity is key to individual flourishing, educational excellence and advancement of knowledge.

This survey will help us in our continuous efforts to ignite change and showcase our work. As we get more responses, we will get better results in representing our community. Please check your WSU email for your individual link and take the time to complete the survey.

Are you interested in planning events and building community on campus? If so, the Student Activities Council executive board can be a good opportunity for you. Being a part of the board is an opportunity to grow as a leader, network with industry professionals, build community among your peers and help plan events for students and faculty.

Apply now on ShockerSync. Applications are due by April 7. To learn more, go to wichita.edu/sac.

Organizers need participants to join Españolandia by providing a Spanish speaking experience to the Spanish Competition school students. From 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. April 4, Wichita State and Wichita Public Schools will hold the competition for middle and high school students on campus.

Españolandia is a simulated travel experience to a Spanish speaking country that allows students to improve their language skills and learn about other cultures.

You can support the competition by participating with your organization in Españolandia. If you are interested, contact Rocío Del Águila, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures, at rocio.delaguila@wichita.edu or Andrea Brant at abrant@usd259.net for questions.

The 50th anniversary of the Bela Kiralyfalvi National Student Playwriting Competition celebrates with the 2024 winner “The Angel of Death.” The competition began as the Wichita State University National Playwriting Contest in 1974 by Bela Kiralyfalvi. Before his retirement in 2003, Bela was a theatre professor and a director of the School of Performing Arts. In 2022, the School of Performing Arts renamed the competition to the Bela Kiralyfalvi National Student Playwriting Competition in his honor.

In 2024, Bela passed away at the age of 87. He will be missed but his passion for theatre and enthusiasm for teaching will live on through past students, alumni, faculty, staff, friends, and family.

“Teaching has always been exciting and interesting,” Bela Kiralyfalvi said following his retirement. “I’ve enjoyed learning and understanding things better through the process. I joke with students when they are getting ready to graduate after four or five years. They’ll say, ‘Oh I am going to be so glad to get out of here.’ I tell them, ‘You know, I’ve spent 45 years in college, and I still haven’t left.’ And it’s true you never cease to be a student. If you cease to be a student, you will not be a good teacher.”

The Office of Online and Adult Learning is hosting its sixth annual Adult Learner of the Year (ALOTY) awards ceremony from 3 to 5 p.m. April 3 in 305/306 Rhatigan Student Center, Beggs Ballroom.

Every year, the ALOTY awards recognize an outstanding adult student at Wichita State, a WSU partner and a community partner who support these adult learners on their journey towards a degree. To qualify for the ALOTY award, a student must be 24 years or older, have a 2.5 GPA and demonstrate leadership, Shocker Pride and perseverance towards obtaining a degree.

The deadline to submit a nomination is Friday, March 7. To nominate someone, learn more about the ALOTYs and Online Learner of the Year (OLOTY) award, and see some of the past recipients, visit the ALOTY website. For any questions, call 316-978-8315 or email Pamela O’Neal at pamela.oneal@wichita.edu

Student Health Services is excited to announce its new myShockerhealth Newsletter. The monthly newsletter will highlight a variety of topics in health education and promotion of wellness.

Articles such as the difference between stomach flu and influenza and seasonal affective disorder are examples of what to expect. Opportunities to learn more about healthy services and events on-campus and in the community will provide something for everyone.

The College of Engineering is hosting its 25th annual Shocker MINDSTORMS Challenge, a robotics competition for area students in third through eighth grade or ages eight through 14 years old. The event will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 1. The competition portion will be in the Heskett Center, while the awards ceremonies will be in 208 Hubbard Hall.

“This exciting competition provides young students with a unique opportunity to apply mathematical, scientific, programming and engineering skills in a real-world setting,” said Dr. Perleker Tamtam, event coordinator. “The competition also promotes essential values such as teamwork, dedication and sportsmanship.”