Category: News

Dr. Gery Markova, professor of management, has been elected as the chair of the W. Frank Barton School Management Department.

Markova has been with the Barton School for 15 years. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Central Florida in 2006. Her research interests include professional development, human resource practices, employee well-being, and diversity. She conceptualized and implemented the launch of the Master of HRM and leads the program to its current success. She has served in many leadership roles on campus including director of faculty advancement and vice President of the Faculty Senate. She has passionately supported faculty through various teaching and developmental initiatives.

Markova’s research appeared in the Journal of Social Psychology, Nonprofit Management & Leadership, Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, Journal of Managerial Issues, and International Journal of Productivity & Performance Management. Her work on professional associations has earned the 2014 Outstanding Academic Publication from the Institute for Nonprofits and American Society of Association Executives.

She has received external grants to continue her work on professional associations and participates in an interdisciplinary team that received NSF developmental grant to advance women in STEM disciplines. She has been an outspoken promoter of diversity and inclusion on campus and participates in the President’s Diversity Council, First Generation Coordinating Council, Tilford Commission, and Diversity and Inclusive Excellence committee in the Barton School.  She was also awarded Women in Business and Women Who Lead in HR by the Wichita Business Journal. Dr. Markova replaced Dr. Masud Chand in the management department chair role.

The COVID-19 pandemic has elevated our awareness of the importance of mental health. In honor of National Suicide Prevention Week Sept. 5-11, support students both in and out of the classroom by becoming a mental health advocate. You can help spread the message of mental health support in several ways.

1. Join us at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 11 in front of the Rhatigan Student Center for the inaugural Suspenders4Hope Run for Hope and 1-Mile Walk in Honor to benefit StopSuicideICT.  Find more information about registering a team and donating at supenders4hope.stopsuicideict.com.
2. Go to suspenders4hope.com and complete the #WeSupportU Preventing Suicide Training to learn more tools for supporting our students who may be struggling.
3. Follow, like and share @ShockersCAPS to help the message of hope reach students.
4. Wear a Suspenders4Hope shirt as a visual display of your support for mental health and to help decrease mental health stigma. Shirts are available for purchase at the Shocker Store. Wear them often, especially on Fridays.
5. Participate in the #WeSupportU Mental Wellness in the Classroom card project. This project is designed to give you a series of short five to 10-minute exercises that can be performed with any group of students to promote well-being and connectedness. Request a set of cards here.

As part of Wichita State’s observance of Constitution Week, Wendee Grady, assistant general counsel and legal foundation director of the Kansas Farm Bureau, will speak on “Opportunities in Rural and Agricultural Law” at 2 p.m. Sept. 13 at the Rhatigan Student Center (room 266)

Grady’s keynote address highlights a significant area of legal practice in Kansas.

In addition to Grady’s speech,  Lou Mulligan, Earl B. Shurtz Research Professor at the University of Kansas Law School, will present “Previewing Next Year’s Supreme Court Term” at 6 p.m. Sept. 13 at the RSC (room 301).

Dr. Neal Allen — Department Chair, Undergraduate Advisor and WSU Washington and Topeka Internship Coordinator associate professor of political science — coordinated the selection of programs.

“Many of our students at Wichita State are considering legal careers, and Constitution Week this year gives them a chance to learn about different areas of legal practice and legal education,” Allen said.

Additional events for the week include informational sessions about the Washington, D.C., and Topeka internship program, how to apply to law school, and the Battin-Lester Student Research Keynote Panel. The panel will feature presentations by students speaking on topics including property and economic rights.

What is a first-gen student?

A first-generation college student is defined as a student whose parents/legal guardians have not completed a bachelor’s degree. A student that is the first person in their immediate family to attend a four-year college/university to attain a bachelor’s degree.

• The First Friday with F1RST-Gen will be held at 11:30 a.m. today, Sept. 3 at the Rhatigan Student Center (RSC) in room 261. Join other staff, students and faculty for the F1RST-Gen meet-up and welcome of fall 2021.
• The First Gen Coordinating Council (FGCC) is happy to introduce The Alpha Alpha Alpha (Tri-Alpha) a first-generation honor society open to all first-generation Wichita State students, faculty, staff and alumni. Tri-Alpha membership is built to support and advocate for the academic excellence of first-generation college students.
• FOCUS ON FIRST-GEN: This week we highlight Crystal Dozier, Assistant Professor and Archaeologist, Department of Anthropology.
• F1RST-GEN T-Shirts are available in the RSC Shocker Store for $12.
• If you’re interested in being featured as a first-generation profile, contact fgshockers@wichita.edu.

The COVID-19 pandemic has elevated awareness of the importance of mental health. In honor of National Suicide Prevention Week Sept. 5-11, support your peers both in and out of the classroom by becoming a Suspenders4Hope mental health advocate. You can also spread the message of mental health support in several ways.

• Join us at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 11 in front of the Rhatigan Student Center for the inaugural Suspenders4Hope Run for Hope and 1-mile Walk in Honor to benefit StopSuicideICT. Find more information about registering a team and donating at supenders4hope.stopsuicideict.com.
• Go to suspenders4hope.com and complete the Preventing Suicide Training to help give you more tools for supporting those who may be struggling.
• Follow, like and share @suspenders4hope to help the message of hope reach our community.
• Wear a suspenders shirt as a visual display of your support for mental health and to help decrease mental health stigma. Shirts are available at the Shocker Store. Wear them often, especially on Fridays.
• Be sure to tag @suspenders4Hope and use the use #WeSupportU in your suspender shirt selfies.

If you or anyone you know is in crisis, and you need to speak with a crisis counselor, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) 24 hours a day. Asking for help is a sign of strength.

Wichita State University is committed to preserving and supporting freedom of thought, speech and expression on our campuses.

Read about our values and work around this, as well as a statement by the Kansas Board of Regents on our website.

Congratulations to Wichita State’s College of Fine Arts for winning the 2021 Clash of the Colleges! Another competition award, the Spirit Award, was claimed by the Barton School of Business and the College of Engineering.

Wichita State’s First-Year Programs in Student Success and Campus Recreation hosted the seventh annual Clash of the Colleges Aug.20-27. More than 500 students and guests represented seven academic colleges.

The eighth annual Clash of the Colleges will take place on the first Friday of the fall 2022 semester, Aug. 26.

The massage studio at the Heskett Center is back with a new studio, new therapists and new hours. Whether you’re nursing sore muscles, rehabbing an injury or just needing to relieve some stress, our massage therapists can provide the healing touch you need to get back to feeling like yourself again.

The new hours are as follows:

• 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday
• 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

For more information or to make an appointment contact 316-978-3082.

Calling all creatives! Student designs are requested for the Wayne and Kay Woolsey Hall interior wall graphics of three study spaces. Students interested must enter their design portfolio by Sept. 24 for a chance to win $1,000.

Woolsey Hall is an academic building under construction on Wichita State University’s Innovation Campus slated to open in late spring 2022. When complete, it will be the new home of the W. Frank Barton School of Business.

To qualify for the $1,000 prize, submit a digital PDF smaller than 20 MB of three to six projects to joshua.Smith1@wichita.edu.

Winners will be announced Oct. 8. Selected artists will submit their final designs Dec. 8. The artist will not be responsible for the installation and the selected designs will be printed and installed with vinyl application.

Would you like to share your ideas, questions or feedback for the planning of the 2022 orientation program? If so, you can attend one of the orientation feedback sessions virtually or at the Rhatigan Student Center (RSC) on the following dates:

• 2-3:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24 virtual session
• 2-3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29 at the RSC (room 319)
• 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept.30 at the RSC (room 319)

A feedback form will be made available later in September for those who are unable to attend or for those who prefer to keep their comments anonymous.

Space is limited for the in-person sessions, so please RSVP.