Category: News

WERX at Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) has received its first Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft.

As part of its rapidly growing Maintenance Repair and Overhaul program, WSU-NIAR WERX, in conjunction with the Kansas Modification Center, will convert the passenger aircraft into a freighter that will be transferred to an external client to meet the growing needs of the e-commerce and express cargo market.

Student Perception of Teaching Effectiveness (SPTE) request forms are due to the Social Science Research Lab Sept. 22.

If you do not have a form, you can download a fillable SPTE PDF request form.

Once the form is filled, members can email the form to sandra.ranney@wichita.edu, mail a paper form to campus box 107, or hand carry the form to Lindquist Hall (room 429).

The video for Wichita State’s Academic Convocation 2021 is now available.

The event, which took place Sept. 2, included  presentations from Dr. Richard Muma, Wichita State president; Rija Khan, WSU Student Government Association president; and Dr. Nikki Keene Woods, Department of Public Health Services assistant professor.

The event also included a special virtual keynote address by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, author of the Common Read “What the Eyes Don’t See.”

The Behavioral Economics Laboratory at Wichita State University is recruiting participants. Participants have a chance to earn the following incentives:

• An unconditional $5 show-up fee: If you show up at the campus lab at the scheduled time, you earn $5.
• Earn between $15-20 per hour: The amount for participating in the games will vary, and will be based on each participant’s decisions. On average, students earn $15-20 per hour.
• Learn more about behavioral science and contribute to university research: Behavioral economics games were originally used by Nobel Prize laureate Vernon Smith, for educational and research purposes. You can help Wichita State professors and students publish their research in high-quality academic journals.

Members of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) recently approached Usha Haley — W. Frank Barton of Distinguished Chair in International Business, director of the Center for International Business Advancement and elected Chair of the World Trade Council of Wichita — for her advice on how to establish the value of scholarly work in business schools.

The AACSG is a major accreditation body for business schools worldwide.

Haley has just published her eighth book on “Impact and the Management Researcher,” drawing on her three-year study of metrics to evaluate research. Haley’s interview is available below.

Student Perception of Teaching Effectiveness (SPTE) Request forms will be distributed in the next couple of days.

To request a SPTE evaluation for your pre-session course, please visit the Social Science Research Lab website to download the form.

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.