Category: News

Less than two weeks remain to enter the Shocker New Venture Competition by Thursday, March 28. It’s time students showcased their entrepreneurial talents, gain valuable feedback from industry experts and compete for up to $25,000 to fund their business ideas.

Empower your students to pursue their entrepreneurial aspirations and succeed in their ventures. Encourage them to apply.

The College of Engineering has announced that Dr. M. Edwin Sawan will serve as the director of its School of Computing for a term of three years. He had been serving as an interim department chair for the College of Engineering since 2022. Within his role as an interim department chair, Dr. Sawan was particularly passionate about ensuring faculty, staff and students feel valued. During the recent search for someone to serve in a more permanent role, Dr. Sawan was one of the candidates recommended by the department faculty, and ultimately, was selected.

Before serving as the interim department chair for the School of Computing, Dr. Sawan served as a professor in the (then) Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department for 30 years. During his tenure, he won numerous teaching awards and was published many times. Following the death of his wife, Dr. Sawan founded the Maha “Maggie” Sawan Fellowship for international graduate students in 2011, which awards two new Sawan Fellows each academic year.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Student Activities Council (SAC) has made the decision to cancel the Tree of Hope event scheduled March 11-15.

SAC thanks everyone for their understanding and hope to see the community at other upcoming events.

Five Wichita State students were selected to present at Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol March 1. Students, faculty, Kansas Board of Regents members, state lawmakers and members of the public were invited to visit the Capitol Rotunda to view the students’ presentations. Day at the Capitol showcases the work of up to 40 Kansas undergraduate student projects representing each of the state’s eight public four-year institutions. It emphasizes higher education’s role in developing educated citizens and preparing a workforce with the necessary skills to further the economic growth of the state.

Student presenters from Wichita State:

• Max Gosch, anthropology major with faculty mentor Matthew Howland, presented, “AI Archaeology: Automated Python for GIS Implementation”
• Bayle Sandy, political science major with faculty mentor Alexandra Middlewood, presented, “Heat Waves in the Heartland”
• Jessica Lada, ceramics major with faculty mentor Ted Adler, presented, “Shaping Clay: Exploring the Intersection of Tradition and Technology”
• Nhu Nguyen, mechanical engineering professor with faculty mentor Wei Wei, presented, “Additive Manufacturing of Thermally Resilient Material using Polymer Derived Ceramic via Direct Ink Writing”
• Morgan Sutter, communication sciences and disorders major with faculty mentor Cynthia Richburg, presented, “Audiologists’, Hearing Instrument Specialists’, and Other Related Professionals’ Perspective on the Use of Over-The-Counter Hearing Aids”

“We know that students engaged in faculty-mentored research and creative activity are better prepared for professional success,” said Kimberly Engber, dean of the Dorothy and Bill Cohen Honors College. “We are proud to present this significant undergraduate work from across Kansas to state legislators and other guests visiting Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol.”

Day at the Capitol participation is open to all undergraduate students by competitive application. The Cohen Honors College coordinates Wichita State participant selection and travel.

The Barton School of Business proudly announces Tadd Fowler as its spring 2024 Executive-in-Residence. He currently holds the position of senior vice president at The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G). In his role as Executive-in-Residence, Fowler will deliver a dynamic keynote presentation open to the public, conduct mentoring sessions for students, deliver guest lectures, participate in meetings with Barton School leadership to discuss program and curriculum innovations as well as engage in various other activities.

“We are thrilled to welcome Tadd Fowler, an accomplished Barton School alumnus, back as our Executive-in-Residence,” said Dr. Larisa Genin, dean of the Barton School. “We wholeheartedly invite students, faculty, staff, industry leaders and the general public to seize the extraordinary opportunities to glean invaluable insights from a distinguished executive at one of the world’s most esteemed companies.”

The Rhatigan Student Center and its departments will have altered hours March 10-15 for Spring Break. Visit the RSC Hours webpage for details (wichita.edu/rschours).

More than 1,000 Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences students earned a spot on the fall 2023 Dean’s Honor Roll.

The students, who completed at least 12 graded credit hours with a 3.5 grade point average, were celebrated at a special event March 4. Each person was recognized individually and received a certificate for their accomplishment. They will have access to photos of their department cohort next week.

“This was a joyful occasion celebrating with our students their remarkable progress so far,” said Andrew Hippisley, dean of Fairmount College. “To make it onto the dean’s honor roll means ‘full speed ahead’ toward graduating, and graduating strongly.”

Matt Howland, assistant professor of anthropology and archaeology, is using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software to model how such coastal change and damage could occur. GIS is used to record, store, analyze, visualize and interpret geographic data and has become an important technological tool for archaeologists, particularly in determining changes across landscapes.

Wichita State and President Rick Muma has recently become a member of the Excelencia in Education’s Presidents for Latino Student Success (P4LSS). P4LSS is a group of college and university presidents dedicated to making their institutions an environment Latine students can thrive.

WSU joins the P4LSS and 175 higher education leaders from 29 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico committed to the collective goal of ensuring America’s future, working in common cause with Excelencia in Education to make the country stronger with the talents, skills and contributions of Latine college graduates.

Continuing its commitment to Excelencia in Education, WSU has participated in a couple programs over the past year. Last year a team consisting of Bobby Berry, assistant dean for diversity and outreach; Aaron Hamilton, director of OneStop; Teri Hall, vice president of Student Affairs; and Sara Mata, executive director of Hispanic Serving Initiatives participated in the Evidence-Based Practices Institute.

Excelencia’s technical assistance with these institutes offer institutional teams the time and space to learn and share strategies that further institutional efforts to align data, practice and leadership as a community of learners and practice committed to more effective. In addition, the team most recently participated in the Seal Serving Institutional Transformation Assessment, exploring how to authentically and intentionally serve students.

Sara Mata has also been named lead affiliate for WSU’s institutional team for Excelencia in Education, which is comprised of Shirley Lefever, provost and executive vice president; Brett Bruner, assistant vice president of Student Success and Persistence; and Ashlie Jack, senior associate vice president, Institutional Effectiveness/Strategic Enrollment Management.

Dreaming of launching your own business? The Shocker New Venture Competition (SNVC) is your opportunity to shine.

Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, SNVC provides the perfect platform to refine your business strategy, network with industry experts and secure up to $25,000 in funding for your venture. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to bring your business ideas to life.

Submit your business model video and application by noon March 28 for a chance to win cash prizes and propel your venture to new heights.