Category: News

The Barton School of Business welcomes Darren Ercolani to its Dean’s Advisory Board. Ercolani serves as the senior vice president and chief financial officer for Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP.

“As an alumnus of Wichita State and the Barton School, it’s an honor to become one of the fifty industry leaders helping advance the School that shaped me,” Ercolani said. “I can’t wait to get started.”

A proven leader with nearly three decades of industry experience, Ercolani has served as a change agent in Chevron Phillips Chemical’s finance organization and innovation champion for numerous companywide initiatives. Prior to his current role at Chevron Phillips Chemical, he was the company’s senior vice president of business transformation as well as a general auditor. He has held several finance management and treasury functions at the domestic and international levels, including owner relations manager, Asia-region controller, as well as CFO and finance manager at Q-Chem in Qatar. Ercolani began his career with Koch Industries in 1993 before transitioning to Phillips Petroleum in 1997. He later joined Chevron Phillips Chemical as treasury associate in 2000.

The Faculty Support Committee would like to invite faculty to submit proposals for the Multidisciplinary Research Project Awards (MURPA) competition. The four- and seven-year success rate for MURPA applications is 89% and 55% respectively. In this pilot round two opportunity, the Faculty Support Committee would like to extend the eligibility for MURPA grants to also include distinguished and endowed professors, and non-tenure track (teaching) faculty who can serve as co-PIs. Up to four MURPA grants will be awarded. 

Proposals are due to the Office of Research no later than 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15. The MURPA opportunity provides funding of up to $7,500 for faculty projects that involve two or more investigators from different disciplines that focus different perspectives and capabilities on complex problems that intersect established areas of study. Proposers must work with a Grant Specialist in the Office of Research before submission and all complete applications require an endorsement from the chair and dean. Incomplete or late applications will not be reviewed or considered. Contact proposals@wichita.edu to get started or visit the website for additional information.

The Strengths, Assessment & Staff Engagement (SASE) Department in Student Affairs focuses on opportunities to equip, empower and engage divisional staff, including student employees and graduate assistants, in a culture of support, growth, investment and belonging. Beyond the staff experience, SASE oversees the ShockerStrengths Initiative and divisional assessment initiatives. SASE also collaborates with departments on first-generation programs and initiatives.

SASE loves to engage with campus partners in various ways, but the most common collaboration exists within the ShockerStrengths Initiative. Designed to connect Shockers with their talents and strengths, SASE offers administration of the CliftonStrengths inventory, individual and team coaching, and workshops for classes, groups and organizations on campus. For more information on requesting a workshop, inventory or general information, visit the SASE webpage.

Sway Medical, a medical software company based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has been working with two College of Engineering faculty members and a staff member to validate an app the company has developed. The app, designed for iPhones, iPads and Android devices, is designed to quantify human motion in clinical settings.

“The College of Engineering is dedicated to enhancing its research through engagement, strategic partnerships and collaborations with local and global companies and organizations, such as Sway Medical,” said Dr. Michael Jorgensen, professor in the Industrial, Systems and Manufacturing Engineering Department, who has been working with the company.

Sway Medical has also been working closely with Dr. Nils Hakannson, an associate professor in the Biomedical Engineering Department, and Richard Sack, the manager of the Project Innovation Hub. In their work, Jorgensen, Hakannson and Sack have utilized a robotic arm and the infrared motion capture system in the Multidisciplinary Human Biomechanics and Design Lab of the John Bardo Center to validate the app, comparing the motion created by the robotic arm while holding various devices running the app to the data produced by the motion capture system.

Last week, a team from Sway Medical visited the Multidisciplinary Human Biomechanics and Design Lab to continue the work with real human movement, which will be input into the robotic arm and evaluated for accuracy compared with the motion capture system. The company’s CEO, Chase Curtiss, wore monitors while moving the various devices that were running the company’s app. Jorgensen, Hakannson and Sack were monitoring the data produced by the motion capture system and will continue to consult with the company on the results.

Provide a holiday gift for a local child or adult through The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program, hosted by the Shocker Store. The program will be a hybrid this year, with the angel selection process being online but the gifts being returned in store. Those interested in sponsoring a child or adult can create an account online and select an angel from the Shocker Store virtual Angel Tree.

Once someone has “claimed” an angel, they can purchase a suggested gift listed for that individual and bring it back to either the Rhatigan Student Center or Braeburn Square Shocker Stores by Tuesday, Dec. 5. Gifts should be unwrapped, new and clearly labeled with the angel’s name and angel number. The Shocker Store thanks those for helping make the holidays a little brighter for others.

November is Native American Heritage Month, and University Libraries have databases that support research in this area.

Explore a selected list of databases crafted by indigenous scholars. The resources offer invaluable insights by providing a deep understanding of Native American culture, history and thought. By using the databases, researchers gain a more profound appreciation for the diverse perspectives that shape the world.

Nominations for Excellence Awards in research, creativity activity and community research are now being accepted by the Office of Research.

All full-time faculty, including distinguished professors and endowed chairs, who have served at WSU for at least three years are eligible. Faculty who hold an administrative position above that of chair are not eligible.

Previous winners of the award are ineligible to be nominated for a period of five years following the award. See the Office of Research website for additional details and nomination forms. Nominations must be received by Dec. 8 to be considered.

Watermark’s Course Evaluations & Surveys (CES) tool is Wichita State’s new course evaluation tool. Find more information over the coming weeks in WSU Today about CES.

Today’s focus is on response rate:

• A “Response Rate” widget will appear on the instructor’s dashboard when the semester’s project starts. However, data for a course may not appear until that course evaluation is available to the students.
• In the list below, there are some suggestions to potentially increase response rates and receive useful and constructive feedback.
  • Designate time in class for students to complete evaluations.
  • Add a blurb about course evaluations in the syllabus.
  • Let students know that their honest and constructive feedback is valued and tell them how their feedback with be used.
  • When evaluations open for the course, remind students that they are available.
  • Remind students that evaluations are completely anonymous and results are not available until after grades are turned in to the Registrar’s office.
  • It is best to complete the evaluations sooner in the evaluation period rather than later. Blackboard will be affected if the student has not taken some action regarding the evaluation towards the end of the period.
• There is a dedicated CES website that includes additional information.

For questions, contact Sandy Ranney at evaluations@ces.wichita.edu.

Shocker Ad Lab students paused, slightly daunted, when a request came in from the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences dean’s office. The charge: Produce a short commercial to create awareness of the breadth of liberal arts and sciences disciplines within the college.

Know a faculty member who exemplifies any of the traits below? If so, nominate that person for the Wichita State President’s Distinguished Service Award.

• Distinguished service to the university
• Distinguished service to the profession and/or community
• Notable outreach efforts and/or forging of connections between WSU and the community
• Long-term commitment to WSU through extensive committee service

Complete a nomination form, attach a CV or record of service that includes the nominee’s service activities and include a letter of support. Previous recipients of the award are not eligible for nomination.

Nominations will be accepted until 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26. Send nominations to leeann.birdwell@wichita.edu.