Category: News

The College of Engineering has announced that Dr. Anil Mahapatro will serve as its associate dean for undergraduate and graduate programs. A similar position, associate dean of undergraduate studies, finance and administration, was previously held by Dr. Steven Skinner, who returned to teaching and research within the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering this past June. The new associate dean role will involve enhancing curriculum relevance, refreshing the Engineering+ program and expanding current programs to train workforce-ready students.

Before accepting the associate dean position, Dr. Mahapatro served as a professor in and chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Within his role as a department chair, he fostered its growth from an undergraduate program to offering both master’s and doctoral degrees, demonstrating his ability to envision, create and execute strategic growth plans. According to Dr. Anthony Muscat, the dean of the College of Engineering, Dr. Mahapatro’s collaborative spirit and dedication will be instrumental in helping the college become even stronger.

The Shocker Career Accelerator is excited to announce that it will host the Fairmount College Career Fair Thursday, Feb. 15. In preparation for the career fair, note that the office will be temporarily closed from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the day of the fair.

Shocker Career Accelerator invites students to take part in this opportunity, which will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 15 on the first floor of the Rhatigan Student Center. The event is a fantastic chance for students to engage and network with over 30 employers.

Begin your leadership journey. Emerging Leaders is a unique opportunity for WSU students to get on the fast-track to student leadership and campus and community involvement at no additional charge.

Students participating in the Emerging Leaders program will have an opportunity to establish a leadership foundation by understanding and developing their capabilities to uncover new and innovative ways to lead, helping students lead with authenticity.

The Emerging Program is great for first-year students with any level of leadership experience. Topics include leadership styles, emotional intelligence, values congruence and leading through conflict.

Emerging Leaders is held from 4 to 5 p.m. Mondays starting Feb. 26 Through April 22 (eight sessions) in the Rhatigan Student Center. After the application closes, you will receive the room locations via email.

On Wednesday, February 7, members of the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University stopped by Maize High School to award senior Faith Swart the 2024 Clay Barton Scholarship. The surprise, coordinated between the Barton School and Maize High School officials, included an announcement and presentation of a ceremonial check to Swart during one of her classes. The $50,000 scholarship is one of the largest business scholarships in Kansas.

“I was not expecting it at all,” said Swart after receiving the exciting news. “Now that I’ve won it, I’m able to do so much more. This will open up opportunities like internships, a sorority and clubs that I wouldn’t have had time for. I’m so happy, I can’t wait to call my dad.”

Swart, who plans to major in marketing, was named the 2024 Barton Scholar after competing against numerous other high school seniors in a series of speeches, group exercises and other activities.

The Sunflower is an entirely student-led newspaper that covers Wichita State and the surrounding area. Its newsletter comes out every Monday, delivering some of the most important news from the previous week straight to inboxes.

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For questions or concerns, contact The Sunflower editor-in-chief at editor@thesunflower.com or visit The Sunflower’s office in the basement of Elliott Hall, room 019.

Four clinical mental health counseling students from Wichita State have launched the “Are You Theorious?” podcast. Greg Chewning, Alec Dulaney, Damian Montanez and Timber Keller aim to foster community and inspire creativity in clinical mental health.

Covering topics like counseling theories, emotions, diagnoses, relationships and client experiences, the podcast seeks to spark wonder, aid in personal growth and empathize with listeners. Drawing from their Wichita State experiences, the podcast serves as a platform to share insights, with weekly episodes featuring group discussions, smaller formats and insightful monologues.

The Regional Institute on Aging (RIA) at Wichita State is pleased to announce a new funding opportunity for graduate student or faculty projects and research, supported by a gift from the estate of Evelyn Cassat, that addresses issues related to facilitating well-being in older adults.

The RIA is currently accepting applications until April 1.

The Barton School of Business has announced that Dr. Seth Cockrell will serve as the next chair of the Marketing Department. Cockrell, who has been working at the Barton School for more than five years as a faculty member, will take over from Duane Nagel, recently appointed as the Barton School’s senior associate dean.

“Seth is well-suited to guide our marketing department to unprecedented levels of excellence, building upon the growth trajectory established by Duane’s leadership,” remarked Dr. Larisa Genin, dean of the Barton School.

Cockrell has a wealth of experience from working in both corporate settings and academia. He has served as an SAP consultant with HCL AXON where he worked in the areas of logistics, operations management, MIS and CRM on projects for notable companies such as Sikorsky Aircraft, Schweizer Aircraft, TXU Energy and Consumers Energy.

Wichita State has a single website for all students, staff and faculty to utilize for reporting any incidents of concerning behavior. If you see something that gives you cause for concern, submit any information you have through the appropriate form on the website, which includes reporting forms for:

• Care Team: Used to report any person who is concerned about the health or safety of a WSU student, employee, visitor or the campus community at large.
• Title IX/ Discrimination: Used to report any discrimination on the basis of sex and all forms of protected characteristic discrimination.
• Bias Incident: Used to report any bias related incidents.
• Student Advocate: Used to report any student complaint, where the student advocate can help provide resources and resolution options.
• Conduct: Used to report behavior that is disruptive to the campus community, infringes on any person’s ability to successfully pursue their academic progress, violates the Student Code of Conduct or puts others or themselves in danger.
• Academic Integrity: Used to report violations of the WSU Policies and Procedures Manual Section 2.17 / Student Academic Integrity.
• Clery: Used to report any clery crimes.

Remember, if there is an emergency, always call Wichita State University Police at 316-978-3450 or dial 911.

The College of Engineering has announced that Dr. Jacob Mendez will serve as its interim assistant dean for student success. The position was previously held by Dr. Jason Bosch, who recently accepted a new position at the Kansas Leadership Center. The assistant dean role involves leading the Engineering Student Success Center (ESSC) which currently includes five other staff members.

Before accepting the interim assistant dean position, Dr. Mendez served as the director of student engagement and career readiness within the ESSC. His track record includes spearheading transformative student engagement initiatives and propelling the growth of signature programs like the ACE Mentoring Program, Engineering Living Learning Communities and GEEKS Tutoring Center. College-wide events like Engineering Welcome Week and National Engineers Week have also flourished under his leadership. Recently, Dr. Mendez collaborated closely with Dr. Bosch on a student professional development program.