Category: News

The Barton School of Business has received a $150,000 gift to support its Student Experience and Success Fund including its Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD). The contribution was given on behalf of Elizabeth and Edward Burns, whose charitable fund was established through their estate at the Wichita Foundation in 2013.

“The Barton School is honored to receive this substantial gift from the Burns estate through the Wichita Foundation,” said Dr. Larisa Genin, dean, Barton School. “This contribution will provide a breadth of opportunities for our students to challenge themselves and grow into the best versions of themselves.”

OCPD is aimed at linking academic programs to meaningful personal and professional lives by preparing Barton School undergraduate and graduate students to land quality internships and employment in their desired field. Many of the college’s signature career programs are now housed within OCPD including Executive-in-Residence, Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Widener Global Leaders Program, Professional Edge and others.

Roadtrip Nation took Wichita State and WSU Tech students on a road trip to learn about the career possibilities in Wichita.

The documentary, “Roadtrip Nation: Paths Across Kansas,” will air on PBS Kansas, channel 8. The first episode will air at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28, and the second episode will air at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5. The episodes will also be available to watch online starting Monday, Sept. 25, where you can also find a trailer for the episodes now.

For decades, young people in middle America have felt unfair pressure to head to the coasts for high-paying and innovative jobs, but that story is changing. In South Central Kansas, people are finding exciting opportunities in innovative industries right in their backyards. Follow the journeys of five young Kansans as they take a deep dive into their home state’s career possibilities. From aerospace and advanced manufacturing to healthcare and agriculture, discover the diverse range of career paths available in South Central Kansas.

“Paths Across Kansas” was made possible through a partnership among the Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas, Wichita State, WSU Tech, USD 259, the State of Kansas, Strada Foundation, Textron Aviation, Spirit AeroSystems and Bank of America.

Travel to Paraguay in South America for two weeks to learn more about the culture and take part in a service-learning program. Students will visit different cultural sites and also observe in nonprofit organizations based on their area of interest. Program is open to all WSU students, however preference will be given to students in the Honors College.

Attend the informational meeting on the travel seminar at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27 to learn more, or email studyabroad@wichita.edu.

The Office of Online & Adult Learning welcomes adult learners to participate in the making of its cookbook. Send in your favorite recipes, tips and tricks to be featured in both the online and print versions of the book.

All recipes sent in are appreciated, however, to match the busy, diverse lifestyles of adult learners, quick, easy and healthy recipes are recommended. Those who submit a recipe will also be entered in a raffle to win a hard copy of the cookbook.

Reach out to Online & Adult Learning for questions at adultlearning@wichita.edu or 316-978-8325.

Jamie Alexander, 2023 graduate of Wichita State’s Physician Associate program, was recognized by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) for becoming the 200,000th certified PA in the nation.

Alexander, who grew up in Wichita, earned a bachelor’s degree in health sciences from Friends University. After graduating in 2017, Alexander worked as a surgical assistant at Oral & Maxillofacial Surgical Associates. She was accepted into the WSU Physician Associate program and graduated in May 2023.

“Becoming a PA has been the most challenging experience of my life thus far,” Alexander said. “However, it is quickly proving to be equally as rewarding.”

To become certified, a PA must graduate from an accredited program and pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) that tests general medical and surgical knowledge. Upon successful completion of the rigorous exam, PAs become certified and can use the credential “PA-C.”

The Barton School of Business is excited to be the FlagshipKansas.Tech event partner for its second Ad Astra Technology Summit featuring Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Inc.

On Oct. 2, sessions will take place at Woolsey Hall followed by Wozniak’s fireside chat at Charles Koch Arena. FlagshipKansas.Tech’s Immediate Past Chair Luis Rodriguez will serve as the event’s moderator. The summit will include sessions for workforce development, computational thinking in K-12 classrooms, technology sector professionals, entrepreneurs and business community.

“Innovation, technology, entrepreneurship and collaboration are hallmarks of the Barton School,” said Dr. Larisa Genin, dean, Barton School. “The opportunity to partner with FlagshipKansas on the Ad Astra Technology Summit and bring a transformational leader like Steve Wozniak to campus will inspire attendees and contribute to developing the next generation of digital workforce.”

The Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships is excited to launch the Shocker Financial Wellness Workshops for fall 2023.

These workshops will be interactive and led by the peer financial counselors who are trained to reflect the big five of holistic financial wellness as identified by the U.S. Financial Literacy and Education Commission. The topics focus on earning, saving/investing, protecting, spending, and borrowing.

Shocker Financial Wellness is also available for campus presentations in First Year Seminars or with student organizations with groups of 10 or more students. Find the full list of upcoming workshops, and submit a meeting request, online.

Faculty and staff are encouraged to invite students to the first workshop, “Budgeting 101,” from noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20 in 142 Rhatigan Student Center. The more sessions students attend this semester, the better their chance to win a full-tuition scholarship for spring 2024.

For questions, contact Janet Hartley at janet.hartley@wichita.edu.

The Graduate Student Council is holding its annual elections to elect new councilors for the 2023-24 academic year, opened until 11:45 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15.

The council is comprised of student representatives from all recognized graduate colleges who are responsible for advocating for the educational, professional and social needs of graduate students at Wichita State.

All registered graduate students are invited to participate in this voting exercise.

Those interested in pursuing a graduate degree to be an advanced professional in the field of education can now apply for the Wichita State’s Master of Education in Learning and Instructional Design program.

The M.Ed. is an innovative, dynamic and flexible program that meets the diverse needs and goals of candidates seeking to advance their professional careers in teaching, learning and program design.

The campus can learn more about the program by attending the virtual information sessions. The sessions are held at 7 p.m. every first Tuesday of the month during the fall and spring semesters via Microsoft Teams. Contact Dr. Jay at jaehwan.byun@wichita.edu to get the link to the sessions or for more information.

The Office of Online & Adult Learning understands the challenges faced by adult students who are raising children while working toward a degree. In honor of National Student Parent Month, OAL would like to highlight some of the resources available to parents on campus:

• Baby changing stations
• Child Development Center
• Lactation and Wellness Rooms
• Community Garden
• Other activities available for children