Category: Uncategorized

Thousands of students, alumni, families and community members filled campus with excitement and Shocker pride during last week’s Shocktoberfest.

Shocker Royalty

Back this year was the celebration of our talented student leaders with the Shocktoberfest Court. 12 talented students were selected for the court and on Saturday, two were named Shocker Royalty.

Bella Alderman – senior, media arts – game design/dance

“Growing up I always knew I wanted to go to college at Wichita State University and become a Shocker. I was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas. My grandfather, father, and uncle are all WSU alumni, and my grandmother and mother attended classes at WSU. Additionally, my great aunt and a close family friend were not only WSU alumni but also Gamma Phi Beta alumni. Growing up around so many Shockers and seeing how successful all of them were in their careers always made me excited to become a Shocker. After receiving a tour of Shocker Studios in high school from Justin Rorabaugh and seeing all of the opportunities the school has for game design students, I knew for sure that Wichita State University was the college for me.”

Israel Torres – junior, mechanical engineering

“My involvement at Wichita State has allowed me to grow as a leader and to provide opportunities for others. As a founder and leader of Omega Delta Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, I have worked to create a Brotherhood built on service, diversity, and growth. The fraternity has allowed me to coordinate community service projects, fundraisers, and events that bring students together and give back to the Wichita community. Last year, I served as the Treasurer and Director of Fundraising for Engineers Without Borders, and I raised funds for our chapter’s efforts to address water access challenges in Azacilo, Bolivia… One of the most rewarding aspects of my involvement has been mentorship. Programs like Read Like a ROYAL and Spirit Strong have allowed me to support younger college students and inspire them to believe in what they can do. I have learned that being involved at Wichita State is not simply about holding positions; it is about using those positions to make the campus better for the people around me.”

Spirit Awards

Teams competed throughout the week for points and a chance at $1000 for their team. Our Spirit Competition Winners are:

• First place: WSU Cheer
• Second place: Black Student Union
• Third place: Sigma Phi Epsilon

Among the many events were individual and group competitions and those winners are:

Individual and department award recipients

• Departmental Door Decorating Competition: IDP Procurement
• RSO attendance competition: Sigma Phi Epsilon

Parade Winners Include

• Wu’s Winner: Student Health Services. 100 anniversary
• Most creative: Fairmount College Liberal Arts & Sciences
• People’s choice: St. Paul Catholic Student Center

Thank you to all the students, faculty, staff, alumni, Shocker families and community members that made this year’s Shocktoberfest a success.

There’s still time to enroll in classes for the fall 2026 semester. View the course schedule and enroll now by using Banner and logging in with your myWSU information.​

Have any questions on what classes you should take to meet your program requirements? Schedule a time to meet with an academic advisor:

• View a list of undergraduate academic advisors in each college.
• Graduate students can find their academic advisor through myWSU in the myClasses tab. If no advisor name is shown in your myWSU account, contact the graduate coordinator of your program.

Join the Academic Resources Conference (ARC) today for the start of the August ARC. All sessions are free and online.

Click session link to join live meeting, or register for calendar invites (optional).

9 a.m.: Opening Plenary – President Rick Muma, Provost Monica Lounsbery
10 a.m.: Getting Started with Blackboard – Mary Morriss
11 a.m.: Creating and Using Rubrics in Blackboard – Magi Penner-Hiebert
Noon: Tests in Blackboard: Banks, Pools, and Settings – Mary Morriss
1 p.m.: Incorporating Publisher Materials in Blackboard – Mary Morriss
2 p.m.: Setting Up Your Gradebook Right the First Time – Heather Merchant

See session descriptions and the the full schedule at wichita.edu/ARC25Aug

ChatGPT feels like a miracle for job-seekers — instant resumes, cover letters and more. But there’s a dark side to using AI in the job search: It can actually hurt your chances if you use it the wrong way. Join OpenAI’s first education partner and a former hiring manager at LinkedIn and Khan Academy, Jeremy Schifeling, to understand ChatGPT from an employer’s perspective, including:

• The right way to use AI — from the best prompting techniques to the best models for every stage of your search.
• The biggest pitfalls of ChatGPT — and how to avoid them so your resume doesn’t get automatically rejected.
• How to find your perfect career path, your most important resume keywords and your best interview prep plan of attack — all by choosing the right AI tool at the right time.

“ChatGPT for Job-Seekers: The Right Way to Use AI to Accelerate Your Search,” is noon-1 p.m. Thursday, April 17. The free virtual event is sponsored by the Shocker Career Accelerator and Graduate School. 

The Student Government Association is looking for students to join the Finance Commission.

The Finance Commission serves to advise and assist the student body treasurer in the execution of the funding allocations for the Student Government Association. Service to this commission will require a weekly 1.5-hours meeting on Fridays and service to the Appropriations and Student Fees Hearing processes. Visit the link below to fill out an application or email sga@wichita.edu for more information.

You’ll be on campus quite a bit this fall — why not work on campus, too? It’s fun, convenient and you get to meet plenty of fellow Shockers. If you’re interested in an on-campus position, come to the On-Campus Job Fair 1-3 p.m. today (Aug. 14) on the third floor of the Rhatigan Student Center. Regular student positions (non-Work-Study) and Federal Work-Study positions are available. Dress is business casual. 

Bring your WSU ID (or the number), copies of your resume, and be prepared to speak with on-campus employers. Register and learn more at wichita.edu/OCJF.

Join the Kansas Small Business Development Center for 1 Million Cups, a free, weekly event designed to ignite the entrepreneurial spirit from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 17 at the Hughes Metropolitan Complex. This nationwide program brings together aspiring and experienced business owners for education, engagement and connection.

What to expect:

• Hear inspiring talks from local entrepreneurs about their journeys
• Network with fellow innovators and build valuable connections
• Get feedback and advice on your own business ideas

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to grow your existing venture, 1 Million Cups is the perfect place to be. Come grab a cup of Reverie coffee, connect with your community and fuel your entrepreneurial fire.

Gain professional work experience, learn resume writing and interviewing skills and more through Shocker Career Accelerator.

• Shocker Central
• Career Events
• Career Management
• Career Closet
• Professional Student Photos

Shocker Printing has been awarded the prestigious Platinum Award for poster printing at the ACUP+ Annual Conference held in Rochester, New York, last month. The award-winning poster, titled “Wichita State Mural,” was designed by Annelise Muret, art director in the Office of Strategic Communications and Marketing.

Selected as one of six finalists, the poster was ultimately chosen by the board of directors of the Association of College and University Printers Plus (ACUP+), a testament to the team’s exceptional talent and dedication to excellence.

You can view the award and the winning poster on display in Morrison Hall, just outside the Shocker Printing Solutions print center.

Congratulations to Annelise and the entire Shocker Printing team for the achievement.

At 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 5 at the Wichita Orpheum Theatre, 200 N. Broadway St. suite 102, OneRise will be revealing their master plan for a comprehensive health campus to be located in south Wichita. It will also sponsor a screening of the documentary “Beyond Homeless: Finding Hope.”

OneRise Health Campus is a new 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to creating a state-of-the-art behavioral healthcare campus on 70 acres of land in Wichita, KS. OneRise Health Campus will be located at Meridian and MacArthur in the Crossgate District to serve all of South-central Kansas. The Lange family and the Lange Community Foundation’s passion for helping those facing mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness challenges inspired them to visit Haven for Hope in San Antonio, TX, a campus that provides all-in-one services for people in need. This led to the creation of OneRise, which aims to break the mold of fragmented service providers in the Wichita community and transform lives.