Shocker Blast: Friday, Feb. 25, 2022

Events

Ulrich Museum of Art hosting Spring Exhibition Party tonight

The Ulrich Museum of Art will host its spring 2022 exhibition party 5-8 P.M. this evening, Friday, Feb. 25. The party is free and open to the public. Masks will be required. This spring, the Ulrich has brought four shows to campus (three in the museum’s galleries and one at the Grace Memorial Chapel). They include the following:

Two immersive video installations by Finnish artist Eija-Liisa Ahtila, “The Annunciation” and “The Bridge.”
Highlights from the career of Wichita-based artist Ann Resnick in “Chapter & Verse.”
A sound installation in Grace Memorial Chapel titled “DECLARATION” by Lebanese American artist Annabel Daou.

The party will feature remarks from President Rick Muma, interim Ulrich director Rodney Miller, and curator Ksenya Gurshtein. It will also feature live music and food and drink from local vendors including Hungry Bunny, the Black Fig Bakery, Komugi, Argentina’s Empanadas, Mokko Cuisine, Viola’s Pantry, and Journey East.

Self-Care Sunday: Manage mid-terms with CARE Team

To help students manage their mid-terms, Wichita State’s CARE Team will host a stress management session 1-2:30 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Shocker Hall Multi-Purpose Room. The session will focus on stress management coping skills and will include a short guided meditation.

WSU’s CARE Team provides a proactive and supportive multidisciplinary team approach to prevention, assessment and intervention for situations that may interfere with students or employees functioning to their full potential.

Learn more about CARE Team

Emerging fiction writer Sindya Bhanoo giving reading at Ulrich today

The Writing Now/Reading Now series is back on Tuesday with a fiction reading from Sindya Bhanoo at 6 p.m. today, March 1st at the Ulrich Museum of Art. Bhanoo is Wichita State’s 2022 Visiting Emerging Fiction Writer. She will read from her debut short story collection, “Seeking Fortune Elsewhere.” There will be a reception before at 5:30 P.M. The event is free and open to the public.

Writing Now/Reading Now is co-sponsored by the WSU Department of English, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Watermark Books and Café, and the Ulrich Museum of Art.

Bhanoo’s fiction has appeared in Granta, New England Review, and Glimmer Train. She is the recipient of an O. Henry Award and scholarships from the Bread Loaf and Sewanee writers conferences. A longtime newspaper reporter, she has worked for “The New York Times” and “The Washington Post,” and was most recently a Knight-Wallace Reporting Fellow at the University of Michigan and a visiting faculty member at the Michener Center for Writers.

SGA hosting Wellness Week events

Join the Student Government Association (SGA), SGA Health and the Wellness Advisory Board to celebrate Wellness Week Feb. 28-March 3. During the week, students can participate in exciting activities and learn about resources on campus. Students can visit the SGA Wellness Week 2022 website to learn each day’s theme during the week.

Visit SGA Wellness Week 2022 website

Watkins visiting professor to lecture about C. elegans today

Dr. Guy A. Caldwell, university distinguished research professor at the University of Alabama (UA), will present a public lecture, “Some Worm Saved My Life Tonight: Invertebrate-Driven Personalized Medicine,” at 3:30 p.m., today, March 2 at Hubbard Hall (Room 209).

Caldwell is visiting as part of the Watkins Visiting Professorship. The Watkins Visiting Professorship was created in 1974 by the Watkins Foundation. This grant is now provided through the Watkins fund, a part of the Wichita State University Foundation’s endowment.

His lab, The Worm Shack, studies C. elegans, a roundworm that lives in soil, and possesses genes that have functional counterparts in humans. Worms of this species are used as models for human disorders and illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease, kidney disease and congenital heart disease.

Savvy Scholar Series covers making impactful research posters

The next University Libraries Savvy Scholar Workshop “Making A Stunning Research Poster” will take place 4-5 p.m. Tuesday, March 1 at the Ablah Library (Room 217, second floor). There is no fee to register. During the workshop participants will learn to create impactful and visually effective posters for conferences, competitions and other presentations.

Register for Edible Book Festival April 1

Students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in University Libraries’ annual Edible Book Festival which will take place 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Ablah Library. Registration is free of charge. Those who register are encouraged to create edible art based on their favorite literature for a chance to win prizes.

The deadline to register is noon Thursday, March 31.

Join virtual EPDA Alumni reunion March 1

There will be an Educational Professionals Development Act (EPDA) Alumni reunion at 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 1 via Zoom. After fifty years, the alumni will reunite to talk about their experiences and how the EPDA enriched their lives.

Fifty years ago, the United States made one of the largest investments in education, the EPDA, which offered grants to institutions to provide accelerated master’s programs to educators. Wichita State was the recipient of one of the grants to provide an accelerated Master of Arts in history program for those who had completed a bachelor’s degree and were currently working in education.

Those accepted received free tuition and a stipend to cover living expenses. This gave the students an opportunity to devote themselves full-time to study without the need for employment. People from across the country competed for the 18 available slots in the program, bringing students from across the country together at Wichita State.

For more information and the Zoom link, contact Dr. Jay Price at jay.price@wichita.edu.

Facilities Management hosting lunch and learn with local facility managers

Do you like problem-solving? Do you want every workday to be different? The Engineering Technology Department is hosting a lunch and learn 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25 at the Engineering Building (Room 202). Free pizza will be provided to those in attendance. The event will allow attendants to speak with local facility managers including the following:

Scott Rains–Medxcel and St. Francis Hospital facilities manager

Heath Koehler–Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. senior manager and facilities services

Dane Estok–Mahaney Group facilities manager

For more information, contact Kara McCluskey at kara.mccluskey@wichita.edu.

Learn how to gather social data for research

The next University Libraries Savvy Scholar Workshop “Finding Social Data” will take place noon-1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25 via Zoom. There is no fee to register. During the workshop participants will learn to unlock a wealth of social data to understand demographic groups, large populations, and pressing social issues.

Take a Tax Prep 101 class with SAC

Filing your taxes doesn’t have to be difficult. Attend the Student Activities Council’s (SAC) Tax Prep 101 class at 6 p.m. March 3 and 9 at the Rhatigan Student Center (Room 203). Registration is required to attend. During the class, a professional will walk participants through how to file their taxes.

For more information, contact sac@wichita.edu.

Shockers invited to Wellness Expo today

Wichita State University’s Campus Recreation is hosting the educational and interactive Wellness Expo 11 a.m. -1 p.m. today, March 2 at the Heskett Center. Students, faculty, staff, and the local community are invited to reach out to fellow Shockers during this event and receive medical screenings and wellness tips from vendor booths from WSU departments and the local community.

The first 200 participants will receive a free T-Shirt.

For more information, contact please 316-978-5289 or cr.healthfair@wichita.edu.

Reserve a booth for Wellness Expo

Performances

School of Performing Arts presents Wichita Contemporary Dance Theatre spring concert 2022

Wichita State’s School of Performing Arts will host the Wichita Contemporary Dance Theatre spring Concert 2022 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24-26 at Wilner Auditorium.

The event will be a repertory dance concert featuring the faculty works of Denise Celestin, Cheyla Clawson Chandler, Nick Johnson, Sabrina Vasquez and other guest artists.

Tickets are free to WSU students who present their ID, $10 for other students, $18 for faculty, staff, military, and senior citizens. For more information or to get tickets, contact 316-978-3233 or visit the online WSU College of Fine Arts Box Office.

Visit WSU College of Fine Arts Box Office

Faculty Artist Series presents Dr. Julie Bees

The School of Music’s Faculty Artist Series welcomes celebrate American pianist Dr. Julie Bees who will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27 at Wiedemann Hall. The concert will feature works by Bach, Chopin and Schubert.

Bees is a professor of piano and director of the Konrad Wolff-Ilse Bing Chamber Music Endowment Award at Wichita State. She is also a founding member of The Orfeo Trio, a traveling piano trio that has most recently given recitals and masterclasses across Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

During her career, Bees has given countless performances as a soloist and collaborative pianist. Her most recent appearances include performing as a concerto soloist with the SAR Philharmonic in Hong Kong and with the WSU Symphony Orchestra during their tour of Spain.

Student Resources

McNair Scholars Program accepting applications

The TRIO McNair Scholars Program is accepting applications for the 2022-2023 academic year. McNair assists students who are underrepresented in higher education to prepare for graduate school. The program will be host three informational events for students interested in learning more about the program:

McNair Scholars Program Informational Events:

- 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 1 via Zoom
- 11 am Monday, March 7 via Zoom
- 2 p.m. Thursday, March 3 at Grace Wilkie (Annex 165)

If students are unavailable during these times or they would like to schedule a time to meet, contact Ashley Cervantes. For more information, contact 316-978-3139 or mcnairscholars@wichita.edu.

Learn more about McNair Scholars Program

News

Supply chain issues causing shortage of business envelopes

Due to current supply chain issues affecting paper mills, Shocker Printing Solutions is running into problems receiving #9 reply envelopes, #10 envelopes and #10 window envelopes. This means It could be April-May before they are able to replenish their stock. This will have a major impact on how the university conducts business. Before placing an order, please call Shocker Printing at 316-978-3546 to inquire about what envelopes are currently in stock.

TRIO programs assist students with disabilities

TRIO is a group of federally funded outreach programs that were put in place to support disadvantaged students who want to pursue higher education. Wichita State sponsors eight TRIO programs, each of them focusing on a specific population and with a unique focus. Read about two TRIO programs below:

Student Support Services assists low-income and first-generation college students and individuals with disabilities to graduate from college. Services include assistance with securing financial aid; personal, academic, and career counseling; academic instruction; and assistance with applying to graduate and professional programs.
Disability Support Services provides academic support services and resources to low-income and first-generation undergraduate students with psychological, physical, or learning disabilities. Services include assistance with securing financial aid and scholarship opportunities; academic instruction; degree planning; and course selection.

Since 1986, the last Saturday of each February has been designated as National TRIO Day to recognize the efforts of these programs in assisting our nation’s low-income and first-generation college students.

Prevent vehicle break-ins on campus

To help prevent items in your vehicles from being stolen, please hide any items left in your vehicle in the trunk or somewhere out of sight. You should also take your keys and anything of value with you and lock your vehicle.

If you see any suspicious activity or experience a break-in, call the Wichita State Police Department at 316-978-3450.

Help WSU PD support Shocker Locker

During February, the Wichita State Police Department will pick up donations from students, faculty and staff for the Shocker Support Locker. The Shocker Support Locker helps combat food insecurity within the Wichita State community. The Locker is open to all WSU students, faculty, and staff.

The department is accepting the following items:

Canned food
Dry food
Hygiene products.

The officers are accepting the donations at their location on campus at 1845 Fairmont St. Members can also have their donations picked up by a member of the department by calling 316-978-3450.

Job Openings

TRIO UBMS seeking eight-week tutor-counselor

TRIO Upward Bound Math-Science (UBMS) summer program is hiring for an eight-week, June 6-July 22, tutor-counselor job. The job is open to sophomore-, junior- and senior-level college students.

The UBMS summer program is an interdisciplinary and interactive program integrating subject matter in the sciences, tools of mathematics, writing and computer technology for high school-age students.

Qualifications for the job include the following:

Must be Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematical (STEM) majors.
Should have a strong foundation in college-level math, science and computer science,
Must have the ability to work with diverse populations.
Should be interested in working with high school students.

The compensation for the job will be a $1200-1400 salary before tax. Room and board will be provided to all tutor-counselors during the duration of their employment; this is subject to change virtually depending on the state of the pandemic crisis. Training for the tutor-counselor job will be provided May 23-June 1.

For more information, contact Lorene Berg, assistant director UMBS, at 316-665-5414 or lorene.berg@wichtia.edu.

Apply for UMBS tutor-counselor job

Looking for a outdoor summer job?

Looking for a summer job? Boats and Bikes at River Vista will host an interest session at 6:30 p.m. March 2 via bit.ly/bikesboats2022 (Password: 109523). Boast and Bikes is the home of the Shocker Rowing Team.

Applications will be accepted resumes until March 11. Interviews will be held the March 21-26. For more information, contact boatsandbikes@wichita.edu.

Learn more about Boats and Bikes at River Vista