WSU Today: Friday, Oct. 29, 2021

News

Join Wichita State for the inauguration of Richard Muma

Wichita State will feature a YouTube livestream of the inauguration ceremony for Dr. Richard Muma at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29 at the Hughes Metropolitan Complex. Members who wished to attend the event in person should have reserved their spot by Oct. 15.

Dr. Richard Muma was selected as 15th president of Wichita State University in May. Muma had been serving as interim president of Wichita State since September 2020.

For more information, call 316-978-3258 or email inauguration@wichita.edu.

View YouTube livestream Inauguration of Richard Muma

Men’s Basketball parking lot closures begin Nov. 1

Beginning Nov. 1, a number of lots in the vicinity of Koch Arena will be reserved for Shocker Athletic Scholarship Organization parking three hours before Wichita State men’s basketball games. Anyone previously parked in these lots will need to move their cars at that time. Signage will be in place alerting drivers of the impending lot assignment changes.

See the schedule of lot closures for the 2021-22 Men's Basketball season

Provide your feedback new student Orientation

If you would like to provide feedback about new student Orientation, please complete the anonymous Orientation feedback form by Oct. 31.

The form offers students an opportunity to share their experiences about what they would like to see in future programs involving First-Year Programs in Student Success. Please note that these programs serve our new, domestic degree-bound students.

For more information, contact kim.sandlin@wichita.edu.

Fill out anonymous Orientation feedback form

HR front office lobby temporarily closing

The Human Resources front office lobby will temporarily close to all non-scheduled walk-in traffic Monday-Tuesday, Nov. 1-2. Customers who have a scheduled appointment with an HR team member will be met in the HR vestibule at their scheduled time.

To make an in-person appointment with an HR team member, please contact HR.ServiceCenter@wichita.edu.

Human Resources

Log in today: Final days of benefits open enrollment

Open enrollment for 2022 closes Sunday, Oct. 31 at 11:59 p.m. Members who haven’t submitted their enrollment by that time will be enrolled in a default medical plan. Members who waived medical coverage in 2021 will continue to be waived in 2022 if they do not submit an enrollment.

Still need help making your 2022 election decision? Don’t worry, just ASK ALEX!

The Total Rewards team has created multiple instructional documents with images of the portal and step-by-step instructions. Get help with:

The Total Rewards Team is not available for walk-in traffic or to make individual appointments regarding open enrollment. Please take advantage of the scheduled virtual and in-person presentations, as well as on-demand options. For additional information visit the Open Enrollment Website. Any questions should be directed to TotalRewards@wichita.edu.

Events

Join Journey East Asia Grill for comedy karaoke contest Oct. 31

Need plans for Halloween? Come to Journey East Asia Grill at Braeburn Square 7-10 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31 for a comedy karaoke contest. Members are invited to compete or watch. Food and drinks are available for purchase.

View Journey East Asia Grill menu

Apply to pitch at Mid-West Air Force Collider

If you are an innovator, researcher, or small business, apply by Nov. 1 to take advantage of this virtual event which brings the United States Air Force and the small business community together to connect and collaborate. This enables the opportunity for small business innovation to quickly deliver advanced technologies to the Air Force. The event also offers participants the following:

An opportunity to connect innovators with potential Air Force customers.
An opportunity for potential direct contracted purchases or Small Business Innovation Research.

Selected companies will be invited to pitch their technology to Air Force representatives from McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas; Altus AFB, Oklahoma, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, Whiteman AFB, Missouri, Offutt AFB, Vance AFB, Oklahoma, and Scott AFB, Illinois, in December 2021.

For more information, contact Wichita State Strategic Initiatives at 316-978-5363 or strategicinitiatives@wichita.edu.

Apply for Air Force Collider

History Department Hosts Lecture with Tulsa Race Massacre Scholar

The Wichita State History Department will host its fall 2021 lecture, “Hidden History: The Tulsa Race Massacre and the Struggle for America’s Past” with Dr. Scott Ellsworth, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 2, via Zoom.

Ellsworth, a Tulsa native, is the Department of Afro-American and African Studies professor at the University of Michigan and is the author of “Death in a Promised Land,” the first comprehensive history of the Tulsa Race Massacre.

Ellsworth received his Ph.D. from Duke University in 1982. His awards include a 2016 Poets, Essayists, Novelists book award for “The Secret Game: A Wartime Story of Courage, Change, and Basketball’s Lost Triumph.” Dr. Ellsworth’s most recent book, “The Ground Breaking: An American City” and Its Search for Justice was released in May.

Dr. Ellsworth was one of the lead scholars for the Tulsa Race Riot Commission and is assisting in the effort to uncover unmarked graves of massacre victims.

For more information or to get the Zoom link, contact Dr. Robin Henry at robin.henry@wichita.edu.

Join the African American Faculty and Staff Association

Are you a Wichita State faculty or staff member who is also a person of color and interested in getting involved but unsure where to start? Join the African American Faculty and Staff Association (AAFSA) for the next meeting 12:30-1:30 p.m. Nov. 2 via Zoom.

AAFSA seeks to achieve a visible commitment to the inclusion and valuing of African American students, faculty, staff and WSU alumni in the community. AFFSA meets bi-monthly about current topics important to those they represent.

Join us as we strive to make a difference on and off-campus.

Visit official WSU AAFSA website Join AAFSA Nov. 2 Zoom meeting

CHP Interprofessional Education Committee hosts renowned speaker

The College of Health professionals (CHP) Interprofessional Education (IPE) Committee is pleased to host Alan Dow, M.D., M.S.H.A., for his presentation “Interprofessional Education: A Foundation for the Future of Healthcare” at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 3 via Zoom. During the presentation, participants will learn about facilitation, evaluation and dissemination of IPE to improve health outcomes.

Dr. Dow is a renowned national speaker and serves as the director of the Virginia Commonwealth University Center for Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Care, and the Ruth and Seymour Perlin tenured professor of Medicine and Health Administration. For more information or to get the Zoom link, contact jolynn.dowling@wichita.edu.

Kansas Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation hosting first conference

The Kansas Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (KS-LSAMP) program will host its first conference 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 3 and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 4. The event will be hosted virtually on Nov. 3, and in a hybrid fashion on Nov. 4, with the in-person portion being held in the K-State Student Union on the Kansas State University campus.

The KS-LSAMP program is a multi-institutional alliance comprised of Wichita State University, Kansas State University, and five partner institutions. The overarching goal of KS-LSAMP is to increase the quality and quantity of students completing science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, baccalaureate degrees. It is funded by the National Science Foundation.

The conference is open to all those who are interested in attending, regardless of prior engagement with the KS-LSAMP program. Registration for the KS-LSAMP Conference is free.

To attend, members should send the following information to lsamp@ksu.edu:

Name
Email address
Attendance virtual or in-person

View Kansas Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program

Last day to register for inaugural Analytics Showcase

Wichita State’s Analytics Showcase will take place 8 a.m.-5 p.m. today, Nov. 5 via Zoom. This exciting event is supported by the colleges of business, engineering, health professions, liberal arts and sciences, and applied studies.

The showcase will provide several opportunities:

Learn about innovative analytics research, curricular and applied learning activities at WSU, groundbreaking analytics applications and state-of-the-art analytics software and hardware solutions from leading technology providers.
Network with WSU faculty, staff, students, community partners and industry leaders working in the analytics field to build personal and career connections.
Discover opportunities to collaborate and partner with industry, community and government in research, applied projects and software development.

For more information, contact analytics.showcase@wichita.edu.

Learn more, register for WSU Analytics Showcase

Kudos

Epsilon Tau Chapter of BAP volunteers at Exploration Place

Fifteen members of the Epsilon Tau Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) volunteered at Exploration Place Oct. 23 for their Boo’reakfast event which benefitted both children and adults.

Founded in 1919, Beta Alpha Psi is an honor organization for financial information students and professionals. There are over 300 chapters on college and university campuses with over 300,000 members initiated since Beta Alpha Psi’s formation.

CAPS thanks community for success with first Suspenders4Hope 5K

Wichita State’s Counseling and Prevention Services (CAPS) hosted its first Suspenders4Hope 5K. The event, which is part of a nationwide mental health awareness campaign, involved participation from WSU, Ascension Via Christi and Kohl’s Cares. Members of CAPS say the community participation helped make the event a success. All proceeds from the event went to StopSuicideICT, a local collaborative and non-profit.

Members who wish to participate in the event next year can find more information in the recap video.

Special Offers

Start your fitness journey at Steve Clark YMCA

The staff at the Steven Clark YMCA wants to help you on your fitness journey. Located on campus, the facility includes personal trainers and group exercise instructors that hold national certifications in strength and conditioning, group exercise, CPR, First Aid, automated external defibrillator and oxygen administration.

The facility also offers free group classes and boot camps to all YMCA members and non-members, Individual one-on-one training, partner and small group training at a, affordable price!!! Please stop into the YMCA and ask for more info if you have any interest in the above. Free workout demonstrations and fitness consultation are also available

Everyone’s fitness journey and objectives are different. The Steve Clark YMCA trainers aim to help you or your group set personalized goals and monitor your progress and results during your health and wellness journey.

For more information, contact Jack Tomlinson Steve Clark YMCA director at jack.tomlinson@ymcawichita.org.

Try a pizza at Shocker Sports Grill and Lanes

The Shocker Sports Grill and Lanes now serves house-made pizza 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Pizzas are available in 7-inch personal, 12-inch small and 16-inch large sizes.

The newly renovated Shocker Sports Grill and Lanes is located in the lower level of the Rhatigan Student Center. In addition to pizza, the grill offers salads, hamburgers, sandwiches, wraps, wings, and more.