WSU Today: Monday, April 4, 2022

EVP/Provost Search

WSU community invited to attend first EVP/provost search forum today

The EVP/Provost search committee welcomes the WSU community to attend an open forum today with candidate Dr. Shirley Lefever, interim executive vice president and provost, Wichita State University.

The one-hour forum is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. in 208 Hubbard Hall. If you are unable to attend in person, you are invited to interact with the forum via Zoom using the link below.

You are encouraged to complete an Evaluation Survey on your interactions today with the position candidate. Please complete the following Qualtrics survey no later than noon Tuesday, April 5.

Join the search forum via Zoom (password 700579)Evaluation survey View Dr. Lever's cover letter, bio and CV

Second EVP/provost search forum scheduled for April 5

The EVP/Provost search committee welcomes the WSU community to attend an open forum Tuesday, April 5 with candidate Dr. Glen Krutz, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, professor of political science, and Puterbaugh Foundation Chair at Oklahoma State University.

The one-hour forum is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. in 208 Hubbard Hall. If you are unable to attend in person you are invited to interact with the forum via Zoom at the link below.

Join the search forum via Zoom (password 962060)View Dr. Glen Krutz’s cover letter, bio and CV

News

WSU Foundation honors retired faculty and staff

Each year the WSU Foundation invites retired faculty and staff back to campus to reconnect and hear an update on the state of the university. Hosted by Dr. Jim Rhatigan, former dean of students at Wichita State, with presentations from WSU Foundation president Dr. Elizabeth King, and WSU President Rick Muma, the event honored more than 100 former faculty and staff while celebrating their legacies.

Thank you to the people who have and who continue to make a difference in the lives of Shocker students.

Deadline extended for Shocker Leadership Awards

Applications for Shocker Leadership Awards has been extended to April 10. The Shocker Leadership Awards recognize the work of student-led organizations, students, faculty and staff at Wichita State University.

Official Wichita State student organizations, university-affiliated student groups and individuals may be nominated by a student, faculty member, staff member, or organization. Nominations can also be made by an individual for themselves.

For more information, click the link below or contact student.orgs@wichita.edu

Learn more about the Shocker Leadership Awards

$Vivian Nguyen and Jian Wang with Wichita State University use the single crystal X-ray diffractometer to visualize atoms. An atom is about the size of 1/100,000 of our hair.$

Published Wichita State chemists discover laser materials

What do you picture when you think of lasers? Laser pointers? Perhaps laser eye surgery or barcode scanners? Turns out there’s more to lasers than most people realize, and a Wichita State University chemistry team recently discovered a new series of laser material with potential commercial use.

Vivian Nguyen, a recent graduate of WSU, and Dr. Jian Wang Nguyen, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, discovered new laser materials (KX)P2S6(X=Sb, Bi, Ba) made up of many important elements. That discovery has landed their research in Chemical Science, the flagship journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Reserve an outdoor meeting space

Faculty and staff can now reserve space outside for their meetings or classes. The outdoor meeting spaces include 20 adirondack chairs at five different locations on campus. To participate, complete the reservation form at least two hours in advance.

Reserve outdoor meeting space

SEM team award deadline approaching

The deadline for faculty and staff to submit their nominations for Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Project Award is April 8. The SEM Project Award is given to a team of faculty, staff or both who have made a notable contribution to Wichita State’s efforts to meet our SEM goals.

Help the Office of Strategic Enrollment Management recognize and celebrate SEM contributions by telling a story about a team that has made a difference, or a cross-functional initiative that advances retention and the student experience at WSU.

Nominate members for SEM award

Events and Recreation

Diversity lecture series features the Intersectional Environmentalist

Join the Office of Diversity and Inclusion in collaboration with The Green Group for our Diversity Lecture Series featuring Leah Thomas, the Intersectional Environmentalist at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 14 on Facebook Live.

Leah Thomas is a celebrated environmentalist based in Santa Barbara, California. Coining the term eco-communicator to describe her style of environmental activism. She is a passionate advocate for exploring the relationship between social justice and environmentalism.

She founded and launched Intersectional Environmentalist in 2020, a resource hub and platform that aims to advocate for environmental justice, provide educational resources surrounding intersectional environmentalism, and promote exclusivity and accessibility within environmental education and movements.

Leah published the book “The Intersectional Environmentalist” in March 2022. Her writing also appeared in a variety of publications, including Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, and Highsnobiety; and she has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, W Magazine, Domino, GOOP, and numerous podcasts.

Shocker Women’s Tennis to host a free post-match kids’ clinic

Shocker Women’s Tennis is hosting Emporia State at 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 6 at the Sheldon Coleman Tennis Complex. After the match (around 5 p.m.), players and coaches will host a free tennis clinic for all kids in attendance, with free pizza being provided by the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation of Kansas. Bring your own rackets, or we will have rackets available to borrow. For more info contact Colin Foster at cfoster@goshockers.com.

InterFest planned for April 13

Every semester, the International Student Union, in collaboration with several other student groups and Wichita State organizations, organizes an international food festival called InterFest. During this festival, international students prepare dishes from their home regions, countries, and cultures.

The 2022 InterFest will be celebrated between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 13 at the Neff Hall courtyard. Everyone is invited.

The festival showcases ethnic cuisine, and for a small price, allows the WSU community and visitors to share and taste diverse food and delicacies. The InterFest has become a very popular tradition. It has also emerged as a fundraiser for participating student organizations.

Reach out to our team if you have any questions by sending an email to m923a942@wichita.edu.

Visiting professor to present ‘Black Hole Information Paradox’

Dr. Netta Engelhardt will be presenting “The Black Hole Information Paradox: A Resolution on the Horizon?” at 2 p.m., April 7 via Zoom. Use the Zoom Meeting ID: 4179547349 and Password: Physics.

Dr. Engelhardt is the Biedenharn Career Development assistant professor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She works on quantum gravity, primarily within the framework of the AdS/CFT correspondence. Her research focuses on understanding the dynamics of black holes in quantum gravity, leveraging insights from the interplay between gravity and quantum information via holography. Her current primary interests revolve around the black hole information paradox, the thermodynamic behavior of black holes, and the cosmic censorship hypothesis (which conjectures that singularities are always hidden behind event horizons).

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. For more information about this lecture series, contact Dr. David Eichhorn at (316) 978-6659.

Undergraduate Admissions to host Black and Yellow Day April 22

On Friday, April 22, the Office of Admissions will host Black and Yellow Day, when they invite high school juniors, seniors and college transfer students to experience Shocker Nation. Encourage prospective students you know to register at the Visit Wichita State website and click on “Admissions Events.”

Prospective students in attendance will have several opportunities:

Explore academic and student life opportunities.
Hear from current Wichita State students.
Take a walking tour of campus.
Check out on-campus housing options.

The event is $15 per student and $5 per guest and includes lunch in Shocker Hall Dining.

For more information, contact Sarah Brill, Event Manager, and SAS Advisor, at 978-3638 or Sarah.Brill@wichita.edu.

Texas Tech lecturer to present ‘Geometry and Topology’

Please join us for a public lecture by Dr. Hung Tran from Texas Tech University. The lecture, titled “Geometry and Topology: A Tale of Rigidity,” will take place at 3 p.m. Friday, April 8 in room 372 Jabara Hall. Refreshments will be available at 2:30 p.m. in room 353 Jabara Hall.

View the abstract and schedule of upcoming lectures

Kudos

Congratulations to the Adult Learner of the Year

The Office of Adult Learning at Wichita State University would like to express its congratulations to the recipients of the Adult Learner of the Year Awards (ALOTY). The third annual ALOTY ceremony was held on March 10 to recognize outstanding adult learners and those who support them.

This year, the ALOTY was Nick Rodriguez, an adult learner who demonstrates academic success, leadership skills, and the pride of Wichita State University.

The Community Partner Award winner was presented to Alpha Sigma Lambda, an organization that strives to support adult learners nationwide and has impacted the success of countless students at WSU.

Kim Sandlin, director of Student Success, was presented with the WSU Partner Award for her constant support and contributions to the success of adult learners at WSU.

Thank you to those who attended the ceremony, and congratulations winners on all your hard work!

WSU Police Department announces promotions

The WSU Police Department takes great pride in announcing the following promotions:

Sergeant Kyle Garwood to Captain
Officer Alba Morales to Sergeant
Officer Matthew Feldt to Sergeant

Career Building Opportunities

Encourage students to learn about opportunities with Walmart

Walmart representatives will be available to discuss their College to Career Program and their 10-week Summer Intern Program (which pays $25 per hour) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 6 on the first floor of the RSC.

The first 100 students who visit their table will receive a free slice of pizza. Walmart representatives will also be available after the event to discuss more details and talk to interested students.

The College to Career Program attracts graduates from two- and four-year institutions with an associate or bachelor’s degree. The program begins in June 2022 and includes two years of ongoing leadership development program with a competitive salary of up to $70,000 per year, a compensation reward every six months, tailored training and exposure to total store, comprehensive benefits — including health coverage (subject to eligibility conditions and plan terms), and a rotating work schedule.

Learn more about Walmart opportunities