WSU Today: Monday, Aug. 1, 2022

Events and Recreation

Shocker Support Locker hosting back-to-school supply drive

The Shocker Support Locker is hosting a back-to-school supply drive 9-11 a.m. until Aug. 19 at the the Office of Student Engagement, Advocacy & Leadership front desk located at 216 Rhatigan Student Center.

Recommended supplies include:

Pens
Pencils
Highlighters
Notebooks
Paper
Folders
Sticky Notes
Flash Drives
Note Cards
Planners
Calculators

Please ensure that all donations are new items.

For more information, contact Caitlin Nolen at 316-978-3022 or caitlin.nolen@wichita.edu.

Alumni honor WSU professor’s lifelong impact

Dr. Amy Drassen Ham, clinical professor in Wichita State’s College of Health Professions, has been the faculty advisor for the HEALTH Student Association since its inception in 2005. It’s been a longtime dream of hers to create a scholarship supporting students in the organization.

This year, the student association and a group of former students helped her make that dream come true and created the endowed Dr. Amy Drassen Ham HEALTH Scholarship.

“I’m not moved to tears by many things in life, but my face was a waterfall,” said Drassen Ham.

Staff Senate school supply drive collecting donations

Wichita State Staff Senate is supporting neighboring schools and the Wichita community by collecting school supplies for local youth organizations. All donations must be submitted by Aug. 10. The donations will go to two businesses: ICT Launchpad, a youth organization, and 3 Keys Fitness, a business that has partnered with local youth group Equity Initiative.

The Senate is hoping to meet its goal by collecting the following:

100 backpacks
School supplies (in quantities of 40)

The donations can be submitted at one of the following locations:

OneStop
Ablah Library
The Ulrich
Engineering Dean’s Office (Partnership 2 building)

For more information, contact naquela.pack@wichita.edu.

Learn more about Staff Senate School Supply Drive

Register for 2022 Midwest Data Conference

Wichita State’s Public Policy and Management Center will host the 2022 Midwest Data Conference 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 25 at the Marcus Welcome Center.

The event is for faculty and staff who crunch numbers or support crunching the numbers for their organization and will discuss using data to make informed decisions that impact organizations and communities.

The cost for the event is $135 for participants who register by Aug. 5. Those who register after Aug. 5 will pay a fee of $145. All participants must register by Aug. 18.

Learn more about Midwest Data Conference Register for Midwest Data Conference

Attend grand opening of Campus Credit Union’s RSC location

Join Campus Credit Union for its grand opening celebration 1-3 p.m. Aug. 1 located inside the Rhatigan Student Center (RSC). The event will offer participants gift bags and food vouchers available for the Starbucks and Panda Express at RSC. Participants can also register for a PC/laptop giveaway that will run through August.

Human Resources

Take Advantage of August HealthQuest events

Employees enrolled in 2022 coverage through the State Employee Health Plan can earn a premium discount worth $480 annually and Health Savings Account (HSA)/Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) reward dollars up to $500 per year for each employee and covered spouse, just by participating and logging healthy activities throughout the year.

In August, there are five events currently scheduled worth up to 37 credits.

Schedule a Health Coaching appointment between Aug. 1-31 and receive two credits instead of one. (two credits)
1 p.m. Aug. 3, EAP Webinar “Understanding Depression” (one credit)
Aug. 10, on-campus Biometric Screening in 266 Rhatigan Student Center. Schedule an appointment today at the HealthQuest portal, or call 1-888-275-1205, option 3. (Up to 23 credits)
Aug. 15, Wondr (Formerly Naturally Slim) session 4 kick-off. Registration ends July 31. Visit the Wondr website to register. (10 points)
1 p.m. Aug. 17, Wellness Webinar “Emotional Eating, The Connection Between Mood and Food” (one credit)

Take advantage of some of the on-demand and online options to earn HealthQuest credits.

Online Wellness Assessment: You can earn 10 credits for completing this assessment.
2022 HealthQuest Program Overview Video and Quiz: You can earn three credits for watching this video and completing the short quiz.
Virtual Health Coaching Sessions: You can earn up to 15 credits (max one health coaching per day, one credit each) by scheduling Health Coaching Sessions. You can choose a health coach who is a nurse (RN), a dietitian or a trainer when scheduling sessions.
Learning Modules: You can earn up to 12 credits by completing on-demand learning modules in the HealthQuest portal. There are many different topics to choose from.
EAP On-Demand Trainings: You can earn up to 10 credits combined by completing EAP On-Demand trainings that you can access through the HealthQuest portal and attending EAP webinars (max one credit per day).
KPERS Financial Wellness Learning Module: You can earn 10 credits by completing this five-week learning module.

We’ll be publishing upcoming events each month, but if you’d like to plan in advance, check out all currently scheduled HealthQuest events.

Access the HealthQuest portal at https://healthquest.phsstofks.wellness.us.healtheintent.com/onboarding.

Check out all currently scheduled HealthQuest events Access the HealthQuest portal

Creating a family legacy of philanthropy

Louise and Deb Brinegar both say that Wichita State was woven into the fabric of their family, so it was a no-brainer for the sisters to create scholarships for WSU students.

“WSU allowed our parents to achieve the dreams they had as a couple,” said Deb. “The lifelong desire to learn, to give back to the community and to expand their horizons, that was a part of what they took away from here. We want to honor their heritage.”

New board members to WSU Foundation welcomed

Four new members of the Wichita State Foundation Board of Directors were recently added. The new members include Don Barry, 1988, managing director at Robert W. Baird & Co.; Mark Finucane, ’76, managing director at Alvarez and Marsal; John Rolfe, 1985 president and CEO of Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce; and Maggie Topping, 2000, senior vice president at Textron Aviation.

Their term began July 1 and will continue for three years.

Study abroad scholarship creates world of opportunities for students

Barbara and Pete Bassi have spent their lives traveling and living in different countries, gaining a broad understanding of other cultures and customs. The wealth of experiences they’ve had are exactly what they hope to pass on to students at Wichita State through their study abroad scholarship.

“Books provide an important education, but you need to learn about other cultures and their differences and needs,” said Barbara. “That’s where the scholarship comes along. We want people to have a chance to get out of their boxes and look at the world around them — that’s the purpose of education.”

Woodman Alumni Building closing temporarily today

The WSU Foundation will be attending an all-staff retreat Monday, Aug.1. During this time, Woodman Alumni Building will close. Normal hours of operation will resume Tuesday, Aug. 2.

WSU Foundation begins search for VP of Alumni Engagement

The WSU Foundation is hiring for a Vice President of Alumni Engagement (VPAE) to support university priorities and champion lifelong connections between students, alumni and friends of Wichita State.

The VPAE will work to plan and implement programs to engage alumni and create experiences designed to elevate, celebrate and advance WSU, reporting to the President and CEO of the Foundation. This newly created position will work with teams throughout the Foundation to align alumni relations, development and financial stewardship to actively contribute to the ongoing mission and vision of the WSU Foundation and WSU.

Parker Executive Search Firm is assisting the Foundation with the search process, and applications can be found on the Parker Executive Search Firm website.