WSU Today: Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022

Human Resources

View HealthQuest changes for 2023

HealthQuest is a program of the State Employee Health Plan (SEHP) which provides financial incentives, such as medical insurance premium discounts, for taking actions that promote individual health and wellness.

Read more of View HealthQuest changes for 2023

Visit HealthQuest website

Parking and Traffic

What you need to know about parking, driving and busing during Pumpkin Run

The Wichita State campus will be home to the 2022 Pumpkin Run on Saturday, Oct. 22. To. make room for this event and its participants, there will be several changes to driving on campus, parking, and Wichita Transit bus routes.

There will be road closures Saturday, Oct. 22 morning due to the Pumpkin Run. The campus will only be accessible through the south entrances.
Parking lots three and 11 will be closed after 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21 until after the Pumpkin Run. To help ensure the safety of the runners, please remove your vehicle and do not park in these lots during this scheduled timeframe.
Wichita Transit bus routes will not stop on campus between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22. During this time, the buses will continue north on Hillside to 21st Street outbound and 21st Street to Hillside Street inbound to the Transit Center. The buses will return to the regular route at 2 p.m. Please reference the Wichita Transit schedule for more information.

View parking maps View the Wichita Transit schedule

Events

Chili cook-off to benefit Kansas Food Bank

Empty Bowls: Chili Cook-Off, a benefit for Kansas Food Bank, will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 22 at Woolsey Hall.

Read more of Chili cook-off to benefit Kansas Food Bank

Purchase chili cook-off tickets

Songfest 2022 tickets on sale now

Songfest teams have been practicing for months, and they’re ready to wow audiences with their choreography, music selections and costumes at 6 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Orpheum Theater, 200 N. Broadway in Wichita.

Songfest is an annual dance and lip sync competition hosted annually by Wichita State University’s Office of Student Engagement, Advocacy & Leadership. Groups competing in Songfest 2022:

Alpha Phi
Beta Theta Phi
Delta Delta Delta
Delta Gamma
Delta Upsilon
Gamma Phi Beta
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Phi Delta Theta
National Panhellenic Council
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon

Tickets are $10 for the general public and $5 for children 12 and younger. Free tickets will be provided to the first 250 students in line for the event with proof of a valid Shocker ID. Tickets can be purchased at the Orpheum box office or online at the link below.

Purchase tickets online Learn more about SEAL events

Seminar focuses on next-generation lithium-ion batteries

Join the College of Engineering and Dr. Liang Change from Zenlabs Energy for a discussion on advanced anode materials for next-generation lithium-ion batteries at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21 in Partnership Building 2, Room A131.

The development of high-energy and high-power lithium-ion batteries can effectively relieve mileage anxiety and shorten charging time in a world with an increasing number of electric vehicles. As a senior battery scientist at Zenlabs, Chang’s research focuses on designing state-of-the-art materials for electrodes and electrolytes in batteries, supercapacitors, capacitive deionization, and catalysis.

Save the date for Diversity Lecture Series

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion is proud to present the Diversity Lecture Series, which features distinguished leaders and experts to inspire campus dialogue, community engagement, and education about the national narrative on diversity and inclusion. An upcoming lecture will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25 in Rhatigan Student Center, room 301.

This lecture will feature keynote speaker Alfredo Corchado, an award-winning journalist, who will share his stories from the press and expertise on immigration, drug violence and foreign policy between the United States and Mexico.

The Diversity Lecture Series is free and open to the public. Registration is required to attend.

Shred old documents at e-waste event

NetApp will host an E-waste and shredding event 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, at its location on Wichita State’s Innovation Campus. The event is open to all students, faculty, staff and innovation partners. During the event, participants can bring the following items:

Personal documents accepted for secure shredding
All personal electronics, including appliances
Secure data destruction for e-waste (hard drive shredder)
On-site assistance available for larger loads

For more informaiton, contact chris.hepner@netapp.com.

Pee For Pizza event Oct. 20

The next Student Health Services (SHS) Pee for Pizza event will take place noon-4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 20, at the Student Wellness Center in the Steve Clark YMCA. During the event, participants can get tested for Gonorrhea and Chlamydia by submitting a urine specimen and then receive a free pizza.

Co-sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Positive Direction and Shocker Sports Grill and Lanes, Pee for Pizza occurs twice a month through the fall and spring semesters and is by reservation only. No walk-ins will be accepted. Participants must not use the restroom at least one hour before testing.

For more information or to make a reservation, contact SHS at 316-978-4792. Other testing is available upon request.

Volunteer Opportunities

Researchers seek participants for balance study

Wichita State’s Department of Physical Therapy is looking for participants between the ages of 40 and 60 for a research study comparing balance differences among middle-aged adults.

Testing is one time only at either Ahlberg Hall or WSU Old Town and should not take more than 15 minutes. Please use the link below to fill out the Qualtrics survey to determine your eligibility for participation. This study has been approved by the IRB, number 5218.

Find out if you're eligible to participate

Volunteer to judge the WISE group activity

The College of Engineering is seeking faculty and staff from across the university to serve as group activity judges for the college’s annual Wallace Invitational for Scholarships in Engineering (WISE).

Two-person judging teams will observe and score a small group of four or five competitors. Students are judged on teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills — not on their knowledge of engineering concepts. Therefore, judges do not need to have a background in engineering or computing.

The activities will be from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 18 in the Harvest Room (142) of the RSC.

If you are interested in judging, please sign up by Nov. 4 at www.wichita.edu/wisevolunteer. For questions, contact Jason Bosch at jason.bosch@wichita.edu.

Foundation and Alumni Engagement

Shocker alumna to lead WSU’s alumni engagement efforts

Following a national search, Wichita State University’s newly restructured alumni organization — the WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement (WSUFAE) — has hired Stacie Williamson as its new vice president for alumni engagement, effective Nov. 28.

Williamson is a 2005 WSU business administration and marketing graduate.

“I’m thrilled to join the WSUFAE in this new role,” Williamson said. “As a WSU graduate, I feel immense pride when I step onto campus.

WSU President Rick Muma says he’s excited to welcome Williamson back to her alma mater in this new role.

“As Wichita State’s influence as an urban public research university grows, expanding the scope of alumni engagement is a key element in advancing WSU’s forward progress,” Muma said. “With her enthusiasm and drive, Stacie is the right person at the right time to lead our alumni engagement efforts.”