Patterson named dean of Institute for Interdisciplinary Innovation
The Institute for Interdisciplinary Creativity has been renamed the Institute for Interdisciplinary Innovation, a move that the Kansas Board of Regents approved last spring.
The institute was originally developed to serve as a catalyst for innovative interdisciplinary academic programs, and has quickly evolved into a pipeline for connecting students to industry and providing a support system for student initiated startups.
鈥淚t was always envisioned to be a stand-alone academic unit whereby additional curriculum could be added鈥�, said Provost Rick Muma. It now houses the master of innovation design, an undergraduate leadership certificate and a wide array of design-thinking coursework.
This fall, the Master of Innovation Design program neared its enrollment cap of 25, with a current enrollment of 21.
With its continued growth and to ensure the quality and consistency of our academic and community engagement programming, Jeremy Patterson, the current director, will take on the title of Dean of Interdisciplinary Innovation. Jeremy has been the director of the institute and has served on the Council of Deans since it was launched in 2016.
The title of dean speaks to both the responsibilities, values and priorities of the institute to WSU. The appointment symbolizes a strong commitment to ensuring new paths to collaboration and discovery throughout WSU in the area of innovation.
According to Patterson: 鈥淭he creative work coming out of the institute has enhanced the visibility of WSU. Over the past year, students and faculty have given more than 50 public presentations and there have been 27 articles written about this driven interdisciplinary group.鈥�
A key component of the institute is being managed like a startup company where each member works to maintain a culture of humility. When students enter the program, they are joining a team where they fail or succeed together. This accountability among the students provides industry-like pressures and a collaborative mindset.
Partnerships during the past year have included Johnson & Johnson, Gideon BioTech, NetApp, Red Bull, PK Technologies, The Wonder School, Sway Medical, Aerowhon, the city of Wichita, GoCreate, Riseon and others.
To learn more about the institute, watch this or go to Institute for Interdisciplinary Innovation.
Save the date for next Town Hall on Oct. 25
Thank you to those persons able to attend the recent Town Hall related to priorities for 2018-19. As promised and in an effort to facilitate shared governance, the feedback from that Town Hall is available here for your information. Access is also available at www.wichita.edu/aa.
Your time and your willingness to openly share your thoughts about our current priorities and your hopes for our shared, future successes are appreciated. The Office of Academic Affairs has already begun the process of elevating suggestions for immediate implementation, and will continue to scour the list for other opportunities.
Please save the date for the next Town Hall from 3-4:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, in Shirley Beggs Ballroom, third floor, RSC. A dessert reception will follow. The topic for the next Town Hall is 鈥淎ctivating the Strategic Plan.鈥� Your voice matters!
Attention faculty: Academic integrity informational meeting
The Faculty Senate approved a new policy for Student Academic Integrity. Faculty members are now required to communicate their expectations regarding academic integrity (academic misconduct); including, but not limited to, collaboration, information sharing and conducting ethical research. All syllabi must contain a section that includes information on the Student Academic Misconduct Policy. Additionally, faculty members are expected to adhere to the policy pertaining to the reporting and resolution of alleged violations of the Student Academic Misconduct Policy.
Learn more about this new policy and faculty responsibilities by attending one of the informational meeting sessions. Linnea GlenMaye, Carolyn Shaw, Jeffrey Jarman, Betty Smith-Campbell, and Kyle Wilson will review the new policy 2.17/Student Academic Integrity, explain Student Conduct and Community Standards role in this process, and review the Incident Reporting form used for this new policy.
Please join us on one of the dates below:
4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, 203 RSC
9 a.m. Friday, Oct. 5, 203 RSC
4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5, 203 RSC
Traffic update for tomorrow (Thursday, Oct. 4)
A section of WuShock Drive will be closed to both directions of traffic from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday, Oct. 4) between the intersection of Mid Campus Drive and Parking Lot 6 (east of Ahlberg Hall), for crane setup and replacement of HVAC rooftop condensing units on the south roof of the National Institute of Aviation Research (NIAR).
The Food Truck Plaza, P2 Building and the Experiential Engineering Building / GoCreate will still be accessible from the north on Mid Campus Drive. Parking Lot 6 will still be accessible from the south and from 17th Street via Harvard Drive and WuShock Drive.
The section of sidewalk alongside WuShock Drive on the south side of NIAR and all south NIAR entrances / exits will also be closed to pedestrians during this time for pedestrian safety concerns during this crane work.
Please see the map above of the street and sidewalk closure area for Thursday afternoon.
2019 Open Enrollment is here!
2019 Open Enrollment begins today! Log in to the Member Administration Portal at to make your elections. All benefits-eligible state employees must participate in Open Enrollment. For a full listing of HR and KDHE Open Enrollment events and resources, go to Open Enrollment.
Note: Benefits-eligible state employees who do not log in to make 2019 elections by 11:59 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, Oct. 31, will be defaulted into Plan N with an HRA. This election will be irrevocable. Exceptions include those who waived all coverages in 2018, or who enrolled in only vision and/or MetLife supplemental coverages and wish to maintain the same elections in 2019.
KDHE webinars are scheduled for 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. today (Wednesday, Oct. 3).
All webinars require registration and download of the GoToWebinar launcher, instructions for which will be sent via email after registering. Registration for all upcoming dates can be found .
Space is available in Employment Relationship Training class on Wednesday, Oct. 17
Space is available in an Employment Relationship Training class from 9-11 a.m. Wednesday,
Oct. 17, in 102 Marcus Welcome Center. To register for training, go to myTraining
through myWSU.
This course is provided for leaders who supervise employees (UP, USS, students),
and will focus on the overall employment relationship. It will provide guidance on
managing performance, setting expectations, how to identify when an employee has not
met expectations and how to effectively address those concerns. This could include
concerns with attendance, job performance, conflict with coworkers, etc. This training
will also introduce you to tools to use to effectively document an unmet expectation.
If you have questions, contact mytraining@wichita.edu.
Academic Convocation thank you
Thank you to all who attended Academic Convocation held on Sept. 20! More than 600 faculty, staff, students and Wichita community members joined us in person for this incredible event, in addition to many more who watched from locations across the city. To watch this inspirational event, go to .
Thank you to artist George Ferrandi of the Jump!Star project, WSU students Tony Ibarra and Flor Mercado for sharing their courageous personal stories, and Bryan Stevenson, our keynote and author of 鈥淛ust Mercy.鈥�
Save the date: Advising Fair
Plan on coming to the Advising Fair from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9, in the Shirley Beggs Ballroom, third floor, Rhatigan Student Center.
All students, staff, and faculty welcome to browse the advising departments and student support services tables, grab a bite, get entered for prizes and learn about the broad array of services provided by the various advising and support departments across campus. For more information or to be a participant, contact patricia.phillips@wichita.edu.
WSU Weekly Briefing to feature presentation on place-making at 红领巾瓜报
Ty Tabing will talk about place-making and the importance of inspiring people to linger, meet, talk and create in public spaces in WSU's Weekly Briefing at 10 a.m. tomorrow (Thursday, Oct. 4) in the Marcus Welcome Center.
Kevin Harrison, community engagement coordinator, Diversity and Community Engagement, will give the overall university update.
The briefing will be livestreamed and available later that day at https://wsu.news/Youtube. There will be time for questions at the end of the briefing.
The briefing will be livestreamed and available later that day at . There will be time for questions at the end of the briefing.
Physics Seminar presents Dan Hooper
Dan Hooper, with Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, University of Chicago, will present a Physics Seminar at 2 p.m. today (Wednesday, Oct. 3) in 128 Jabara Hall. Refreshments and discussion will follow the presentation 鈥淐ould Dark Matter also be Responsible for Inflation?鈥�
Dark matter and inflation represent two of the biggest open questions in in cosmology. Although they are generally thought of as distinct and unrelated phenomena, Hooper will ask whether they might be closely connected. As a simple example, he will discuss a model in which inflation annihilations that take place through a Higgs portal interaction, leading to encouraging prospects for future direct detection experiments.
Chemistry Colloquium today (Wednesday, Oct. 3)
The next Chemistry Colloquium will feature a presentation by Martin Conda-Sheridan, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, at 3:30 p.m. today (Wednesday, Oct. 3) in 224 McKinley Hall. The lecture is titled 鈥淒esign, synthesis and evaluation of amphiphilic peptides as new antimicrobial agents.鈥�
Wednesdays in Wiedemann with Lynne Davis today (Wednesday, Oct. 3)
Enjoy Wednesdays in Wiedemann with Lynne Davis at 5:15 p.m. today (Wednesday, Oct. 3) in Wiedemann Hall. Admission is free.
RSVP for Women of WSU Luncheon by Monday, Oct. 8
Come enjoy an Italian buffet and listen to a university update from Provost Rick Muma
at the Women of WSU Luncheon from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, at the Marcus
Welcome Center. The cost of the buffet is $12.
To RSVP or pay the annual dues, .
If paying by check, please RSVP to angela.schultz@wichita.edu, by Monday, Oct. 8.
Women of 红领巾瓜报 is a newly formed group from the Women's Association and CUW. Annual dues are $12 and are due by Monday, Oct. 15.
Free training offered at WSU Haysville in November
The National Association for Dual Diagnosis will offer 鈥淢ental Health Approaches to
Intellectual / Developmental Disability on Saturday, Nov. 3 and 10, at WSU Haysville,
106 Steward Ave. in Haysville. This training is aimed at bridging the gap between
mental health issues / concerns and individuals who have intellectual or developmental
disabilities in Sedgwick Co. The training is free and classes fill quickly.
WSU Police thank you and ask for continued support for the Shocker Support Locker
The WSU Police Department thanks those who have contributed food and non-perishables for the Shocker Support Locker so far this fall, but the need is ongoing. The response has been great, but the need obviously continues. The WSUPD dropped off more than 176 pounds of food items at the pantry yesterday morning, and by afternoon it was gone. The pantry is still quite empty and your help is needed to fill it.
Between now and Halloween, the WSU Police Department challenges students, faculty and staff to continue to donate canned food and non-perishables for the Shocker Support Locker. The Shocker Support Locker runs low fairly often, and there is a need now for some students than ever before.
If you want to make a difference, give your donation to any uniform officer on campus or bring donations to the University Police Department.
If you want an opportunity to win a WSU mug or WSU Police Department challenge coin as part of a raffle at the end of the drive, just leave your name and phone number with the officer or at the University Police Department when making a donation of any size.
WSU Cops support Shocks and they challenge you to do the same!
Donation Wish List
- PROTEINS: peanut butter, canned chicken/tuna, beans, canned chili, nuts
- FRUITS: canned fruits, applesauce, tomato juice, raisins, dried fruit
- GRAINS: pasta, rice, cereal, noodles, oatmeal
- MEALS & MIXES: baking mixes, soups, instant potatoes, mac and cheese, hamburger helper, spaghetti sauce
- SNACKS: granola bars, crackers, popcorn, pudding
Students, faculty and staff are welcome at the Shocker Support Locker
The Shocker Support Locker was founded in 2015 by the WSU Student Government Association to relieve food insecurity among WSU community members. Today, the locker provides both nonperishable and fresh food items, as well as hygiene products, professional clothing and textbooks.
Individuals who would like to use the Shocker Support Locker must be currently enrolled at 红领巾瓜报 as students or currently employed faculty or staff. If you fit this criterion, you are welcome to use the pantry once per week and may take up to 10 items per visit.
For more information or questions about the Shocker Support Locker call 978-3480 or visit .
Physical Therapy students seek volunteers for low back pain study
Students in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at 红领巾瓜报 and their research advisor Barbara Smith are looking for participants for a research study on the effects of a modified deadlift exercise program on low back pain and functional disability. Your participation in this study may help the field of physical therapy to more effectively treat low back pain.
If chosen to participate in our study, you will be required to come to WSU Old Town at 213 N. Mead, on Friday, Oct. 5, for an initial evaluation. You will be able to select a 15-minute time block that is convenient for your schedule.
At the initial evaluation, you will be asked to complete forms about your low back pain and function. You will also perform a muscle endurance test for your back extensor muscles. At this time you will be assigned to a group, which may include an eight-week modified deadlift exercise program. All materials and instructions will be provided. Both groups will be required to return to the WSU Old Town Campus on Friday, Nov. 2, for a four-week re-evaluation and Friday, Nov. 30, for eight re-evaluations, each lasting about 10-15 minutes.
If you are interested in participating, click on the link below to complete a survey. It will only take about five-to-10 minutes of your time. Once you have completed the survey, you will receive an email with further information within five-to-seven business days.
Your participation is graciously appreciated, voluntary and your responses will remain confidential. Should you have any questions or concerns, email Paula Weishaar at paweishaar@shockers.wichita.edu or Barbara Smith at barb.smith@wichita.edu.
WSU Police Department reaches out to child diagnosed with Retinoblastoma
WSU police officer Efrain Rueda has a friend whose child was recently diagnosed with Retinoblastoma. The girl lost her left eye and is awaiting her prosthetic while undergoing chemotherapy to salvage what they can in her right eye. Luna will be 2 years old and already has shown she's very strong by smiling every day.
Rueda collected money to buy her a bear form Build-A-Bear Workshop. The bear is a jumbo size 36-inch bear wearing a WSU cheerleader outfit. Luna and her family are huge supporters of WSU and WSU athletics.
Officer Rueda and members of the WSU Police Department recently presented Luna with a bear and other WSU gifts!
Graduate School Professional Development Series presents 鈥楳icroaggressions & the Classroom' on Oct. 10
鈥淢icroaggressions & the Classroom鈥� will be offered from noon-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, in 142 RSC. Presenters will be Alicia Sanchez and Danielle Johnson, Office of Diversity & Inclusion; Carolyn Speer, Instructional Design & Access; Kevin Harrison, Diversity & Community Engagement.
Microaggressions are covert and unintended discrimination towards socially marginalized groups. The interactive training encourages an environment of self-exploration into social identities and microaggressions. Participants will learn the types of microaggressions and reflect on ways to address them and foster an inclusive environment.
***This will be part of a series of events with a pedagogical focus that students are eligible to take throughout the year to earn an alternative credential (non-credit badge)***
Special offer for upcoming Pumpkin Run
Happy Seed Day! Have you registered for the Pumpkin Run yet? If not, today (Wednesday, Oct. 3) is your chance! Save $5 on the 5K and $2 on the 1K registration using the code SeedDay. Register at .
Upcoming event: Black & Yellow Day
On Monday, Oct. 8, the Office of Admissions will host the first of two Black & Yellow Days this fall. Each semester, we invite high school juniors, seniors and college transfer students to this all-day event on campus where they have the chance to participate in sessions hosted by each academic college, tour campus and explore the hands-on learning opportunities available at WSU.
In addition, there will be special sessions exclusively for admitted high school senior and transfer students. The event is $15 per student and $5 per guest and includes lunch in Shocker Hall Dining. This fall, students can choose to attend Monday, Oct. 8, or Friday, Nov. 2.
If you know of any students who should attend this event, they can register at and click on "Admissions Events." For questions, contact Jessica Kyle at 978-3638 or Jessica.Kyle@wichita.edu.
鈥楤etter Late Than Never' by various artists in Cadman Art Gallery 鈥� Main Space
鈥淏etter Late Than Never鈥� is an Art Show by various artists in Cadman Art Gallery, first floor, RSC, now through Friday, Oct. 12.
The show consists of four seniors representing four different styles and meanings through their work. In this show they come together to create their own painting representative of their peer's styles and meaning as well as a collaborative piece.
As art education majors, this show represents the unity that is needed in education and a further education to themselves so they can relate to their students' art.
Join the artists for their opening reception at The Cadman beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5. For more information about this exhibit and others visit Cadman Art Gallery.