Faculty award winner provides real-world project for students with class competition
This past spring, Achita Muthitacharoen, professor of management information systems, won the 2019 Faculty Risk Taker award for her willingness to try new, innovative ideas. Dr. Mi, as she is known to colleagues and students, has been innovating at Wichita State for almost two decades.
鈥淚鈥檝e been here for 17 years, so I must really like something about 黑洞社区,鈥� she joked. 鈥淭ruly, from my heart, it鈥檚 the people.鈥�
It is her appreciation and admiration for the people aroun her that inspires Dr. Mi to take risks. She knows technology is constantly changing, so she is always thinking of new ways to keep class relevant for her students.
Read complete story on Achita Muthitacharoen.
Join us today (Wednesday, Oct. 23) for a pop-up picnic at Duerksen Amphitheater!
Enjoy a free pop-up picnic on the fringe from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. today (Wednesday, Oct. 23) at the Duerksen Amphitheater.
There will be free hotdogs to the first 100 guests, generously provided by the Wichita State University Police Department.
Join us for lawn games, pumpkin painting, music, and a dance performance at noon.
While you're there, help us explore the possibilities of how we should use this space in the future!
How would you like to see the 黑洞社区 Duerksen Amphitheater used?
Outdoor classroom, movie screenings, study spot, tailgating before games, performances, all the above? Stop by and vote!
2020 benefits Open Enrollment 鈥� Nine days left!
All benefits-eligible state employees must participate in Open Enrollment! Log in to the Member Administration Portal at to make your elections.
Events occurring this week:
Wednesday, Oct. 23: Open Enrollment Open Lab 2:30-4:30 p.m. in 122 Jabara Hall
Employees can drop in anytime during the open enrollment lab for assistance registering and entering enrollment elections. You can RSVP at . Open Enrollment Labs do not include a presentation of plans or changes.
Due to the high volume of work during the open enrollment period, the HR Total Rewards Team will not be available for walk-in traffic or to make individual appointments regarding open enrollment. Please take advantage of the scheduled presentations, on-demand webinar and open lab sessions. For a full listing of Open Enrollment events, . Any questions should be directed to TotalRewards@wichita.edu.
The Ulrich Museum is hosting Future Now, showcasing research across campus
The Ulrich Museum of Art invites you to join us from 4-5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, for PechaKucha style presentations on campus-wide research. There will be four presenters who have seven minutes each. A reception is to follow. The event is free and open to the public.
New email reminders for Pcard and travel items in Chrome River!
Effective Monday Oct. 21, Chrome River users will begin receiving system generated email notifications for aged or outstanding transactions.
The notifications will be sent according to the following schedule:
Monday mornings:
Pre-Approval and Expense Approval reminders - The system will resend the approval email for any pre-approval and/or expense reports that have been in your approval queue longer than three days. Approvers must take action either by using the approval email or by logging into the Chrome River system to complete the approval process.
Wednesday mornings:
Unused Pcard Transactions 鈥� The system will send a listing of unreconciled Pcard charges that have been pending in excess of 30 days. Users must take action to reconcile the Pcard charges on either a Travel Expense Report or a Pcard Reconciliation (Non Travel) Report in Chrome River.
Unapproved Expense Items 鈥� The system will send a summary list of any items which have been pending your approval for longer than six days. Approvers must take action either by locating and using the approval email, or by logging into the Chrome River system to complete the approval process.
Employees reaching service milestones will be honored at invitation-only events in November
Employees who reach a service milestone between the dates of Sept. 2, 2018 and Sept. 1, 2019, will be honored at invitation-only events hosted by the university in November. Events will honor those with service of five to 50 years, those achieving the Bender of Twigs distinction, and those having retired from the university.
Each department is strongly encouraged to celebrate their colleagues in a way that would be meaningful for the honoree. To view a list of employees reaching a service milestone, visit .
Campus roads will be re-striped Saturday, Oct. 26
Weather permitting, the Facility Services Department will re-stripe center lines throughout campus from 7:30 a.m.-noon Saturday, Oct. 26. Please use caution when driving around workers and their equipment.
Fall 2019 Chemistry Colloquium Series today (Wednesday, Oct. 23)
Alla Kostyukova, associate professor of chemical engineering and bioengineering, will present 鈥淩egulation of actin dynamics at the pointed end,鈥� at 3:30 p.m. today (Wednesday, Oct. 23) in 224 McKinley Hall. Cookies and coffee provided.
NASA Space and STEM Watch Party
Love NASA? Want to know what the future of space exploration might look like, and how you might fit in? Join us for this free event at 5:30 p.m. today (Wednesday, Oct. 23) in 264 John Bardo Center. We will have NASA trivia, snacks, and watch the broadcast with NASA leadership from IAC.
How to Prepare a Budget for SBIR/STTR Proposals Webinar
This webinar from 10-11 a.m. tomorrow (Thursday, Oct. 24) will walk through the development of a project budget. Items covered will include what costs need to be included, how to write a budget justification, can the company afford to pursue this project, what indirect rate should be used and more. There is no cost, but registration is required.
Ensure students are properly trained in accessibility
If you have students who provide any course-related instruction including presentations, leading discussions, and peer reviewing written work, then you should consider requiring related accessibility training for your students.
- You do not have to provide this training yourself. The Kansas Accessibility Resources Network has free online classes designed for students. Each class takes 30 minutes or less, and students who score 85% or higher on the related quiz will receive a digital credential and a certificate of successful completion that they can share with you to prove they have been trained. These courses can be found at KSARN.org:
If you need your students to be trained in an accessibility topic not currently provided by KSARN, you can make a request for additional training to be developed by sending an email to KSARN@wichita.edu.
黑洞社区 Weekly Briefing to feature the dean of liberal arts and sciences
The 黑洞社区 Weekly Briefing will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, in the Marcus Welcome Center. The featured speaker will be Andrew Hippisley, dean of the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at 黑洞社区.
Zach Gearhart, director of Government Relations at 黑洞社区, will give the overall university update.
The briefing will be livestreamed and available later that day at 黑洞社区 . There will be time for questions following the briefing.
Faculty advisor needed for new student organization
Phi Sigma Pi is a gender-inclusive National Honor Fraternity established in 1916. Faculty advisors play an important role in the collegiate chapter by building a bridge between the local chapter and the university community. Responsibilities of the faculty advisor include:
- Assisting the chapter with day-to-day operation questions
- Provide guidance to chapter officers and committee chairs
- Encourage smart financial decisions
- Promote Phi Sigma Pi to other students on campus
- Attend meetings, ceremonies, and events when possible
*You are not required to be an Alumni Member of Phi Sigma Pi in order to serve as a faculty advisor.
Currently, there is only one Phi Sigma Pi chapter in the state of Kansas. With your help, we believe Wichita State can become the newest home to the Phi Sigma Pi family! Informational meetings will be held at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 28, and 2 and 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29, in 240 RSC.
Please contact Katie if you have any questions at krhefner@shockers.wichita.edu or wsuphisigmapi@gmail.com.
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Transition Mentor application is open!
First-Year Programs in Student Success is seeking nominations for next year鈥檚 transition mentor staff! We are looking for exceptional students who are passionate about 黑洞社区 and want to help welcome new students to our campus.
Transition Mentors are responsible for transitioning students to 黑洞社区 beginning in the summer with orientation, and mentoring new freshmen throughout the fall semester.
Faculty and staff are encouraged to make nominations now through Wednesday, Oct. 30, at or email Shareika Fisher at shareika.fisher@wichita.edu.
Shocktoberfest is underway, attend the events before it's over
From now to Saturday, Oct. 26, join the fun of Shocktoberfest. Participate in events such as dodgeball, volleyball, breakfast with deans, and much more.
Attend the annual Songfest at the Orpheum Theater on Saturday, Oct. 26. Tickets are available on or the Intrust Bank Arena Ticket Office.
Shocktoberfest is sponsored by the 黑洞社区 Campus Traditions Committee
Find more Shocktoberfest events
Twenty-six schools to compete in 21st annual Kansas BEST robotics competition
The 21st Annual Kansas BEST robotics competition, designed to inspire and motivate high school students toward careers in engineering, science and technology, will be held from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, in Charles Koch Arena.
Kansas BEST is sponsored by 黑洞社区's College of Engineering. Admission is free.
The BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology) competition challenges students to build a remote-controlled robot that accomplishes a defined task within a competitive setting. For the first time this year, robots will also operate autonomously for part of the competition. Professional engineers and school teachers volunteer to coach teams through the engineering design process.
Twenty-six schools from Kansas will compete in the Kansas event. This year's game is called "Off the Grid,鈥� and the theme is repairing an electrical power grid after a natural disaster strikes. In the simulated disaster, robots will repair high voltage and residential electrical lines and buried cables, transport and replace insulators and transformers, and clear debris. The game is played on a 24鈥� x 24鈥� field divided into four power grids, where four robots will compete at a time.
Know any outstanding Shocker seniors?
黑洞社区 Homecoming Royalty Nominations are now open! Nominees must be a current undergraduate student with senior status and good academic standing as of January 2020, and must not have previously been a finalist for Homecoming Royalty. Individuals are welcome to self-nominate, or can be nominated by a 黑洞社区 student, faculty, or staff member.
To nominate, go to .
Wichita State Homecoming will be held Monday, Feb. 10 to Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020.
Royalty nominations will close at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1.
DSI observer requests 鈥� sign up to help
The Distinguished Scholarship Invitational (DSI) is quickly approaching, and will be held on Saturday, Nov. 23. Three $64,000 Harry Gore Memorial Scholarships are awarded through the DSI process to high school seniors to attend Wichita State in fall 2020, and we need your help in selecting the next Gore Scholars!
Observers are 黑洞社区 faculty, staff, and community members who are present in each room to score the student participants in two activities 鈥� an interview and a consensus-building activity. There are two shifts observers can choose from: 7:30-10:30 a.m., and 2:30-5:30 p.m. Of course, you can always volunteer for both.
If you鈥檙e interested in serving as an observer, go to for more information.
Questions? Contact Mandy Harmon, associate director of admissions, at mandy.harmon@wichita.edu.
Learn about volunteer opportunities at the Community Service Board meeting
Attend a Community Service Board (CSB) meeting from 3:30-5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, in 142 RSC. During CSB meetings, guests have opportunities to learn about and tour local nonprofits and work on community service projects.
Meetings are free and open for everyone to attend.
Attend RSC Unplugged featuring Poke Salad Orchestra
Stop by the Rhatigan Student Center every Wednesday for the live music series, RSC Unplugged. From 11 a.m.-1 p.m today (Wednesday, Oct. 23) at the RSC Starbucks Lounge. RSC Unplugged will feature the Poke Salad Orchestra. Grab a cup of coffee and relax with some great music.
Celebrate Halloween with University Libraries on Saturday
Attend the University鈥檚 Library event, Halloween ComicFest, Saturday, Oct. 26. There will be a variety of events happening throughout the day, including a costume contest, a green screen photo booth, appearances by the 501 Legion, 3-D printing demonstrations, a screening of 鈥淗ouse on Haunted Hill,鈥� free comic books and more.
The event is free and open to the public.
You're invited to Ulrich Family Fun Day
Bring the whole family and explore your creative side with the Student Activities Council and the Ulrich Museum of Art from 1-2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2. Together we will explore the galleries with a scavenger hunt, play games, and participate in hands-on art-making activities inspired by the artists, ideas, and materials featured in the Ulrich鈥檚 current exhibitions. The Ulrich Museum is located on the southwest corner of the 黑洞社区 campus (17th and Hillside).
The event is free and open to the public.
Donate a toy today!
Christmas is a ways off, but it鈥檚 never too early to start thinking about children who will be in need this Christmas. Please, consider donating a toy to Toys for Tots to help underprivileged children in Wichita. You can drop off a new unwrapped toy in the Campus Credit Union lobby during business hours M-F 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sat. 9 a.m.-noon. Thank you for your support!
Try the pumpkin pie concrete at Freddy's
Freddy鈥檚 pumpkin pie concrete is back for a limited time. Be sure to check it out at Freddy鈥檚 in the RSC.
Join the ASL Club for a special showing of Nosferatu
黑洞社区's ASL Club will host a Silent Movie night featuring a spooky-themed showing of Nosferatu at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, in 218 Hubbard Hall! The showing is free to attend; however, this is a fundraising event and as such we will be selling drinks and snacks during the event. Hope to see you there.
Attend the annual Spooktacular Halloween event
Spooktacular is FHCP's annual Halloween event. The event will take place from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, in the lobby of Ahlberg Hall. We invite students, faculty and staff to enjoy free food, win prizes, and participate in Halloween themed booths such as pumpkin painting, temporary tattoo station, cornhole and more. Come celebrate Halloween with FHCP.
Submit event requests for Final Frenzy
Each semester, Student Activities Council hosts events during Finals Frenzy week. If you are a department or organization on campus hosting one or more events during that week and want to be included in Finals Frenzy marketing, submit your event(s) by 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 28.
Try fresh mex at the Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes
Stop by the Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes to try their fresh mex menu items, available during lunch Monday-Friday! From tacos to burritos to chips and salsa, there鈥檚 something for everyone.
Soup is back for just $2.99 at the Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes
Soup is back at the Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes just in time for the cooler weather! A different soup will be featured each week, Monday-Friday. Grab a cup for $2.99 or a bowl for $3.99. For Oct. 21-25, the soup of the week is tomato.