The Fairmount College newsletter is published two times a year. For information, contact Cheryl K. Miller, writer and coordinating editor, at 316-978-6659 or cheryl.miller@wichita.edu.
You鈥檒l find events, photos and articles about our faculty, staff, students and departments.
Photo credits: Cheryl K. Miller and courtesy photos
Amidst the chaos, confusion and grief of the coronavirus pandemic, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences faculty stretch their teaching skills and use the experience for teachable moments.
Shaunna Millar, clinical professor of social work, teaches the Social Welfare Policy and Analysis class SCWK 717. Including materials about the pandemic allows her students to examine the disproportional impact of COVID-19 on people who are older, health-challenged and part of communities of color. Students see how systems meant to support vulnerable populations are affected.
Shaunna Millar
鈥淪tudents have the opportunity to understand that systems that are under stress during routine times will be more stressed in times of crisis, such as with COVID,鈥� Millar said.
Ellen Terhan, a student in Millar鈥檚 class, said the most important thing she鈥檚 learned is that although everyone is experiencing personal sacrifices and losses because of the virus, its鈥� impact is not equal across populations.
"As a disease, COVID-19 has taken a disproportional toll on those most vulnerable in our society, specifically minorities and children living in poverty,鈥� said Teran, a graduate student in social work. 鈥淭hese (impacts) are highlighted by the educational, health and economic effects these populations are experiencing.鈥�
For Alexander Smith, who鈥檚 in the same class, it was learning that some of the progress that has been made across the globe is being reversed for the first time in more than 20 years.
鈥淔or example, it is estimated that nearly 71 million people are expected to be pushed back into extreme poverty in 2020,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淭his is the first time we鈥檝e seen a rise in global poverty since 1998.鈥�
Several Fairmount College faculty have incorporated content on COVID-19 into their courses. By being introduced to emerging research, current publications and historic events, students have the opportunity to look at the health crisis with the viewpoint of the academic discipline, and use their critical thinking and analytical skills to imagine solutions or improvements. Students spend time thinking about changes to recommend for systems or processes.
Teran is especially concerned about students and educators in the Wichita school district.
鈥淚t is imperative that our community start now in working to help the education system work efficiently and effectively to meet the needs of the students in our city. The Wichita Public School district is the largest district in the state and reports that 76.5% of its students come from homes of poverty,鈥� Teran said. 鈥淥ur community must work to find creative ways to ensure that students have access to resources, nutrition and support necessary to help them be successful, even in these unprecedented times. This includes staff and teacher trauma-informed training, recognizing that many students have or will experience significant trauma as a direct result of COVID-19. Educational policy moving forward must allow our local and state educators to have flexibility and resources necessary to help all students succeed.鈥�
Her classmate Smith is concerned about the increase in poverty and wants to enhance services at his practicum placement where youth range in age from 6 to 18.
鈥淪ome of them come from lower-income homes and may not have access to multiple square meals a day, especially with school being remote now for many of them,鈥� said Smith. 鈥淚 would love to be able to set up some sort of weekly time where we could either cook a meal for the kids at the office, or send them home with food items, as needed.鈥�
As more becomes known about the pandemic, faculty and students will have many opportunities to learn through real-life applications how to improve systems with lasting effects.
In addition to Shaunna Millar and her SCWK 717 course, many faculty have incorporated aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic into their course materials. What follows is a sampling of their work.
The Bighorn Basin, left, is redesigned into a virtual field site, right, in Minecraft for Will Parcell鈥檚 field geology course.
Doris Chang
Bill Groutas studies possible treatments for COVID-19. Chase Billingham imagines Wichita after the pandemic has ended. Breanna Boppre researches COVID-19鈥檚 effects on prison populations and their families.
Each of these three Fairmount College faculty, in addition to several others, gave presentations about the virus and COVID-19 during the college鈥檚 recent 鈥淧erspectives on the Pandemic鈥� series.
The two-part series, meant to provide deeper understanding of the scope of the virus鈥檚 power to disrupt all dimensions of life, features faculty, community health experts, and performing arts professionals giving their viewpoints through the lens of their academic discipline.
Dinorah Azpuru, professor of political science, presented on COVID-19鈥檚 threats to democracy and also attended several sessions in the series.
鈥溾�楶erspectives on the Pandemic鈥� was a fantastic contribution to a better understanding of the impact and implications of this global threat, and the importance of multidisciplinary work,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ringing together professors from different fields showed the breadth of issues that are covered within the college.鈥�
Andrew Hippisley, dean of Fairmount College, conceived the series idea in March as the virus started its spread across the U.S. Hippisley invited faculty with research interests applicable to the pandemic to present their perspectives to a Zoom audience.
Nine sessions were offered: four in the spring semester and five this fall.
鈥淧art I aimed at a better understanding of the nature of the virus: its spread, its chemistry, its similarity to plagues and pandemics through history,鈥� Hippisley said.
鈥淧art II focused more on the social and human disruption and pain: the disrupted life of the city, the threat to vulnerable populations, the loss of live interactions between people, such as music and theatre.鈥�
Each session in the series is archived on the Fairmount College YouTube channel, . Read more about each presentation below.
Adam Jaeger
While multiple models exist for predicting the infection rates and plateaus of pandemics, they are generally limited by assumptions of all individuals having an equal probability of transmission. As a result, the projections for infection rates tend to focus on larger geographic scales, such as states, resulting in an incomplete picture at a local level. This talk introduces statistical modeling concepts relating to prediction of COVID-19 rates at a county level and specifically introduces the notion of spatial correlation, which recognizes that there is a connection between county proximity and amount of social movement between areas.
George Dehner
The surprising appearance and rapid spread of COVID-19 has prompted comparisons with pandemic influenza. This presentation examines influenza pandemics from 1889 Russian flu through the novel 2009 H1N1 pandemic with an eye to making comparisons to what is known about COVID-19鈥檚 rapid global transmission.
Melissa Walker
Cities, counties, states and nations are making difficult choices to protect citizens and support local health care systems. From stay-at-home orders to physical distancing, we are changing our daily routines. What happens if these steps are taken too late? Or rolled back too soon? What is happening to the most vulnerable among us: elders, individuals who experience disabilities, those who do not have health insurance and access to regular medical care? A panel of local experts will explore these questions for us in Sedgwick County.
Bill Groutas
As of May 6, there were currently no FDA-approved vaccines or small molecule therapeutics
for the treatment and prophylaxis of COVID-19, underscoring the need for effective
countermeasures to halt the growing pandemic. This presentation briefly reviews coronaviruses,
their life cycle, and state-of-the-art progress in the development of vaccines and
immunotherapeutics, as well as the use of repurposed drugs. Lastly, progress by our
research group related to the discovery of inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease,
an enzyme essential for viral replication,
is discussed briefly.
Dinorah Azpuru
Beyond the effects on health, the COVID-19 pandemic has had huge effects on the economy, but also on politics in countries around the world. More specifically, in certain countries, it has impacted democracy in a negative way. This presentation examines the overall impact of the pandemic on countries with democratic regimes, with emphasis on the democratic backsliding that has occurred in some of them. It also looks at the tightening of authoritarianism and human rights violations in countries that were already authoritarian when the pandemic began. Quantitative indicators that show the impact of the pandemic are also discussed.
Chase Billingham
Cities are places characterized by constant activity, dense social interaction, and innovation fostered in collaborative working environments. With the widespread adoption of social distancing, bans on large gatherings, and remote work as public health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, those quintessential urban characteristics have been fundamentally transformed. Will those changes be temporary or permanent? And what will they mean for the future of urban economies, neighborhood life, and inequality in the coming years? This presentation addresses these questions, drawing out many of their implications for important urban processes like social dislocation, economic development, and gentrification. While offering a broad perspective on issues affecting cities in general, the discussion draws special attention to potential impacts of the pandemic on urban growth, decline, and inequality in the Wichita region.
Breanna Boppre
This presentation discusses the implications of COVID-19 for correctional agencies nationwide and in Kansas. Boppre provides preliminary results from her ongoing mixed-methods study that examines families鈥� experiences of having a loved one incarcerated during the pandemic.
The disproportionate effect of COVID-19 on the health of racial and ethnic minorities is becoming clear. Essential workers, many in low wage jobs, and racial and ethnic minorities are at greater risk of contracting the virus. In addition to the economic impact due to job loss, COVID-19 has exposed disparate access to up-to-date information about the virus, to PPE and to health care. Hospitalization and mortality rates among African Americans are the highest of any group. Why is this happening? What can we do? A panel of local experts explore these issues including how access to testing and treatment could reduce the toll of COVID-19 for racial and ethnic minorities.
Rodney Miller
The disproportionate effect of COVID-19 on the events industry, of which the performing arts is a significant portion, is devastating. It was the first industry to close down and will be the last to fully open back up. When shutdowns occurred in March, this vital aspect of the American economy essentially ceased to exist. It ceased to exist on college campuses as well. But we need what the arts bring us now more than ever.
The Convergence Sciences Initiative graphic illustrates the idea of research
clusters of faculty from multiple disciplines working together
to address difficult societal problems.
Fairmount College faculty have positioned themselves as innovative researchers in four exciting new projects awarded in the recent Convergence Sciences Initiative competition.
Faculty, staff and students from across the university, representing multiple disciplines, submitted 18 proposals for projects that address some of society鈥檚 most pressing issues. Centers and institutes that arise from the four awarded projects will collaborate with businesses and government entities, with an eye to improving the growth and diversity of Kansas鈥� economy.
鈥淎ll four projects have the potential to be game changers in the direction and intensity of research at Wichita State, and in social and economic impact in the region,鈥� said Andrew Hippisley, dean, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. 鈥淭he projects showcase the power of partnerships, the value of combining expertise, and the courage to take risks in pursuing ambitious problems that can only be solved by converging disciplines.鈥�
Each awarded proposal is initially funded by a $300,000 grant from the university, distributed over three years.
Faculty involved with each center or institute will also work to develop new academic programs. The projects pay close attention to Wichita State鈥檚 educational mission in carefully assigning roles for undergraduate and graduate students as collaborators and beneficiaries of educational opportunities. Applied research and applied learning experiences are built into the plans and the deliverables.
Fairmount College faculty are involved with each of the four projects; two are led by Fairmount College faculty. The awarded convergence sciences proposals are:
Twyla Hill
Mythili Menon
Each group from the winning proposals made 10-minute presentations featuring their projects on Oct. 23. The presentations may be viewed on the Fairmount College YouTube channel at: .
Catholic Mexican Club, 1937-38
Seeking to preserve the history of Wichita鈥檚 Latino families, Jay Price, professor and chair of history, and Enrique Navarro, associate professor of Spanish, have collaborated on a virtual exhibit hosted by 黑洞社区 Libraries.
The virtual exhibit, 鈥淪omos de Wichita (We are Wichitans),鈥� documents the story of Latino families who arrived in Wichita from the American southwest and Latin America in the early 20th century, and negotiated the complex process of maintaining cultural ties to Latin America while also becoming part of a largely Anglo American community. In a time when immigration is a major national topic and where Latino migration is reshaping the Great Plains, these stories can help guide a conversation in which both Anglos and Latinos learn from the experiences of prior generations.
Families may contribute their own photographs and histories to the project. The portable version of the exhibit will appear in venues as the COVID-19 pandemic permits. The project has received support in part through a Humanities Kansas grant. For more information visit or see the video at .
Day of the Dead at NoMar
Jay Price
Enrique Navarro
For more information about faculty in the news, visit www.wichita.edu/whatshappeningfc
To learn more about our new faculty go to: www.wichita.edu/newfacultyfc
Dharam Vir Chopra, 89, died Sept. 14. He joined the mathematics faculty in 1967, eventually serving as department chair for mathematics and statistics, and later as interim department chair for computer science. While chair of the mathematics and statistics department, he led the faculty during the beginning of its doctoral program. He began phased retirement in January 2020.
Jim Erickson, 88, died June 10. He joined the English faculty in 1964 and retired in 1996. When not teaching, he held acting roles in locally produced commercials and theater productions. Locally known as Ol鈥� Flick, he hosted movies on KAKE-TV, but more recently reviewed movies for KMUW, signing off with 鈥淥ver and out.鈥� Memorial contributions may be made to the Jim Erickson Memorial, 黑洞社区 Foundation, 1845 Fairmount, Wichita, KS 67260-0002.
Dear Fairmount College alumni, faculty, staff and friends,
Faculty in the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are teacher-scholars. Our students benefit from instruction that is informed by cutting-edge scholarship. This is how students are exposed to the nuanced ways in which the field is evolving, and how they can find opportunities to collaborate with faculty in addressing the pressing questions. This kind of instruction is the hallmark of the student experience at a research-based Kansas Board of Regents institution.
Back in March, the value of a research-active faculty was brought into sharp focus in our 鈥淧erspectives on the Pandemic鈥� series. The goal was to bring Fairmount College research expertise to bear on the evolving COVID-19 crisis. The Zoom format allowed us to invite in the community and alumni to engage in statistical modeling of the coronavirus鈥檚 spread in Kansas, the historical context of the pandemic, the chemistry of the virus and the implications for a vaccine, global responses to COVID-19 and their potential threat to democratic institutions, and so on.
The series demonstrated the continuous need for research-driven expertise. But it also made the case for strong community engagement with our research findings. Going forward, we aim to explore more avenues to showcase our research to the broader community in an accessible and stimulating fashion.
Scholarship in the college takes a variety of forms depending on discipline: large federal grants with a research team; community grants and contracts; scholarly publications including books; contributions to television, radio and newspapers, to name a few. Recently faculty in the college had the opportunity to participate in the $1.2 million new university-wide Convergence Sciences Initiative. The premise is that the most interesting problems whose solutions have the greatest societal impact require a convergence of disciplinary lines of inquiry. Proposals were solicited that contained large cross-disciplinary research teams to address issues in health disparities, digital transformations and sustainability. A fourth category was the wildcard option, designed to allow proposals the other categories did not capture.
Fairmount College, with the largest range of disciplines, unsurprisingly had faculty involved in all 18 submissions. Two of the four winning projects had lead researchers who belong to the college: Twyla Hill from sociology and Mythili Menon from English. A requirement of the initiative was that each project have robust student participation. In a college that prides itself in the way it involves students in research, the requirement was enthusiastically fulfilled.
As faculty develop and sustain their research programs, the students and community benefit. To support the faculty, the college awards internal grants for pilot studies, proof of concept testing and professional development. We are grateful to Lora and Don Barry for their generous donation to help make this possible. If you鈥檇 like to help support our faculty research enterprise, please send me an email at andrew.hippisley@wichita.edu.
Yours,
Andrew Hippisley,
Dean
Fairmount College started the fall semester offering three new certificate programs.
The space industry is one of the fastest growing employment sectors. Wichita, given its location and number of aerospace businesses, is uniquely positioned to support this growth. For a 10-year period from 2014 to 2024, the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects 8,600 new jobs will have been added for space scientists, astronomers and physicists. Many of these types of positions will be with aerospace companies of Wichita.
Students who want to address environmental and sustainability issues can enhance their bachelor鈥檚 degree with the environmental and sustainability certificate. By selecting one of four tracks, students will have a better understanding of the social, cultural, political and economic factors that make humanity a more sustainable society. The environmental sector is growing rapidly, especially concerning innovation and research. For a 10-year period from 2016 to 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 9,900 environmental scientists and specialists positions will have been added to the labor market.
The Latin American and Latinx Studies certificate will allow students to specialize in an area that may enhance their employability in a broad variety of occupations, including the international business, social services, public health and education sectors. The U.S. Census Bureau found that in 2010, 12.2% of people in Kansas identified as Hispanic or Latino. Pew Research has determined that in 2019, the number of Hispanics in the U.S. reached a record 60.6 million, or 18 percent of the population.
For more information about new programs, visit www.wichita.edu/las.
Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Fairmount College held its first day of classes on Sept. 11, 1895 for 13 students taught by four faculty members. In 2020, approximately 5,000 students are pursuing a Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences degree, taught by nearly 200 faculty.
Happy 125th, Fairmount College!