Students, employers and Kansans benefit from applied learning programs |
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Hello, Shocker Nation. Welcome to the December issue of the Forward Together newsletter. I hope you’ve also had a chance to listen to the Forward Together podcast, which we launched last month. Our newest episode reflects on Wichita State University’s progress and achievements in 2021. Our special guest this month will be James Chung — a Wichita native, economist and author of the Chung Report. Dr. Kaye Monk-Morgan, vice president for strategic engagement and planning, will also join us to discuss our progress. Be sure to listen and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
Today I want to focus on something that Wichita State does really well — maybe even better than anyone else: creating applied learning opportunities for our students.
First, what is applied learning? Applied learning experiences are available to Wichita State students in every major and include internships, research experience and co-ops. These real-world jobs, available in many cases as soon as students step foot on campus, are integral in bridging the theoretical learning that happens in the classroom with on-the-job and hands-on experience. Students work side-by-side with industry professionals and experts, gain a practical understanding of the day-to-day responsibilities of jobs in their career fields, build their resumes, and make a real contribution to the businesses where they work.
While applied learning is good for our students, it also contributes to the overall priorities for Wichita State University and helps us meet the commitment we have to our communities and Kansas families.
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In the News at Wichita State |
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Applied learning abounds within Wichita State's digital twin program |
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Since its inception, the National Institute for Aviation Research’s digital twin program has been rife with opportunities to progress research, digital transformation, engineering technology and sustainability efforts. It’s also been an important career steppingstone and training ground for more than 250 Wichita State University students, who have gained valuable applied learning experiences while working on the project.
“Our students have an incredible opportunity that not only exposes them to the latest industry methods, processes and technologies; but they literally get paid to learn and grow in their careers. Most of our students get job offers before they graduate, because they are already industry-ready,” said Ryan Longwell, applied learning program manager for WSU’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR).
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Shocker alum receives honorary doctorate for distinguished achievement in technology |
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Khalid Raza has never forgotten his Shocker roots. Now the chief executive officer of Graphiant, a next-generation networking technology company based in San Francisco, Raza’s first independent start-up began in 1992 when he was working as a graduate assistant at Wichita State University.
Thirty years later, Raza’s efforts in the field of networking technology have achieved both national and international attention. It is these accomplishments and his past as a Wichita State student that led him to be awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Philosophy as part of the fall 2021 commencement ceremony Dec. 12. WSU President Rick Muma selected Raza for the honor.
“As a computing visionary who’s had phenomenal success, Mr. Raza is worthy of the distinction of an honorary doctorate at Wichita State,” Muma said. “His success with digital transformation and making complex technologies accessible to all are values we wish to instill in future graduates from our institution.”
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WSU launches university-wide Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan |
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Wichita State University’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan (DEI) includes efforts to promote student success, increase sponsored research funding for diversity and inclusive excellence, and empower the campus community to create a culture and experience that meets its ever-changing needs.
The DEI Plan, which was presented during a faculty and staff townhall event on Dec. 3, is a university-wide initiative to build a culture that values transparency, accountability and communication around issues of diversity and inclusion.
“In short, this plan is about helping members of our campus community thrive,” said Dr. Marché Fleming-Randle, Wichita State’s chief diversity officer. “When everyone is empowered with opportunities and given the tools they need to flourish, we build stronger students and a stronger Shocker Nation.”
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University releases 2020-21 annual report |
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The history of Wichita State is built upon big ideas and the undaunted dreamers who turned them into reality.
From the streets of Wichita to the far corners of space, Shockers have proven time and time again that, at Wichita State, anything is possible. It was with this in mind that the university set out to create a strategic plan that capitalized on Wichita State’s unique DNA in a way that would leave a lasting impact on its students, its city, its region and its world.
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Wichita State's impact on arts and culture extends throughout Kansas |
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Arts at Wichita State University benefit the city and state in ways that range from tourism to education to mental wellness.
People enjoy the university's arts and culture community when they visit the Ulrich Museum of Art and benefit when a child participates in a class taught by Wichita State graduates. The Wichita Symphony Orchestra is staffed by many Wichita State professors and alumni, another example of the numerous interactions between the university, and community.
It’s this impact on the community that Wichita State's Center for Economic Development and Business Research (CEDBR), part of the W. Frank Barton School of Business, is attempting to measure in its Arts and Culture Impact Analysis for 2021. The study is part of the CEDBR's series of studies that demonstrate how the university drives the local and state economy. The series started last year with a look at the university's overall impact and will continue next year with a study of athletics.
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Molecular Diagnostics Lab develops triple-virus test to meet community need |
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While COVID-19 seems to be dominating just about everything, it’s not the only virus infecting Wichitans. Influenza and RSV seasons are beginning to ramp up.
In an effort to meet community needs, Wichita State University’s Molecular Diagnostics Lab (MDL) has developed a test to detect all three viruses — RSV, influenza and COVID-19 (RIC) — from one nasal swab. The RIC test is available to all individuals and partners who test via the MDL.
“MDL exists to meet the needs of the community,” said Sarah Nickel, MDL technical director. “So as soon as the Sedgwick County Health Department told us there was a need, we worked on validating a test and getting it ready as soon as possible so that we could meet that need.”
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WSU earns high ranking for its support of low-income students |
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Wichita State University's efforts to recruit and retain students from historically underserved and underrepresented areas rank it in the top 28% of the 2021 Social Mobility Index (SMI).
The 2021 SMI, calculated by CollegeNET Inc., benchmarks 1,549 four-year colleges and universities in the United States according to how effectively they enroll students from low-income backgrounds and graduate them into well-paying jobs.
For institutions such as Wichita State, where 22% of students are from traditionally low-income households, the pandemic underscored the need to support their most vulnerable populations.
“Even before the pandemic hit, Wichita State prioritized making education accessible and affordable to underrepresented populations,” said Dr. Rick Muma, president of Wichita State. “We know that higher education is a means to boost prosperity and increase socioeconomic status. The health and financial distress that arose from COVID-19 underlined systemic and socioeconomic disparities, many of which could be lessened or eliminated through education.”
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Eligible Illinois students can soon pay in-state tuition to attend Wichita State |
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Beginning fall 2022, eligible students from Illinois will be able to attend Wichita State University for the same cost as in-state tuition, significant savings that will provide increased access and affordability to a growing number of students.
This is made possible through WSU’s Shocker Select program, which also provides in-state tuition to eligible students from Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas.
For the students, the program lowers the cost significantly from the traditional nonresident charges —they receive a 33% discount on nonresident tuition. Undergraduate students enrolled in the program for 15 credit hours per semester typically save more than $5,900 per year in tuition and fees compared to nonresident tuition rates.
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Habitat for Humanity, WSU build future together |
Further extending its community outreach, Wichita State partnered with Wichita Habitat for Humanity to build a house near campus for a Wichita family with three children.
The first step was a wall raising on Dec. 1 at Wichita Habitat's Rock the Block. WSU President Rick Muma and First Gentleman Rick Case were in attendance and helped with the wall raising.
“We saw this as a tangible example of WSU’s commitment to the neighborhood and as a way to demonstrate that it’s more than just words,” said Dr. Teri Hall, vice president for Wichita State’s Student Affairs.
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Meet a Shocker: Graduate profiles |
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More than 1,100 Shockers are eligible for graduation in fall 2021. While each of their journeys is unique, they all share a common connection to Shocker Nation. Here's what some of our graduates have to say about their time at Wichita State University and the future they see for themselves. |
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CONNECT WITH WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY |
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