Speaking Freely event promotes free expression |
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Wichita State University is where debate, differing ideas and difficult conversations are encouraged and deserve consideration and protection. We take seriously our obligation to seek out a variety of ideas in our efforts to flourish as an institution.
It’s our duty and part of Wichita State’s value system to teach our students the lessons of responsibility that accompany the right of free expression. When we welcome a diverse set of opinions, experiences and ideas, we grow as global citizens and increase our understanding of the world.
At the end of this month, Wichita State will be hosting the Speaking Freely panel to further promote free expression. This discussion will highlight and rejuvenate Wichita State’s commitment to promoting and nurturing thoughtful expression of diverse ideas across our campus.
Speaking Freely on Freedom of Expression will kick off at 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 31. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Lee Pelton, president of Emerson College and a Wichita State alum.
The panelists will be Christine Hughes, retired vice president and general counsel of Emerson College; Tyson C. Langhofer, senior counsel and director of the Center for Academic Freedom with Alliance Defending Freedom and Wichita State alum; and Dr. Neal Allen, associate professor and chairman of political science at Wichita State.
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In the News at Wichita State |
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Real Talks encourage respectful discussion of tough topics |
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Five minutes of scrolling through social media and it is easy to see that civil discourse is becoming the exception instead of the rule. Wichita State University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) is working to change that through Real Talk discussions to promote respectful dialogue among people with varying viewpoints.
“It’s teaching the art of being able to have a good conversation, where I don't have to agree or be an echo chamber, but I can actually — if I truly want to understand a different ideology or a culture or a person — respond in a respectful manner,” said Danielle Johnson, assistant director of ODI.
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Wichita State professor offers advice on teaching about controversial topics |
Dr. Neal Allen is no stranger to controversy, nor are his students. In fact, he prides himself on teaching his students to freely engage in civil discourse on highly contentious topics.
Allen, professor and chair of the Department of Political Science at Wichita State University, teaches Law and Political Power and directs the university's Washington, D.C., and Topeka intern programs. He says there’s lifelong value in teaching students how to have mature, insightful conversations about contentious topics — particularly when it comes to their future career paths.
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Two women win innovation award for business startups |
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The Women for Women's Innovation Award was created in 2020 to support women leaders and entrepreneurs in moving their ideas, said Nancy Kersenbrock, assistant director at Wichita State’s CEI.
“This award identifies women entrepreneurs and provides that elusive early support to move their idea forward," Kersenbrock said. “The fact that this is being funded by Wichita State alumni illustrates the belief that our extended Wichita State family has in our future entrepreneurs.”
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Governor to speak at Diverse Women's Summit |
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The Department of Women’s Studies, in a partnership with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and League of Women Voters of Kansas, will hold the annual Diverse Women’s Summit of individuals and groups from different backgrounds on local, regional and global diversity issues affecting women and gender on March 8.
The daylong event will culminate with a keynote address from Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly.
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Wichita State makes Brown its head basketball coach |
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Wichita State announced last week that Isaac Brown is the new head coach of Shocker Basketball. Brown has agreed to a five-year deal. He is the first Black men's basketball coach ever to lead a Division I program in the state of Kansas.
"I'm excited for the players and I'm excited to be the coach at such a great basketball school," Brown said. "I want to keep things going. We want to compete to be at the top of the league every year."
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Wichita State aerospace grad wins Black Engineer of the Year Award |
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When Prince Yengbe came to Wichita State University from his home country of Ghana in 2007, he wasn’t entirely sure what aerospace engineering was, but he knew he wanted to be part of it.
Now, after earning a bachelor’s (2012) and a master’s degree (2015) in the subject, Yengbe is being honored with the Modern-Day Technology Leader Award by the 2021 Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) STEM Conference.
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Wichita State congratulates scholarship winners |
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February was packed with announcements for some of Wichita State's most prestigious scholarships, and Shocker Nation is eager to welcome the new class of freshmen award winners into our community. Click on the links below to read about a few of the scholarships and their recipients.
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Doris and Ralph Klose Scholarship: Caleb Bartlett, from Bel Aire, Kansas; John Bergman, from Wichita; Zaiylah Bronson, from Leavenworth, Kansas; Nate Dao, from Wichita; Kaitlyn Helmut, from Towanda, Kansas; Catherine Jessee, from Olathe, Kansas; Gabrielle Pritz, from Maize, Kansas; and Knowel Taylor, from Kansas City, Missouri.
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Wichita State's Rémi Chou wins top NSF early career researcher award |
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Dr. Rémi A. Chou, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, has been awarded a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the most prestigious award granted by the NSF to early career researchers.
Chou's grant – worth $519,000 over five years – will support his work in bringing more robust security to wirelessly transmitted data.
“The Faculty Early Career (CAREER) Development Program grants are the most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research within the context of the mission of their organizations,” according to NSF.
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Wichita State's MDL offering free COVID-19 testing |
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Wichita State University is offering free COVID-19 testing to the public at the Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex.
Those interested in being tested can drive to the Metroplex at the corner of 29th and Oliver streets and stay in their car (follow the signs). They will then call a special COVID-19 testing phone number posted in the parking lot, and a trained employee will collect demographic information over the phone.
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Wichita State professor wins innovation award to create accessible comic book app |
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Kapow! Zap! Pop! Zoinks! A Wichita State University researcher is working to develop an app to make those words come alive for visually impaired comic book readers.
Dr. Darren DeFrain, associate professor of English and director of Wichita State’s Writing Program, has recently been granted $11,000 from the John A. See Innovation Award to develop Vizling.
“We’re creating an app that’s going to allow people who are visually impaired to read and understand comics, graphic novels — or anything that's got a visual component along with a text component — so that they understand how things are laid out on the page in addition to just getting told what's happening,” DeFrain said.
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