Academe welcomes news from WSU faculty and staff about research, teaching and service activities. This column recognizes grants, honors, awards, presentations and publications, new appointments, new faculty, sabbaticals, retirements and deaths of our current and former colleagues.

Les Anderson, professor, Elliott School of Communication, won second place in the National Federation of Press Women communications contest for "feature photo in a publication other than newspaper" (2010 Symphony in the Flint Hills magazine) and two third-place awards for general column and general nonfiction book ("Never Take a Snake for a Ride"). National winners advance from state contests held by such NFPW affiliates as Kansas Professional Communicators.

Amy DeVault, instructor, Elliott School of Communication, won a second-place award in the National Federation of Press Women communications contest for "page layout for publication" (2010 Symphony in the Flint Hills magazine). National winners advance from state contests held by such NFPW affiliates as Kansas Professional Communicators.

Mary Koehn, professor, director, School of Nursing, and nursing student Rachel Wilson, traveled with a team of medical professionals, educators and students to train on high-tech mannequins at the Johns Hopkins Medicine Simulation Center in Baltimore on June 23. Koehn is part of a citywide health care committee that has been working toward creating and building a simulation center in Wichita. For the June 26 Wichita Eagle story "Local health workers try out simulation training," go to http://www.wichita.edu/j/?1083.

Kim Kufahl, marketing manager for Wichita State's Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning program, won a first-place award in the National Federation of Press Women communications contest for the program's annual report. National winners advance from state contests held by such NFPW affiliates as Kansas Professional Communicators.

On Sabbatical
Betty Smith Campbell, associate professor, School of Nursing, spring 2012, to expand professional experience in health policy and advocacy to maintain accreditation of graduate nursing programs (policy course updates) and journal article submissions

Doris Chang, associate professor, Center for Women's Studies, fall 2011, to conduct research on career and political ideas of Chairwoman Ing-wen; conference presentation; and journal article submissions

Dharam Chopra, professor, mathematics and statistics, academic year 2011-12, to work on research problems in statistical design experiments dealing specifically with fractional factorial designs and graph theory; paper presentations; journal article submissions

Darren DeFrain, associate professor, English, spring 2012, to complete research for and prepare final draft of novel followed by submission to agent for review

Anthony DiLollo, associate professor, communication sciences and disorders, fall 2011, for development and publication of a workbook designed to facilitate counseling with persons who have communication disorders

Thalia Jeffres, associate professor, mathematics and statistics, fall 2011, to continue research on the Yamabe problem and the zeta function; conference presentations; grant proposal submission

Hyuck M. Kwon, professor, electrical engineering and computer science, spring 2012, for joint research project to improve previously published model with application to realistic wireles/mobile/communications systems; joint journal article submission; course updates

Kirk Lancaster, professor, mathematics and statistics, academic year 2011-12, for collaborative research on solution of central fan question and expansion of results on capillarity; joint journal article submission and work on new book

Chinyere Okafor, professor, Center for Women's Studies, spring 2012, to rewrite three plays in light of new research for potential book publication and participate in creative forum at Nigerian journalism institute

Royce Smith, assistant professor, School of Art and Design, spring 2012, for completion and publication of manuscript, "Biennale: Representation, Crisis, and the Contemporary Mega-Exhibition"

Johnnie Thompson, associate professor, curriculum and instruction, spring 2012, for completion of research on the attainment of wisdom, its sources in specialized life knowledge and its relationship to cultural variables and age leading to scholarly publication

In Memoriam
Robert "Bob" C. Wherritt, 83, associate professor emeritus, mathematics, died June 7. He is survived by his wife, Mildred (Millie), and his daughter Judith (Judy); he was preceded in death by his daughter Susan Wherritt Sherman. A memorial service will be held at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, 7202 E. 21st St. N. in Wichita. A memorial fund has been established with the church.