Wichita State News: All Stories

Wichita East IB grads make WSU their top choice

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:47:00 CST

Wichita State University is the No. 1 destination for graduates of Wichita East High School's rigorous International Baccalaureate program.

A special East High IB recognition program was held recently where graduates indicated their planned college destination.

In a class that has yielded students who plan to attend MIT, New York University, Northwestern, Seton Hall, Brigham Young, Notre Dame and more, Wichita State was the top choice for more East High IB graduates than any other college.

Bobby Gandu

"We're thrilled and humbled to know that Wichita State will be the college of choice for more East High IB graduates than any other college," said Bobby Gandu, director of undergraduate admissions at WSU.

Gandu credited a multi-step, collaborative recruitment approach with many campus units, ranging from Honors to academic departments to University Relations as being influential in the success.

Of particular note is that the East High IB students have also been successful in various WSU scholarship competitions.

Kiah Duggins was named a Barton Scholar; Sachin Pendse was named a Wallace Scholar; Katie Deutsch was named a Jabara Scholar; Tom Tran was named a McGregor Scholar; and Rachael Manske and Michelle Robbins were named Dean's Scholars.

Among Kansas colleges and universities, 20 East High IB graduates plan to attend Wichita State, 19 intend to go to the University of Kansas and six to Kansas State University. Four other Kansas colleges will each receive one graduate. The remaining 21 East High IB graduates will pursue college out-of-state.

WSU to hold commencement ceremonies May 17-18

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:13:00 CST

More than 2,200 students are eligible to participate in the 115th spring commencement ceremonies Friday and Saturday, May 17-18, at Wichita State University. Ceremonies will be held in Charles Koch Arena.

Undergraduate and graduate degrees will be conferred in individual college ceremonies.

Information on individual college ceremonies is available at http://www.wichita.edu/j/?2195.

Links to stories about some of the graduates are available at:

http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/wsunews/cnews/?cnid=11220

Construction to start soon on new Wichita State residence hall

Thu, 9 May 2013 07:30:00 CST

Construction of a new five-story residence hall at Wichita State University will start soon after Memorial Day.

The new residence hall will help energize campus and provide exceptional access to academic and recreational opportunities for students who will live near the heart of the campus.

The new residence hall will house about 770 students and be located between Cessna Stadium and Morrison Hall. A new 400-seat dining hall will be attached to the residence hall.

The project will cost about $60 million and be paid for by revenue bonds. Housing revenues will be used over a period of time to repay the bonds.

Ready for fall 2014

Plans are for the residence hall to be completed and ready for students to occupy by the start of the 2014 fall semester.

Mostly first-year students and some returning students will reside in the new residence hall. Several room configurations will be available — singles, standard doubles, double rooms with two singles, and quad rooms with four single rooms. Some will have small living room areas.

Each floor will have a laundry room, community kitchen and lounge area.

After completion of the new residence hall, Wheatshocker Apartments and Brennan Halls will no longer be residence halls. Plans are to raze those buildings for future development. Fairmount Towers will be available for returning students only.

The private/public partner developer selected by the university was EdR of Memphis, Tenn. The lead design architect is Page Southerland Page (PSP) LLP from Denver, Colo. PSP is working with local architects Howard and Helmer and MKEC Engineers.

Dondlinger and Sons Construction and Farha Construction are the construction team under EdR.

To help alleviate the loss of about 750 parking spaces, work also will begin this month on paving the existing Heskett Center intramural field along 21st Street. The new parking lot will accommodate around 400 vehicles.

Work on the new parking lot will begin soon after commencement on May 17 and 18, and will be open in time for the start of fall semester classes on Aug. 19.

Cornejo and Sons LLC will construct the new lot. The parking lot project will cost about $500,000 and be paid by Wichita State's parking system funds.

Plans are to construct a new replacement playfield and renovate the existing field at the Hughes Metropolitan Complex this summer and fall, with the project to be completed during fall 2013.

WSU research could improve prognosis for battlefield injuries

Mon, 6 May 2013 15:30:00 CST

Leg and arm injuries sustained in the battlefield are made worse when splinting devices used by military medics don't provide ideal stabilization of the injured extremity.

But a project under way by Wichita State University research engineer Kim Reuter aims to change that. Reuter is working on the development of novel materials for a fast-setting composite stabilization device.

It would initially enable shape manipulation and then harden to create a stiff, protective, custom-shaped splint. The splint would provide more stability than current devices being used today, Reuter said.

The important features of the splint include portability, ease of use and improved support and protection.

Why is this so important?

Reuter said protecting injured limbs from further vascular, neural and soft tissue damage during transport to a medical treatment center will result in less bleeding, less pain, and faster recovery.

It could also provide a potentially life-altering benefit to the injured person.

"The increased protection and support during transport could mean the difference between keeping or losing a limb," Reuter said.

Along with use in the battlefield, the improved splints could be used in daily life – added to first aid kit for emergency responders, athletic trainers, school nurses, outdoor enthusiasts, or parents.

Outperforming traditional splints

The project is paid for by a $1.39 million grant from the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. The grant was awarded in 2011 to WSU, and the work is being completed by NIAR's Center of Innovation for Biomaterials in Orthopedic Research (CIBOR).

The composite materials being researched for the splint include a resin that instantly begins to cure when it comes in contact with the reinforcement fabric; and a resin that is mixed in a closed-air environment and, when exposed to oxygen, begins to polymerize.

In preliminary trials, these composite splints outperformed the traditional splint currently being used by the military. Reuter, who is in her second year working in this project, said the next steps are to finalize the material selection, fabricate prototypes and perform testing.

"This is just one of the many ways that the composite technology of the aerospace industry can be applied to the medical industry," Reuter said. "The CIBOR team is excited to be exploring composites for orthopedic applications."

Campus involvement was key to success for Wichita couple

Fri, 3 May 2013 15:18:00 CST

There are many parallels in the lives of Wichita State alumni Kris and Leslie Wessel.

They were both Jabara scholars. Both real estate majors. Before even graduating, they managed to get part- and full-time jobs in their field. And today, they're both working as real estate agents in Wichita.

Oh, and they're married to each other.

With such similar experiences, it's not surprising that Kris and Leslie also agree on the most valuable part of their time at Wichita State: campus involvement.

"I'd say the biggest influence on my experience at WSU and success since would be being involved on campus while I was there, including on-campus housing, different organizations and our Greek system," Leslie said. "Our best friends and quite a few of my clients still come from those connections that Kris and I wouldn't have made otherwise."

The student experience

Leslie graduated in 2006, and since then she's worked for The Carnahan Group at J.P. Weigand & Sons Inc. Kris, who graduated in 2005, works for The Martens Cos. He started there when he was a junior and has been there since.

They've been married for seven years and have a 2-year-old son, Kasten.

There's a bit of disagreement on where they met: Kris said it was at an event for Jabara Scholarship winners. Leslie said they first met as part of the same student organization, SIFE.

"I like to tease her, because I was apparently not too memorable the first time, and she does not remember our first introduction," Kris said. "We met again through SIFE, and I was apparently more memorable the second time."

Regardless, they said, it was more than just attending classes that made the difference.

Leslie is a big proponent of living on campus for at least a year. She lived in Fairmount Towers and Wheatshocker Apartments, and Kris lived in the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house.

"I think it is very important to be involved on campus," Kris said. "Education is your purpose for being there, but the college experience is what makes you a whole person.

Taking part in the campus life opportunities is what helped Kris become a well-rounded person and not just a good student.

"I cured a lot of my shortcomings over those four years," he said. "In my campus involvement, I met a lot of other students who didn't fit into the same mold I did. You can learn a lot from someone who has different talents than you do."

Stepping stones

Also vital to their career success was the ability to find a related job in real estate while they earned degrees. It got their foot in the door of the industry, helped build their resume and gave them experience beyond the classroom.

It's one of the benefits of going to college in an urban environment, Kris said.

"There are tons of degree-holding college grads out there, so it is important to have some kind of advantage over the other candidates," he said. "In a city like Wichita, there are a lot of opportunities that you don't get in a smaller college town."

The job he had as appraisal assistant at The Martens Cos. was the perfect complement to his coursework, Kris said.

Midway through her junior year, Leslie got a job at Ritchie Development as a new home sales consultant assistant. She worked there until shortly after graduation.

She worked full time while taking classes at night.

"The position was key in giving me real estate sales and management experience, getting my Realtor's license and a great stepping stone to where I am now."

Shocker Rowing to take on K-State in Wichita

Tue, 14 May 2013 16:00:00 CST

A last minute change to the schedule has allowed Shocker Rowing to have a home regatta in its spring 2013 season.

The race is now set for 9 a.m. Sunday, May 19, on the Arkansas River in downtown Wichita.

Spectators can watch from the Lewis Street bridge or either bank of the Arkansas River between the Lincoln Street dam and the Douglas Street bridge.

Parking will be available at 300 W. Indianapolis.

Originally the May 19 race was supposed to be in Manhattan at Kansas State University's home site.

Shocker Rowing will be racing Kansas State crew as both teams prepare for the American Collegiate Rowing Association National Championships May 25-26 in Lake Lanier, Ga., site of the 1996 Olympic Rowing venue.

At both the May 19 race and at Nationals, the Shockers will be racing a men's varsity eight, women's varsity eight, men's novice four, women's single and two men's singles. Shocker Rowing will race a men's double on May 19 in addition to a women's four.

The women's varsity eight has been ranked fifth in the nation for the past three weeks, the highest ranking for the Shockers since 2008.

Sri Lanka native finds success in WSU aerospace engineering

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:50:00 CST

His pleasant demeanor presents an unassuming college senior at the beginning of the rest of his life, but most seniors at Wichita State didn't grow up moving in and out of a war zone.

For Tharindu "TJ" Jayaratne, it was a fact of life. As a native of Sri Lanka, he lived in danger nearly every day because of the 30-year-long civil war in the country.

In 1994 when he was 6 years old, Jayaratne and his mother left Sri Lanka during one of the most violent periods of the war. Just four years earlier, hundreds of police officers were massacred by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in one day.

"I was glad we were in the U.S. when we were growing up," said Jayaratne. "While we were here [in the U.S.], the terrorists blew up the building my mom worked in back home."

While his mom was earning her master's degree at Vanderbilt University, Jayaratne spent some of his childhood in Nashville, Tenn.

"I enjoyed both lifestyles," said Jayratne about the cultural diversity he experienced as a child.

Upon returning to Sri Lanka, 10-year-old Jayaratne could not speak Sinhalese. He learned it with ease as a fifth-grader that year and spent the rest of his adolescence in his native country.

Coming back to America

In 2008, Jayaratne returned to the United States and began attending Wichita State University. He credits his decision to a "world-class aerospace engineering program for one-sixth the cost of other such programs." Jayaratne will graduate in May 2013 with a degree in aerospace engineering and a 4.0 GPA.

Jayaratne's interest in engineering is also clear to his teachers. Larry Whitman, associate professor at the department of industrial and manufacturing engineering, emphasized Jayaratne's passion for learning as an engineer.

"His passion to learn more — engineering is not static, and he tries to learn more about the subject at hand," said Whitman. "He does a good job trying to get better."

When asked about his experience at Wichita State, Jayaratne said he most enjoyed the "truly extraordinary" hands-on curriculum the aerospace engineering program provides.

"A lot of engineers haven't built anything by the time they get out of college," said Jayaratne. "That's the good thing about WSU."

Jayaratne has also served as president of the International Student Union (ISU) and project chair for Interfest. Under Jayaratne's direction, Interfest doubled its ticket and food sales in 2012.

As president of ISU, Jayaratne helped organize airport pickups for international students with help from other student groups. The student-run program picks up more than 200 students before each fall semester.

Jayaratne now has a co-op position at the National Institute for Aviation Research, working with the certification and testing of the Learjet 85 business jet. He plans to continue his work there after graduation.

As for graduate school, Jayaratne will apply to several programs.

"I'll probably stay here, though. I like it here," he said.

Outside of work and school, Jayaratne is researching building a 1967 Mustang Fastback.

Graphic design senior lands internship at space astronomy program

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:05:00 CST

Sara Crowdis

In June, Wichita State University senior Sara Crowdis will travel to Baltimore for an internship at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). But, Crowdis isn't a science major; she will graduate with a graphic design degree.

Crowdis was accepted to the Space Astronomy Summer Program (SASP) at STScI for students interested in astronomy and science. Out of 200 national and international applicants, only about 20 were chosen. The internship runs from mid-June until mid-August.

"I positioned myself differently than all the other scientists and said I would balance the team out by bringing in a new perspective," she said. "People must have been surprised when they saw my major."

While at STScI, Crowdis will work in the Office of Public Outreach, where she will assist in producing "Science Year in Review," a book that includes recent astronomy findings. She will also help employees with various Hubble projects.

"I don't think it is common for graphic designers to apply," said Crowdis. "All of the other interns are majoring in physics or astrophysics, and a few with computer science."

STScI is located on the Johns Hopkins University campus and is a part of NASA's Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA). The institute operates the science program for the Hubble Space Telescope and will conduct science and mission operations for the future James Webb Space Telescope. It also supports other astronomy programs and general scientific research.

An unexpected interest

Crowdis, who grew up in Douglass, Kan., said she will greatly benefit from being exposed to a new type of work setting and living in a different region of the United States for a couple of months.

"I like working with professionals in their environments and learning from those real-world experiences," she said. "Plus, I will also be able to say I worked for NASA, and that seems pretty cool."

Crowdis learned about SASP after taking a Digital Imaging for Astronomy pre-session class in the honors program with instructor Martin Ratcliffe. He encouraged Crowdis to apply after she expressed an interest in how photos are imaged for NASA.

"I only needed two credit hours, so it was going to fill an elective space," she said. "I ended up really enjoying the class."

After graduating from Wichita State this May, Crowdis will do advertising and design work full time for Fairbank Equipment in Wichita, a job she originally received through WSU's Office of Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning.

History professor's research took her to Mongolia, Siberia

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:56:00 CST

Wichita State Russian history professor Helen Hundley spent last summer in the highlands of Mongolia and Siberia. Hundley's latest research trip took her from the plains and prairies of Kansas to the steppes and mountains of northern Mongolia and Siberia.

Since she returned, Hundley has been working on two books detailing her research, and will soon start looking for funding for her next trip.

Landing at Genghis Khan International airport in Mongolia's capitol city of Ulan Batar, Hundley began a month-long study of the resurgence of Buddhism and Buddhist imagery and symbols in the former Soviet Union.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, a "Buddhist explosion," as Hundley described it, has spread across the region in much the same way as it did originally from China. This new form of "public Buddhism," Hundley said, has changed the physical and cultural landscape of Mongolia and Siberia alike.

One of the principal reasons for Hundley's trip was the study of roadside prayer shrines called oovoos. These structures, to a casual observer, might look like a pile of stones and wood covered in strips of brightly colored fabric. In actuality, oovoos are a tangible symbol of the resurgence of Buddhism in the region and are found on the side of roads all over Mongolia.

"The interesting thing is that none of these shrines existed 30 years ago," Hundley said. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, perhaps thousands of them have been built.

"There's a sense that the Soviets destroyed everyone's history here," Hundley said, and these shrines are just one way of getting it back.

"We can explain all of our art," Hundley said. "They can't do that there."

On a closer look, Hundley said, the stones of the shrines would be covered in prayers for everything from a good harvest, to hopes that a relative's chemotherapy treatments go well.

New signs

In a country where practicing Buddhism openly was once illegal, now signs and images of its practice are everywhere, Hundley said. From roadside oovoos to Buddhist prayer wheels for sale on street corners.

Even solar powered prayer wheels, Hundley said, can be found on the dashboards of almost any car, highlighting the fusion of ancient buddhist traditions and the modern culture of Ulan Bataar.

Leaving Ulan Batar, Hundley traveled north to Amarbayasgalant monastery. While Mongolia was under Communist rule, thousands of Buddhist monasteries were destroyed or converted to other uses. Amarbayasgalant was one of the few to survive and was a major stop on Hundley's trip.

While visiting the monastery, where Hundley said it wasn't uncommon to see a shaven-headed monk tapping away on his iPad, Hundley stayed in a ger camp— a collection of traditional circular wooden latticework buildings covered in layers of felt and painted in bright colors.

Ger camps are usually powered by gasoline generators, but being out in the country are prone to frequent power outages. Hundley fondly remembers one particular incident where, during a power outage, she and her hosts sat around the dinner table telling stories by candlelight and the light from smartphones.

Hospitality and thousands of years of history aside, there's another reason Hundley has been traveling to Mongolia whenever she could since 1992.

"I can't describe how beautiful it is there," Hundley said.

Such a captivating country is always hard for Hundley to leave, she said. The prospect of coming home again she likened to Cinderella's coach turning into a pumpkin at midnight.

WSU professor Wilson Baldridge receives fundraising award

Mon, 13 May 2013 13:30:00 CST

Wilson Baldridge, professor and chair of Modern and Classical Languages at Wichita State University, is the recipient of the WSU Foundation Faculty/Staff Fundraising Award.

The award was established to recognize WSU faculty or staff members who have played a key role in cultivating and securing a major gift for WSU.

This is the second year the award has been presented.

Read full story.

WSU's World Trade Council hosting Trade Week event

Mon, 13 May 2013 13:22:00 CST

The World Trade Council of Wichita Inc. is hosting a reception and banquet program, "NAFTA 20: Doing Business with Canada and Mexico - The Largest Trading Partnership."

The event, part of World Trade Week, is Thursday, May 16.

Read full story.

Faculty/staff news update: March/April 2013

Wed, 8 May 2013 13:26:00 CST

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.

William Proctor Artz, instructional technologist and designer, School of Community Affairs, presented a paper "Secure Testing in the Virtual Classroom: Is It Even Possible?" at the Innovative Technology to Recharge and Connect (ITRAC) instructional technology conference on March 8.

Dinorah Azpuru, associate professor of political science, was invited to present her research on U.S-Latin America relations at the Woodrow Wilson Center, in Washington, D.C., on March 27. In the framework of the seminar "China in Latin America: Public Impressions and Policy Implications" she compared public opinion in the Americas about the influence and role of China and the United States in the region. Watch the webcast here.

Michael Birzer

Michael Birzer, professor, School of Community Affairs, worked with the Wichita Police Department's Command Staff on organizational transformation and issues. He also recently received a $32,000 grant award from the Kansas Department of Transportation to continue his research on racial profiling across the state of Kansas.

Travis Bruce, assistant professor, history, has published a book about the trading community of Denia, a Muslim city state in al-Andalus in the Middle Ages, and the trade links and cultural ties between the Muslim and Christian worlds.

Amy Delamaide, director, community and organizational development, WSU Center for Community Support and Research, was recently named a BoardSource Certified Governance Trainer and is now certified to deliver BoardSource's signature nonprofit governance trainings in the Midwest and Great Plains area. BoardSource supports and promotes excellence in nonprofit board service by providing cutting-edge thinking and resources on board effectiveness and by engaging and developing the next generation of board leaders.

Amy DeVault, assistant professor, Elliott School of Communication, earned four awards in the Kansas Professional Communicators 2012 contest: First and second in magazine page design; first in PR magazine (editing/creative direction); and second in magazine feature story. First-place winners move on to compete at the national level.

Ed Flentje

Ed Flentje, professor, Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs, was recognized at the December 2012 legislative policy summit for outstanding service in fostering regional cooperation for south-central Kansas. At the invitation of the Center for Information and Resources for Development, he also traveled to Asuncion, Paraguay to participate in the Public Policy and Presidential Elections Project. This trip was the seventh of an eight-part series to educate and engage political activists on democracy, elections and public policy prior to upcoming elections in April 2013.

Mark Glaser, professor, Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs, and Misty Bruckner and Corinne Bannon, both from the Center for Urban Studies, collaborated with the City of Wichita and Sedgwick County as part of a four-step process to guide a comprehensive plan update and to develop and implement a multiphase citizen engagement effort. Glaser was also recently appointed to the publication committee of the American Society for Public Administration. This is a prestigious appointment to the committee that oversees publication of the Public Administration Review, the top rated journal in the field.

Sabrina Perez Glatt, director of field practicum, School of Social Work, is the 2013recipient of the Wayne Carlisle Distinguished Service Award. The award is presented to an unclassified professional who models the standard of extraordinary service.

Brandy Jackson, undergraduate program director, was approved to receive funding from the College of Health Professions' IPE Fund to support participation in the Team STEPPS training program at Tulane University in New Orleans.

Phyllis Jacobs, assistant professor, nursing, and her husband, Lou, are receiving the 2013 Joel A. Gingras, Jr. Award from the American Brain Tumor Association. The award recognizes individuals, organizations or groups who through philanthropy, advocacy, discovery or patient care and support, have had a transformative impact on the advancement of the mission of the American Brain Tumor Association. Phyllis and Lou have facilitated a brain tumor support group called Headstrong at Victory in the Valley in Wichita for the past 14 years. The Award will be given at the American Brain Tumor Association national conference in Chicago in July.

Kim Johnson, DNP Candidate, whose submission titled "Does primary care provider advance directive education influence attitudes and practice?," was accepted as a poster presentation at the Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects. She was also selected to participate by WSU in the Rising Stars of Scholarship and Research Poster Program at Sigma Theta Tau International's 42nd Biennial Convention.

Stuart Lasine, professor of religion, has been elected vice president of the Society of Biblical Literature's southwest region. In 2014 he'll become president-elect and then in 2015, president.

Jacquelyn McClendon, senior clinical educator, Kelly Anderson (Dental Hygiene) and Mary Koehn (CHP IPE coordinator) abstract, "Making IPE Discipline Relevant" was accepted for presentation at the Collaborating Across Borders IV Conference in Canada.

Cheryl Miller, assistant dean, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, earned several awards in the 2012 Kansas Professional Communicators contest: First in personality profile, first in editing; second in advertising; and third in editing. Miller also received honorable mentions in feature writing, personality profile, and specialty articles - travel. First-place winners move on to compete at the national level.

Pamela O'Neal, SON Academic Writing Specialist, and Michelle Dreiling, a graduate student at the Elliott School of Communication, were invited to Wiley College in Marshall TX to speak at the Ethical Student Leadership Conference about the WSU Hunger Awareness Initiative.

Susan Parsons, assistant professor; Carla A. Lee, Debbie Strickert and Margaret Trumpp are authors of an article entitled "Oral Care and Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia-An Integrated Review of the Literature" accepted for publication in the forthcoming May/June 2013 issue of Dimensions in Critical Care Nursing.

Elaine Steinke, professor, nursing, Adult Health & Illness Clinical nurse specialist program coordinator, Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program coordinator, had two book chapters published. Steinke, E. E. (2014). Ineffective sexuality patterns. In B. Ackley, G. Ladwig. Nursing Diagnosis Handbook,10th ed. St. Louis: Elsevier; pp. 724-730. And Steinke, E. E. (2014). Sexual dysfunction. In B.Ackley, G. Ladwig. Nursing Diagnosis Handbook, 10th ed. St. Louis: Elsevier; pp. 717-724.

DISTINGUISHED AND PHENOMENAL AWARDS
The Wichita State University Women's Association named its Distinguished Gentlemen Award winners in March. They are: Wilson Baldridge, chair, Modern & Classical Languages; Michael L. Birzer, professor, criminal justice/director SCA; William Bischoff, professor, geology; Buma Fridman, chair and professor, mathematics; Terre Johnson, vice president for major gifts, WSU Foundation; Chuck Koeber, associate dean, liberal arts, professor, sociology; Ron Matson, interim dean, liberal arts and sciences; Rodney Miller, dean, College of Fine Arts; Rick Muma, associate provost and professor, public health; Ravi Pendse, vice president, Information Technology, and chief information officer; Wade Robinson, vice president for Campus Life and University Relations; Mel Whiteside, director, engineering technology program;

The Office of Multicultural Affairs announced its Phenomenal Women of the Year at the fifth annual Phenomenal Women Award Recognition on March 14. Jean Patterson, from the Educational Leadership Department was awarded Faculty Phenomenal Woman of the Year. Frankie Brown, from Human Resources was awarded the Unclassified Professional Staff Phenomenal Woman of the Year. Juanita Reed from the Alumni Association was awarded the Classified Staff Phenomenal Woman of the Year. These women were recognized along with five other nominees.

IN MEMORIAM

Ronald Christy, 63, business instructor at Wichita State University, died Monday, April 22. He is survived by a son, Cody; Cody's mother, Linda Pool; extended family members, Jamie Doss, Mary Giordenella Belden and Wanda Aikin, and their children Jordan Doss, Kaylee Doss, Brooklyn Aikin, Madison Aikin, Makenna Belden and Cade Belden, who referred to Mr. Christy as Grandpa. Mr. Christy was a pioneer in entrepreneurial education and was instrumental in helping Fran Jabara found WSU's Center for Entrepreneurship in 1977. Mr. Christy taught the widely acclaimed "Your Future in Business" class to thousands of Kansans in the 1970s and 1980s. He co-authored four books on entrepreneurship, was the recipient of the prestigious Sargent Americanism Award, as well as the Outstanding Teaching Award from the W. Frank Barton School of Business. As a businessman, he founded several businesses and was a sought after consultant for over 35 years. The Ron Christy Entrepreneurship Memorial has been established through the WSU Foundation. Donations can be sent to support this memorial, in lieu of flowers, to 1845 Fairmount, Wichita, KS 67260-0002. Services have been held.

Jeraldine Cobb, 77, retired, died April 15. Services have been held. Survivors: husband, James; sons, Terry (Diane) Evans, Larry Evans, Michael Cobb ; daughter, Jacqueline Cobb ; sister, Roberta (Lawrence) Crockett; brother, Claude (Linda) Dayton; 7 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren; a host of other relatives, Strangers Rest family and friends.

Donald Leroy Foster, 77, retired Wichita State Physics professor, died Sunday, May 5. He taught at WSU for 39 years, where he served as department chair. He is preceded in death by parents, Raymond and Hilda Mae (McCrea) Foster. Mr. Foster is survived by his cherished wife, Deanna; sister, Susan A. Foster; children, Andrew (Amy) Foster, Matt (Lucinda) Foster, Brandie (Kevin Blount) French and Kelly French; 12 grandchildren, Josh, Nick, Jack, Ethan, Luke, Zach, Alex, Sebastian, Sofia, Evelyn, Levi and Lydia; and one great-grandchild. Recitation of the Rosary will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 9, followed by the funeral mass at 10:30 a.m., both at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. Memorials may be sent to National Parkinson Foundation, P.O. Box 51018, Hagerstown, Maryland 21741. Baker Funeral Home, Wichita.

Doris Kathleen "Kathy" Lewis, 73, former chair and associate professor, physical therapy, died March 11 in Peoria. Services have been held. She is survived by her daughter, Terri Lewis, and son-in-law, Daniel Angot, of Peoria; grandsons, Dustin and Jordan Angot; four brothers; two sisters; and many nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society's Road to Recovery Program in Peoria.

Marguerite "Mickey" Miller, 92, professor emeritus and longtime former chair of keyboard, College of Fine Arts, died April 17. She was preceded in death by parents, Joe and Mary Smith; husband, Luther; and grandson, Brandon. Survivors include sons Joe of Wichita, Jay (Madeline) of Lake Forest, Ill., and Jon of Kechi; daughter, Jean Little (Kent) of Kechi; three grandchildren. In accordance with her wishes, services will be private.

Gilbert "Gil" Perez, 61, WSU Environmental Scientist, passed away Saturday, April 27, 2013. He is survived by his wife, Lisa Perez; children, Paul (Annie) Perez, Angela Perez, Isaac (Crystal) Perez, all of Wichita; grandchildren, LaTaylah, Zayda, Adrian, Evan, Aiden, Brittany (Kade), Cidnie, Daphne, Emilie and Remi; mother, Beatrice Perez of Kinsley; brothers, John (Olga) Perez of Dodge City, Larry Perez of Kinsley, Tom (Diane) Perez of Dodge City; sisters, Rose Perez of Kinsley, Gloria (Joe) Lock of Lewis and Mary (Alvaro) Bencomo of Dodge City; many other family and friends. Services have been held. Memorials to Riverlawn Christian Church, 4243 N. Meridian, Wichita, KS 67204. Baker Funeral Home, Valley Center.

'The Kite Runner' author, Khaled Hosseini, to speak at WSU

Tue, 7 May 2013 14:23:00 CST

Khaled Hosseini

Wichita State University and Watermark Books & Cafe will host Khaled Hosseini, author of the international bestsellers "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns," at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 12, at WSU's Hughes Metropolitan Complex, 5015 E. 29th St. N.

Tickets are $28.95 plus tax, and include a copy of the new book "And The Mountains Echoed," available for pre-order through Watermark Books & Cafe, by phone at 316-682-1181 or online at www.watermarkbooks.com.

Tickets will be available for pick-up when the book is released on May 21.

Hosseini and Ted Ayres, vice president and general counsel for Wichita State University, will have a book conversation about Hosseini's newest book, followed by a book signing.

Ted Ayres

"I am extremely flattered and pleased to be selected for this opportunity," said Ayres. "To publicly dialogue with someone of Mr. Hosseini's fame and talent on behalf of Watermark Books and Wichita State, excites me greatly."

"And the Mountains Echoed" is a novel about how we love, how we take care of one another and how the choices we make resonate through generations.

In this tale revolving around not just parents and children but brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers, Hosseini explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor and sacrifice for one another and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us at the times that matter most.

Following its characters and the ramifications of their lives and choices and loves around the globe — from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Tinos — the story expands gradually outward, becoming more emotionally complex and powerful with each turning page.

"We're thrilled to be able to partner with WSU to bring an author of this caliber to Kansas," said Sarah Bagby, owner of Watermark Books & Cafe. "Hosseini's novels introduce readers to situations that are not particularly pleasant, but they help us navigate the intricacies of our complicated, multicultural and multigenerational world. His reputation as one of the best American novelists working today is well deserved."

Author bio:
Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1965. His father was a diplomat in the Afghan Foreign Ministry, and his mother taught Farsi and history at a high school in Kabul.

In 1976, the Foreign Ministry relocated the Hosseini family to Paris.

They were ready to return to Kabul in 1980, but by then their homeland had witnessed a bloody communist coup and the invasion of the Soviet Army. The Hosseinis sought and were granted political asylum in the United States, and in September 1980 moved to San Jose, Calif.

Hosseini graduated from high school in 1984 and enrolled at Santa Clara University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in biology in 1988. The following year he entered the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, where he earned a medical degree in 1993. He completed his residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and was a practicing internist between 1996 and 2004.

In March 2001, while practicing medicine, Hosseini began writing his first novel, "The Kite Runner." Published by Riverhead Books in 2003, that debut went on to become an international bestseller and beloved classic, sold in at least 70 countries and spending more than 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.

In May 2007, his second novel, "A Thousand Splendid Suns," debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list, remaining in that spot for 15 weeks and nearly an entire year on the bestseller list.

Together, the two books have sold more than 10 million copies in the United States and more than 38 million copies worldwide. Hosseini's much-awaited third novel, "And the Mountains Echoed," will be published on May 21, 2013.

In 2006, Hosseini was named a Goodwill Envoy to UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency. Inspired by a trip he made to Afghanistan with the UNHCR, he later established The Khaled Hosseini Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which provides humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan. He lives in northern California.

Patenting activity on the rise in Kansas

Tue, 7 May 2013 08:41:00 CST

In 2012 there were 2,756 patents granted to inventors living in Kansas. This represented 1.90 patents per 1,000 workers, slightly below the national average of 1.96 patents per 1,000 workers.

Although the current level of patenting activity in Kansas is below the national average, the growth in patenting activity of 6.3 percent in Kansas between 1980 and 2012 was above the average annualized rate, among the states, of 5.3 percent.

The Wichita State University Center for Economic Development and Business Research has analyzed the Strumsky Patent Database of The Brookings Institution for each Metropolitan Statistical Area in Kansas.

Go here to read the full report.

WSU College Republicans to host fundraising banquet

Mon, 6 May 2013 16:00:00 CST

Congressman Mike Pompeo will be the keynote speaker at a banquet to promote and support the college Republicans at Wichita State University. The banquet will be held from 3:30-5 p.m. Friday, May 10, at the Hughes Metropolitan Complex.

Beverly Gossage, candidate for Insurance Comissioner, also plans to attend.

The WSU College Republicans want to change the face of politics on campus through the student base and supporters such as Pompeo, the Kansas Federation of College Republicans and Credit Union of America.

The WSU College Republicans intend to spark interest and involve young voters in the political process. The group wants to help students understand a system that has an impact on their community and on them individually.

Guests can pay at the door for $18 per person and $30 per couple.