Wichita State News: Cooperative Education

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.

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.

WSU's co-op program helps students find experience, jobs

Tue, 5 Mar 2013 10:14:00 CST

Derek Anglemyer was looking for a chance.

He needed an internship, and finding one seemed next to impossible. That's when he decided to explore Wichita State University's cooperative education program.

"Before, I was working construction," said Anglemyer, a senior in manufacturing engineering. "It wasn't something I could use in resume building."

Since last June, Anglemyer has been working at Sherwin Williams.

"The biggest thing I've learned is how to try and relate my courses to the real world," he said. "I've also learned how to work with employees and worked on some pretty fun projects."

WSU's cooperative education program, school officials say, is the largest among all the state's regent schools. The program, started in 1979, worked with 871 students last year, placing them in 1,200 positions with 525 companies.

Read full story.

Faculty/staff news update: January/February 2013

Mon, 4 Mar 2013 11:34:00 CST

Kathy Coufal, professor and chair, communication sciences and disorders, recently joined the board of directors of the Kansas Society for Children with Challenges.

George Dehner

George Dehner, associate professor, history, had two books published recently. "Influenza: A Century of Science and Public Health Response" is aimed at the academic market, and "Global Flu and You: A History of Influenza" is a more general book on the subject.

Suzy Finn, engineering coordinator/job developer, Office of Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning, has been accepted into the Young Professionals of Wichita 2013 Leadership Academy.

Ed Flentje, professor and longtime REAP consultant, 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.

Ed Flentje fielded calls on Kansas politics about the 2012 November elections from national reporters with the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and Reuters, in addition to Kansas newspaper reporters. He also made presentations on Kansas politics and elections, including the Docking Symposium on Kansas Politics at Southwestern College in Winfield; the Downtown Lions Club, Wichita; the Post-election Roundtable, with professors Joe Aistrup (Kansas State), Bob Beatty (Washburn), Burdette Loomis (University of Kansas), and Michael Smith (Emporia State) at Washburn University in Topeka; and the Lions Club in Clay Center.

Eric Freeman, assistant professor, Jean Patterson, associate professor, and Pat Terry, senior fellow, served as faculty advisers to students in the College of Education's educational leadership program who presented research papers at the USA|Kansas Annual Convention in January. "Growth and Sustainability in a Rural Kansas Town: The Role of Public Schools" was presented by Michael Argabright, superintendent, Southern Lyon County USD 252; Andi Williams, principal, Haysville Elementary, USD 261; and Royce Powelson, superintendent, Jayhawk USD 346 (Freeman). "Successes and Challenges of Implementing 21st Century Skills" was presented by Mary Liebl, literacy coordinator, Wichita USD 259; Janice Smith, executive director, The Opportunity Project Early Learning Center; Alicia Thompson, assistant superintendent, Wichita USD 259; Tiffinie Irving, executive director, Wichita USD 259; and Brad Pepper, executive director, The Service Center at Clearwater (Patterson/Terry).

Philip Gaunt, professor, Elliott School of Communication, director and founder, Interdisciplinary Communication Research Institute, had a book signing hosted by Watermark Books in Wichita on Feb. 9 for his recently published novel, "The Blane Game."

Lou Heldman, Distinguished Senior Fellow and interim director of the Elliott School of Communication, presented "Communicating with Citizens on Their Terms" at the 2013 Kansas Association of City and County Managers Winter Seminar, hosted by the Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs, on Feb. 8.

Sharon Iorio

Sharon Iorio, dean and professor, College of Education, presented "Partnerships with School Districts," along with other Kansas Board of Regents' college of education deans at the USA|Kansas Annual Convention conference in January.

Ashlie Jack, assistant professor, curriculum and instruction, has been selected to serve on the Kansas Handwriting Standards Committee, which will design the new handwriting standards for schools in Kansas in response to the request of the Kansas State Board of Education.

Ashlie Jack and Mandy Lusk, assistant professors, special education, received funding for their study "Developing Word Consciousness of Academic Vocabulary in Adolescents with Challenging Behaviors through Co-Teaching" to be conducted during the spring 2013 semester.

Elizabeth King, president and CEO, WSU Foundation, was re-elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of the Kansas Society for Children with Challenges. The KSCC was established in 1925.

Kenneth Kriz, professor of Public Finance and Economics with the University of Nebraska-Omaha who will soon join the Hugo Wall School as Regents Professor of Public Finance, presented the keynote speech "Public Finance in the 2010s: an Environmental Scan" at the 2013 Midwest Regional Public Finance Conference on Feb. 14 and 15 in Wichita.

Sal Mazzullo, professor, geology, had a book signing hosted by Watermark Books in Wichita on Jan. 5 for his recently published novel, "Chac Balam."

Eunice Doman Myers, associate dean, Fairmount College, and associate professor, Spanish, had her book chapter "Resounding Silences: En las noches que desvisten otras noches" included in the Festschrift Nela Rio: Escritura en foco: La mirada profunda, edited by Qantati e-books (Ottawa, Canada).

Ravi Pendse

Ravi Pendse, chief information officer, presented "Creating Relevance through Innovation and Collaboration" at the 2013 Kansas Association of City and County Managers Winter Seminar, hosted by the Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs on Feb. 8.

Michael Rogers, chair and professor, human performance, presented "International trends of study concerning exercise programs and health promotion for older adults" at the 2012 International Forum on Muscle Fitness Exercise as Chokin for Elderly People held at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya, Japan, in December.

Donna Sayman, assistant professor, curriculum and instruction, recently had her article "Quinceaneras and Quadratics: Experiences of Latinas in state-supported residential schools of science and math" published in the Journal of Latinos and Education.

Aleksander Sternfeld-Dunn, assistant professor, music theory and composition, had two new compositions premiered at Carnegie Hall on Feb. 9 by an East Coast new music group, the Case Ensemble. While in New York, Sternfeld-Dunn gave guest presentations with undergraduate and graduate composers at The Hartt School of Music in Hartford, Conn., and Kutztown University in Kutztown, Pa.

Clay Stoldt, chair and professor, and Mark Vermillion, associate professor, both of sport management, presented "Member Churning Among Conferences: A Contributing Factor to Economic Inequality at the NCAA Scholarly Colloquium," along with Martin Perline, professor and Bloomfield Foundation Faculty Fellow, Barton School of Business.

Anh Tran, associate professor, and Jim Granada, assistant professor, both of curriculum and instruction, presented "Social, Cultural and Economic Capitals for College Success" at the 2013 USA|Kansas Annual Convention.

NEW TO CAMPUS
Leah DiPietr, coordinator for College of Engineering, Office of Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning

Kenneth Kriz, Regents Distinguished Professor of Public Finance, Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs

Kelley Mattivi, coordinator for College of Business and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Office of Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning

Arwiphawee Srithongrung, associate professor, Hugo Wall School

Matthew Cecil, director, Elliott School of Communication

Bob Workman, director, Ulrich Museum of Art

ON SABBATICAL
Dharma DeSilva, professor, management, fall 2013, five related projects including teaching, research and advisory service in Sri Lanka, as well as completion of international business and marketing resource textbooks

Jeffrey Hershfield, associate professor, philosophy, fall 2013, research on linguistic norms regarding truth/falsity and their underlying principles; development of a taxonomy and publication

Xiaomi Hu, associate professor, mathematics, fall 2013, conduct research to identify multivariate order relations and focus on models with their parameter vectors under multivariate order restrictions including testing and implementation

C. Nicholas Johnson, professor, dance, spring 2014, research on mime/physical theatre; further development of the SPA core curriculum mime course and a new Fine Arts exchange opportunity in Mexico

Xiufen Lu, associate professor, philosophy, spring 2014, research on Li Dazhao's adaption of Marxism to Chinese Confucianisnism; publication of two articles

Chungsheng Ma, professor, mathematics, academic year 2013-14, research on spatio-temporal stastics and vecor random fields in space and time leading to book and journal publications

Daowei Ma, professor, mathematics, spring 2014, research on complex analysis and linear transforms in applied mathematics leading to publication of several research papers

Robert Owens, associate professor, history, spring 2014, research and manuscript writing on early American frontier "Indian-hating" and attempts to settle Indian-white disputes

Atul Rai, associate professor, accountancy, spring 2014, study effects of the international financial reporting system and quality of earnings; preparation of papers for publication

Nick Solomey, professor, mathematics (physics), academic year 2013-14, participate in cosmic ray research to expand scientific expertise and enhance the ability of Kansas to qualify for joint hosting of the next large cosmic ray experiment in western Kansas and eastern Colorado

James E. Steck, professor, engineering (aerospace), fall 2013, (1) continue research on advanced aircraft flight control methods at NASA and (2) expand quantum computing research leading to publication in both areas

Craig Torbenson, associate professor, history, spring 2014, continue work on a manuscript examining Norwegian emigration and patterns of westward migration and settlement in the United States

Janet Twomey, professor, engineering/manufacturing, spring 2014, (1) investigate worker education in the emerging field of engineering-public policy and (2) develop a proposal to support a network of researchers in climate change, health care and energy

Chu-Ping Vijverberg, associate professor, economics, academic year 2013-14, compare current models for examining structural change or business cycles with an exploratory time deformation model to provide improved forecast ability and further model development

Robert Zettle, professor, psychology, spring 2014, complete writing and co-editing Handbook of Contextual Behavioral Science

IN EMERITUS
Roger D. Lowe, vice president emeritus, administration and finance

Salvatore J. Mazzullo, professor emeritus, geology

IN MEMORIAM
Peggy J. Anderson, 67, retired associate professor emeritus, College of Education, died Feb. 24 in Wichita. Services have been held. She is survived by her brothers, Denis (Bobbi) Anderson of Springfield, Mo., and Russell (Debra Dikeman) Vornold of Pilot Mountain, N.C. Memorials may be made to St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 7404 Killarney, Wichita, KS 67206.

Lois Mae Bergerhouse, 94, former WSU cafeteria employee, died Jan. 28 in Andover. Services have been held. She was preceded in death by her parents, Archie and Winifred (Ferris) Troyer; her husband, Wayne; and sisters Delores Krueger and Naomi Daharsh. Survivors include children Cynthia Gillett and Phillip Bergerhouse ; grandchildren, Dwayne Wilson, Michael Wilson, Stephanie Murphy, Joshua Bergerhouse , Ian Bergerhouse and Cody Bergerhouse. Memorials may be made to Life Care Center of Andover, 621 W. 21st St., Andover, Kan.

Donald Morse Douglas, 88, associate professor emeritus, history, died Jan. 15 in Wichita. Services have been held. He is survived by his wife, Ada Glynn ("Lynn"); daughters, Sharon Lynn Douglas and Donna Christine Douglas; granddaughters Michelle Leigh Nielsen, Erika Lynn Douglas and Meredith Lynn Coughenour; great-grandchildren, Zak, Luke and Kate Nielsen; and brother Guy Barry Douglas and his wife, Pat. Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, the American Heart Association, Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice or Holocaust Commemoratives, in care of Congregation Emanu-El.

Cecilia Sanchez Epperson, 83, retired assistant librarian, died Feb. 11, 2013. Services have been held. She was preceded in death by her parents, Gregorio and Maria Sanchez. She is survived by her husband, Gene; children Rene Epperson, Mark Epperson and Diane Cole all of Wichita, and Alan Epperson of Ft. Worth, Texas; sisters Trini Sanchez of Wellington and Alejandra De La Torre of Los Angeles; grandchildren Jennifer, Laura, Justin, Kyle and Janel; great-grandson Taylor. Memorials may be sent to Hardin Hospice, 2622 W. Central, Wichita, KS 67203.

John C. Gries, 72, professor, geology, died Jan. 18 following a short illness. A celebration of life has been held. He was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Virginia Gries, and his brother Don. He is survived by his wife, Toni Willis-Jackman; his daughter, Lynn Gries of Tucson; his first wife and friend, Robbie Gries; sister-in-law, Neella Gries; and two nephews, Nathan and Mark. Memorials have been established at the Great Plains Transportation Museum, 700 E. Douglas Ave., Wichita, KS 67202, and the Wichita State University Foundation, 1845 Fairmount St., Wichita, KS 67260.

Harry Miller, 86, former Shocker basketball coach, died Feb. 13 in Nacogdoches, Texas. Services have been held. He is survived by his wife, Lanora (Tillie), and sons Bob and Tom of Nacogdoches, and Gary of Tyler. He is also survived by his son's wives, Ardan, Patty and Dorota; granddaughters, Claire Miller, Isabella and Sophie Miller; step-grandchildren Ember Ashby, Will Ashby and his wife, Anna; and three great-grandchildren, Bryana and Nolan Ashby, and Emerson Carden.

James M. Murphy, 90, professor emeritis, economics, banking and finance, died Feb. 10. Survivors include his children Michael J. (Arlyn) Murphy of Lubbock, Texas, Dennis J. (Beth) Murphy of Tulsa, Okla., Susan E. (Steve) Pattison of Broken Arrow, Okla., John M. (Noreen) Murphy of Beaverton, Ore., and David K. Murphy of Austin, Texas. Private services will be held in Oklahoma at a later date. Donations may be made to the Dr. James M. Murphy Endowed Fellowship, c/o WSU Foundation, 1845 N. Fairmount, Box 2, Wichita, KS 67260-0002.

William M. Perel, 85, retired former chair, mathematics, died Jan. 20 in Stillwater, Okla. Services have been held. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister Ada Gaskill; and daughter Cathy Perel. He is survived by his wife, Tula Perel of Stillwater; daughters Elizabeth (Dwayne) Deckard and Shirley (Tod) King, all of Wichita; stepchildren Teresa (John) Petersen of Pawnee, Okla., Lenora (Larry) Rawdon of Wellston, Okla., Dan (Pam) Ripley of Pawnee, Okla., and Susan (Paul) Hartle of Plano, Texas; four grandchildren; nine step-grandchildren; and 14 step-great grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the Parkinson's Foundation of Oklahoma, 720 W. Wilshire, Suite 101H, Oklahoma City, OK 73116 or the First Baptist Church, 720 6th St., Pawnee, OK 74058.

William H. "Bill" Smith, 73, retired 30-year administrator, Rhatigan Student Center, died Feb. 20 in Wichita. Services have been held. He was preceded in death by his parents, William A. and Mary Olive Smith; and brother Garel Smith. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Smith; sons Michael (Stephanie) of Maple Grove, Minn., Stephen (Michelle) of Derby and Jeffrey (Melissa) Smith of Derby; 11 grandchildren; sister Betty Jo McWhorter of Atlanta, Ga.; several nieces and nephews. Memorials may be made to Shocker Bowling Fund in care of the WSU Foundation, 1845 N. Fairmount, Wichita, KS 67260-0002.

Regis Lenora Welch, 82, former instructor, English/linguistics, died Jan. 13 in Sherman, Texas. Services have been held. She was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas Francis and Cecilia Ellen Flynn Downey; her husband, John William; brother Paul; and sister Margaret Ernestine Archer. She is survived by son Matthew Welch of San Francisco, Calif.; brother-in-law Charles T. Welch of Huntsville, Ala.; nieces Sheila Archer Carter and Laura Welch Gilley; nephew Thomas Welch; and great friends and caretakers Kyle and Mary Payne. Donations can be made to St. Elizabeth Scholarship Fund, St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, 916 Maple St., Bonham, TX 75418.

Milan Zivanovic, 99, instructor, broadcasting and film, died Jan. 23, at home in Kansas City. He was preceded in death by his brother Dragan; mother, Olga, and father, Dusan. He is survived by his wife, Judith; brothers-in-law Tom (Vicki) Goergen and Lee Goergen; sister-in-law Pam Stucke; five nephews; and several grand-nieces and nephews.

WSU grad Super Bowl bound as PR manager for 49ers

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 10:00:00 CST

Among the chaos that is New Orleans days before Super Bowl XLVII could be found Dan Beckler sporting the black and gold of Wichita State, iPad in hand as he caught parts of the Shockers' men's basketball game against Indiana State on Tuesday.

"I absolutely loved going to Wichita State. Definitely spread the Shocker pride," Beckler said. "Was disappointed we lost. We'll bounce back."

Beckler graduated from WSU in 2009 with a master's in sport management, where he also spent time in the athletic department working in media relations for basketball and baseball.

Now he finds himself in the Big Easy with his current employer, the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League, where he serves as the team's coordinator of public relations.

Read full story

WSU grads lead state universities in finding employment in Kansas

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 09:40:00 CST

Wichita State University had the highest rate among state universities with 73.6 percent of its graduates gaining employment in Kansas one year after graduation, according to data on post-graduation employment in Kansas for graduates between 2007 and 2009.

Using graduation data from the Kansas Board of Regents and employment data from the Kansas Department of Labor, the analysis shows nearly 74 percent of Kansas residents who graduated from one of the 32 public higher education institutions were employed in Kansas one year after graduation.

Wichita State topped the list of state universities in the study for graduates gaining employment in Kansas one year after graduation, followed by Emporia State University at 71.7 percent, Fort Hays State University at 66.6 percent, Pittsburg State University at 57.4 percent, Kansas State University at 54.2 percent and the University of Kansas at 47.2 percent.

One factor leading to the higher employment rate for WSU graduates is the focus by Wichita State to help students gain work experience in their degree field before graduation.

"Research conducted by our office indicates that over the past five years an average of 91 percent of graduates who completed a co-op or internship through our office are working in Kansas," said Connie Dietz, director of WSU's Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning. "Our research further indicates for the same time period that 75.6 percent are employed in a job related to their major."

Bobby Gandu

National research indicates that outcomes and job placement are central factors in the college search process, according to Bobby Gandu, director of undergraduate admissions.

"Students and parents want to know what their educational investment and experience will yield and numbers like these provide a great reason why Wichita State should be on the short list of every student in Kansas," said Gandu.

"The jobs of today and the future require a college education," said Andy Tompkins, president and CEO of the Kansas Board of Regents. "By the end of the decade, more than 60 percent of Kansas jobs will require some level of higher education attainment. By meeting the needs of Kansas employers through highly skilled graduates, higher education supports economic development and offers a sound return on state investment."

Newton official credits WSU internship experience with success

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 15:18:00 CST

Lunda Asmani

Lunda Asmani has traveled a long way to get to his job as assistant city manager and chief financial officer for the city of Newton.

Asmani, who earned a master's in public administration from Wichita State University in 2002, is originally from Tanzania, East Africa. He grew up in a diplomatic family and was able to travel all over the world as a child.

Despite those advantages, Asmani credits his on-the-job training as a WSU student with his ability to land a successful job.

While at WSU's Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs, Asmani connected with the university's Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning program. That connection helped him score two valuable internships: first for the city of Maize and then for the Sedgwick County manager's office.

He was employed full-time as soon as he graduated.

"I truly believe that my WSU co-op experience bolstered my resume and gave me a leg up on the competition," Asmani said.

Workplace study

Asmani took the long route to Kansas. From Tanzania, he came to New York City for first grade. Then he moved to Brussels, Belgium, for most of middle school and high school. He went back to Tanzania, where he completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Dar Es Salaam.

Hoping for a career in environmental studies, Asmani moved to Wichita in the summer of 1998 and began his Master of Public Administration at WSU in spring 1999.

When he first arrived at Wichita State, Asmani contacted Daisy Kabagarama in the School of Community Affairs. She referred him to Sam Yeager at the Hugo Wall School, and, after a brief discussion, Asmani decided public administration was his future.

"As I went through the Master of Public Administration program, my passion for local government grew," he said. "Although I had lived in the United States for a number of years, I continued to be intrigued about the democratic process and the role of local governments in everyday lives. I realized that to gain a better understanding of the profession and process I needed some sort of workplace study."

That desire led to his internships for the city of Maize, where Asmani worked on the city's comprehensive plan for 30 hours a week for six months.

"This was my first real exposure to local government, and the best part is I was also getting paid," Asmani said.

In the summer of 2001, he began a management internship in the Sedgwick County manager's office. Asmani said the county internship is one of the most respected public management internships in the region, and it set him up for his first real job after he graduated, working there for nine years in finance and enterprise planning.

In 2010, Asmani took his current job in Newton, where his responsibilities include investments, budgeting, risk management, accounting and oversight of the human resource functions.

Along with his work in Newton, Asmani has served on several area boards, is involved with the Kansas City/County Managers Association and serves as vice president of the Kansas Government Finance Officers Association.

He has been recognized with the De Vore Foundation's 2010 Excellence in Public Service Award and was named a 2011 Wichita Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree.

Four internships prepared comm grad for his career

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 12:38:00 CST

UiSan Cheah learned about Wichita State University as a college student in his native Malaysia. Some of his friends attended WSU and had good things to say. Looking for new opportunities, he decided to follow suit. In 2006, Cheah moved to the United States and settled in as a communication major at WSU.

He initially tried his hand at advertising copywriting because he enjoys the process of creative writing. But, Cheah said, as he progressed through the Elliott School of Communication's program, he realized he wanted a career in marketing communication.

"I still enjoy the writing process, but I also like the process of developing various marketing communication programs," Cheah said. "It's an opportunity to learn more and diversify."

While Cheah worked toward his degree, he also took advantage of on-the-job experience through WSU's Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning program.

Those opportunities helped Cheah stand out when it came time to pass resumes around and look for a job.

"I definitely would not have been as successful, because I've been told many times by recruiters and managers that they like seeing potential candidates with some real-world experience," he said. "Some have said that they will not even consider an applicant that has never had an internship. It just shows that you're prepared to enter the professional world and have had the opportunity to apply some of the knowledge and skills you learn while at school."

Cheah, who graduated with a bachelor's in Integrated Marketing Communication in 2008 and an MBA in 2012, now works as marketing assistant for Dave's Gourmet Inc., a specialty food company based in San Francisco.

Making the most of college

While at WSU, Cheah received four internships, giving him a range of experience.

During his undergraduate studies, he interned at Momentum Marketing & Design and Ronald McDonald House Charities. Once he began pursuing his master's, Cheah was offered an internship at the Human Rights Campaign in Washington, D.C. After that was over, he returned to Wichita to intern at the Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation.

"The internships were really helpful as they prepared me for what to expect from a professional environment, not only with the different responsibilities and expectations but also the types of people and personalities that I might encounter," Cheah said.

Now as marketing assistant at Dave's, Cheah reports directly to the company founder, and his responsibilities include information research, executing various marketing communication programs, and tracking the company's promotional efforts. As a fun bonus, he gets to taste test potential sauces and food that the research and development chef comes up with.

Cheah said he wouldn't be where he is today without his time at Wichita State and, for him, that included more than just work experience. He also volunteered for the Student Activities Council, planning events for WSU and the Wichita community.

And during his final semester in the MBA program, Cheah participated in the Berlin Experience, a program that lets MBA students work as a team with students from Berlin, Germany.

"I had a wonderful time traveling with other students in the class, meeting new people, and visiting Berlin. These were some of my best memories at WSU," Cheah said. "I am thankful for all the opportunities that were available at WSU, and I believe I made the most out of my college experience."

WSU co-op paved the way for grad's new career

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 12:37:00 CST

Andrea Denton had already finished active duty in the Marine Corps and was working full time in the legal field when she decided to make an abrupt change.

At 24 years old and married with a little girl, Denton quit her job and enrolled at Wichita State University.

"While working as a receptionist at a law firm, I met the wife of one of the attorneys, who was a reporter for KAKE-TV," she said. "I had never even thought of becoming a reporter, but meeting her made me realize that I had always loved the news, and this is exactly the area I was interested in pursuing."

Denton, a New York native, said she looked into Wichita State and realized it had a great communication program. With bills to pay while she pursued her degree, Denton quickly took advantage of Wichita State's Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning Program.

"While at WSU, I was very lucky in taking part in several co-op experiences," she said. "I had quit my full-time job, and it worked out well that I was able to continue to earn an income, getting experience in the field I was pursuing, while going to school full time."

Transferable skills

Denton worked briefly for a news and sports update company, writing short news or sports clips and then voicing them in a small recording booth.

After doing that for one semester, she was offered another co-op job at KAKE-TV running the camera during newscasts. Before long, Denton was offered an associate producer position at the station.

"One thing led to another, and I was producing my own show even prior to graduation," she said. "I didn't sleep for months. These jobs were instrumental to my career. Obviously, it offered me an opportunity to work in my field even prior to graduation."

After graduation in 2000, Denton continued to work at KAKE for a few months, when she was offered a producer position at a larger market, WAVY-TV in Portsmouth, Va.

Four years into her news career, Denton started looking in another direction. She had two children now, and the hours and stress of the job made family life difficult.

But her news background didn't go to waste. She went to work for a government contract called USIS as an investigator. She did that for several years, moving into management positions and doing work in the operations department, running several programs. She has also worked on several internal newsletters and is editor for the newsletter for the overall Investigative Services division.

"My skills in communication have served me well in this company," Denton said.

Denton said she enjoyed her time at Wichita State and that the Elliott School of Communication was just the right balance of size and experience.

"The staff truly cared about the success of each and every student, and that definitely made the difference in my success of being a full-time student, employee and mom."

And she credits her co-op experiences with shaping the career she has today.

"I don't think there is any way I would have been so successful so quickly without the opportunities offered through WSU's co-op program," Denton said.

Internship helps WSU business graduate land marketing job

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:22:00 CST

Seth Rongkawit

Seth Rongkawit knows he was fortunate to land a job in his desired career field right after college. Two things that helped him were real-world experiences he received as a student and his involvement in campus activities at Wichita State.

Rongkawit, who graduated from WSU in May 2012 with a business administration degree, majored in entrepreneurship and marketing, with a minor in management.

Upon graduation, he was hired as director of marketing at Specs Eyewear in Wichita, where he is responsible for print advertising, social media, promotional items, brand management, design administration and donations.

"Every day brings something new," said Rongkawit. "I help make big decisions that can directly affect the company."

As a WSU student, Rongkawit was a student brand manager for Red Bull North America. In the internship position, he worked with professionals from across the country and built relationships with local companies in Red Bull's distribution channel.

"My experience working for Red Bull helped give validity to the things I claimed I could bring to the table with the new position at Specs," he said. "I had a track record of success that led to a vote of confidence with the owners."

Involvement and experience
Rongkawit said that, because of WSU's urban setting, students have many opportunities to gain work experience in any career field.

"Being in a bigger city allowed me to work in a market that is larger than other college towns," he said. "I was able to learn a lot because of this."

In addition to his internship with Red Bull, Rongkawit also was involved in campus organizations and activities, such as Phi Delta Theta fraternity and Student Government Association, and was a new-student orientation leader.

"Join a student organization or get some like-minded friends together and start your own," he said. "It's not hard and will be worth so much once you have that degree in your hands."

Rongkawit said that in any career employers value people who have experience being part of a team, taking direction from superiors, settings goals and achieving desired outcomes.

"I would stress to any college student, freshman or senior, that being actively involved is just as important for your future as your classes," he said. "Experience isn't just in a job or office; it's gained through professional human interaction."

Education grad credits co-op opportunity with career success

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 15:35:00 CST

Kayla Conely

Kayla Conely said she owes her career to the opportunities she received at Wichita State.

Conely graduated in May 2012 with a bachelor's in education and an emphasis in speech and theater. She learned a lot inside the classroom, but it was her time spent away from school as a co-op student for three semesters at Wichita High School South that gave her the real-life experience necessary to get a job straight out of college.

Her hard work paid off, and Conely is now an English teacher at South and has also become licensed to teach speech and theater.

"I am so glad I chose to do co-op," she said. "In fact, I'm sure I wouldn't have the job I have now if it weren't for my experience here at South doing co-op while in school."

Conely also points to the fact that getting that co-op position allowed her to make a name for herself and stand out from the competition.

"I met the principal and got to know many teachers here at South, and that helped when it came time for me to interview for a teaching position," she said.

Making local connections

Conely, 24, has always wanted to be a teacher and got involved with WSU's Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning Program to see how she could become one.

She was paired with a teacher, Cathy Mong, at South High and began working as a para-educator for the Future Educators of America club. Along with working with high school students who also wanted to become teachers, Conely was able to learn the skills she needed for classroom management, lesson planning, behavior techniques and building student relationships.

"I got to learn things specific to this district – things that are too specific to be taught in the education classes, like the online grading system they use and the online substitute finder they use," she said. "Learning that was invaluable."

Conely said when talking to high schoolers, she encourages them to attend college closest to where they want to eventually work.

"If you go to Wichita state, you network with people in Wichita. If you go to K-State or KU and you network with people in Manhattan or Lawrence, then when the time comes for you to move back home and get a job here in Wichita, you find yourself in a world with no associates or colleagues," she said. "Going to WSU gave me an awesome network of people that eventually helped me get my job. Not only that, I am working with former classmates, even. So it's nice to have that already established sense of camaraderie. I'm so proud to call myself a Shocker alum."

Marketing grad says WSU helped her stand out among the rest

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 13:44:00 CST

Like many Wichita State students who got internships through the university's Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning program, Olga Khakova had a job offer as soon as she graduated in 2011.

Actually, she had two.

Khakova, a native of Ukraine who moved to the United States at age 12, was a marketing intern at WSU's Rhatigan Student Center (RSC) and a Safety Standdown intern for flight operations at Bombardier Aerospace. All this while earning her marketing degree.

After fourteen months at Bombardier, she was able to make the connections that led to full-time job offers with Bombardier Transportation in New York and Bombardier Aerospace in Wichita. The job in Wichita allowed her to choose a career path in event planning and marketing, her true passion.

"The real-world experience was crucial in securing a full-time job," Khakova said. "Today, employers are more selective and have more choices when it comes to the finding candidates for open positions. The real-life leadership experience can be the difference between whether you receive the job or not. I am grateful WSU equipped me with dynamic, professional experience which made me stand out during interviews."

Internships equal advantage

Khakova, who lived in California, Alaska, Montana and Arkansas before moving to Wichita to attend WSU, has the opportunity to work with senior-level Bombardier management, aviation celebrities and Bombardier employees from around the world in her position as event coordinator.

She helps coordinate all logistics, planning and execution of Safety Standdown seminars throughout the world.

Before Khakova started interning at Bombardier, she helped organize events within the Greek system and for campus business groups at the RSC. She said that job allowed her to test out the roles and tasks she enjoyed best.

Involvement in numerous leadership opportunities within student groups further developed her desire to have a career in marketing and event planning.

One of the biggest benefits Khakova received from her affiliation with the co-op office and her resulting internships was confidence in the education she had received at WSU.

The overall experience both in and out of the classroom gave her a competitive edge.

"WSU gave me the foundation to bring value and fresh perspective to the professional work environment," she said. "A combination of teachings from brilliant and supportive professors, leadership positions in student groups and internships gave me an advantage over students who graduated from schools which did not provide such opportunities."

Khakova said her experience isn't unique.

"We recently interviewed and hired another intern from WSU for the intern position which I held before my full-time offer," she said.

'Indispensable' experience led grad to fulfilling career

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 10:23:00 CST

If Joel Escarpita could tell current Wichita State students one thing, it would be to take action for their future.

It's what he did. Within two weeks of starting as a freshman art education major at WSU, Escarpita was already exploring his options for internships and other experience-based learning opportunities to increase his odds of getting a job upon graduation.

Through the Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning program, Escarpita was able to work as a paraprofessional educator in three different Wichita schools – all while still a college student.

Escarpita, 24, graduated in May 2011 and now works at John Marshall Middle School as an art teacher, cross country coach, and track and field coach.

In just his first year, he has already been nominated for a Good Apple Award by the school's principal.

"My first year was a tremendous success," Escarpita said. "I definitely do not think I would have been able to fulfill my career responsibilities with ease if I had not spent three years enhancing my skills and building my repertoire as an educator through my diverse co-op experiences."

Interactive experience

Escarpita was born in Los Angeles, moving to Chicago at age 9. He moved to Wichita to attend Wichita State.

"I considered myself one of the lucky college students because I knew exactly what career I wanted to pursue well before graduating high school," he said.

Escarpita was an intern for three years at Washington Elementary, Hadley Middle School and Blackbear Bosin Academy.

He worked with students on an individual level, worked with small groups, co-taught, developed his own lessons and taught some classes entirely on his own.

He had the opportunity to work as a Spanish interpreter for parent-teacher conferences and also volunteered to help with some after-school activities.

Through those internships, Escarpita got a good feel for how to teach a variety of disciplines and how to be an integral part of the educational team.

"My internships played a vital role in preparing me for my current career by providing me with things that my university classes alone could not have given me," he said. "They gave me the adequate interactive experience I needed to become a competent teacher."

After his internships, Escarpita student taught at Horace Mann Dual Language Magnet and North High School. He was beyond prepared for the transition.

"When the time to begin my student teaching did come I felt truly ready to take on that challenge," he said. "I felt very confident and well prepared for working with large groups of students. Everything I needed to do for my student teaching I had already done at least once."

Escarpita calls WSU's co-op program one of the most indispensable services available to students.

"To this day I recommend my friends in college take a visit to the co-op office so they can take action and be a part of something that will surely benefit them in the future.

WSU grad took full advantage of co-op experience

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 13:45:00 CST

Abhishek Bajaj

Abhishek Bajaj wasted no time as a student at Wichita State University. While undertaking a full load with a major in finance and a minor in economics, Bajaj worked for seven semesters as a pricing intern at LSI Corp. in Wichita.

The Bangalore, India, native graduated in 2011 and was offered a full-time position at MGP Ingredients Inc. in Atchison, Kan., as a business analyst for the sales and marketing department.

Bajaj credits the opportunities afforded to him by WSU's Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning program – along with the strong education he received in the classroom – for his success.

"It was the most important and beneficial experience part of my undergraduate studies while at WSU," Bajaj said. "My internship experience made me confident and expanded my overall business knowledge by leaps and bounds."

Always a Shocker

Bajaj said when looking at colleges, Wichita State seemed to be a good fit because of small class sizes, allowing more valuable one-on-one time with teachers.

He was hoping to break into the financial services industry as an equities research analyst or financial adviser. His classes and co-op experience eventually led him in a different direction, helping clarify exactly the kind of career he wanted.

As business analyst at MGP, Bajaj initially worked with the vice president of the food production and alcohol distillery segments of the company. This past July, Bajaj was promoted and transferred to the finance department in Kansas City, reporting directly to the chief financial officer and the director of supply chain finance.

His new responsibilities include product costing, revenue assurance, auditing and other ad-hoc projects.

Bajaj said he wouldn't be where he is now without his time at WSU.

"I'd like to credit my experience and success to my internship experience, along with my two managers at LSI, because not only did they help me learn and grow along the way, they also gave me career advice and were very supportive, before and after graduation," he said. "Overall, WSU has been a great experience and I will always be a proud Shocker."

Lily Wu: Co-op opportunities gave her a leg up in her career

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 13:29:00 CST

KAKE-TV 10 reporter Lily Wu recently traveled to Washington, D.C., for the Miss United States pageant.

On this trip, however, Wu wasn't covering the story. She was part of it as the reigning Miss Kansas United States.

While she didn't win the national title, Wu, a 2007 double-major graduate from Wichita State with degrees in international business and integrated marketing communications, enjoyed it as another of the remarkable experiences she has pursued.

As a full-time reporter, she works on everything from general assignments and breaking news to feature stories.

She loves telling stories and giving people a voice so they can be heard.

Wu came to the United States from Guatemala at age 8. Even then, she wanted to be in television.

When she enrolled at WSU in 2003, she began working toward her business degree. Wu still felt the drive to explore her interests in television, though.

"The best part about being at WSU is you can do so many different things," Wu said.

The WSU advantage

Throughout her years at Wichita State, she continued developing business skills but at the same time still wanted to pursue journalism.

"I would say that is one of the best advantages to being at WSU. You can go and pursue your passions, and you can develop the skills to go and live out those dreams," Wu said.

After she began working toward her communication degree, Wu was mentored by Elliott School professor Les Anderson, who guided her while she completed her communications degree as well.

Anderson, who passed away last year, kept reminding Wu to live out her passions and that it was good to have and pursue dreams from both childhood and adulthood, even if they are different.

During her senior year, Wu applied for and won a Rotary scholarship to study abroad. She then pursued her master's in journalism at the University of Hong Kong.

Both Anderson and Elizabeth King, CEO and president of the WSU Foundation, encouraged her to pursue the scholarship.

Co-op opportunities

King describes Wu as a remarkable young woman. As a Gore Scholar and student leader, King said she demonstrated her unique talents and skills early during her time on campus.

Elizabeth King

"But as I have gotten to know her better, I have also learned of Lily's compassion, thoughtfulness and determination to improve the world around her. She will be a difference-maker in our community, and I am blessed to know her."

Wu believes that one of WSU's biggest strengths is the real-world experience available to the students. While at WSU, she had co-op positions at both Hayes Co. and Koch Industries, and said that having the opportunity to do internships and do co-ops while still in school is one of the best advantages about being at WSU.

At Hayes, which has operations in both Mexico and China, Wu worked in the international operations department where she saw firsthand how international business agreements and contracts really worked. She had a glimpse of what that world was like as a freshman.

"I think that it gives you a leg up when you are trying to pursue a career once you're out of school," Wu said. "Being at WSU, you've built those bonds throughout the years, so that gives you the advantage."