Wichita State News: College of Fine Arts

Education intern connects people to art at Ulrich Museum

Art history major Loryn Leonard interns with the Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University, nurturing her passion for art and education.

She began her college career in Texas as an art education major and was required to take a three-dimensional studio art class.

"I took metalsmithing and became riveted with it ever since," she said.

In metalsmithing, she worked with nonferrous metals such as copper, brass, silver and gold, and used traditional craftsman techniques to create contemporary art forms.

"Metalsmithing is an art form that is delicate and difficult," she said, "so if there is anything that I have gained, it is patience."

Leonard received her Bachelor of Fine Art in metalsmithing and jewelry from the University of North Texas in 2007.

Leonard is at WSU pursuing her second undergraduate degree in art history.

"I felt apprehensive about continuing my education in metalsmithing," she said. "Although (it) is my passion, I decided to focus on the academic side of the art spectrum."

She is trying to encompass the entire art history spectrum in her studies.

"Art history has always fascinated me," Leonard said. "I believe that art history is intertwined with a society's socio-cultural background."

But her favorite aspect is learning about the different methodologies in art, how they're applied to socio-cultural beliefs and how art is a reflection of those ideals.

"Researching artists that are new to me is like discovering an ancient relic," she said. "It's exciting to learn how the artist was influenced by his or her surroundings or how the art itself impacted their culture."

Leonard is also participating in a medieval and renaissance certificate program, which is similar to working on a thesis. She must research and present a topic to a board to receive her certification.

And she is trying to start a contemporary arts society for WSU students to raise awareness of current art events and to promote professional practice.

Leonard began an internship with the Ulrich Museum in July working with Aimee Geist, the curator of education and Teresa Veazey.

Her responsibilities include researching artists, guiding tours, advocating for student membership, assisting in education marketing and preparing museum events.

"Interns like Loryn are invaluable," Veazey said. "They're always willing to help out with museum tours, artists' lectures, opening parties, anything and everything that happens at the museum."

"My favorite part of my job, and I joke with (my boss) about this, is taking the golf cart out on errands," Leonard said.

But truthfully, Leonard said she enjoys leading tours and being the bridge from the art to the viewer.

Interning with the Ulrich Museum will prepare her well for a future career coordinating the education department of a museum.

"Being an education intern has provided me with invaluable experiences," she said. "I get a behind the scenes glance at the internal clockwork of a museum."

The education curator takes an exhibition and creates various activities and events that comply with the art, she said, essentially connecting people with art.

"Loryn wants to work in an art museum when she graduates from WSU, and nothing will look better on her resume than a year's experience working at the Ulrich," Veazey said.

After she receives her undergraduate degree, Leonard plans to attend graduate school in 2011, write books about her research and possibly teach art history in the process.

In her spare time, she reads and continues to work on metalsmithing in her make-shift basement studio to keep her skills fine-tuned.

WSU College of Fine Arts has busy November planned

Roger Rees

A Wichita State University Connoisseur Series event, Roger Rees in "What You Will" is a one-man show that mixes the greatest soliloquies of William Shakespeare with comic accounts of stage disasters. Rees, a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company for 22 years, was also in "Cheers" (as Kirstie Alley's character's boyfriend, Robin).

Phillip Black, tuba, will perform the first Faculty Artist concert of the month, followed mid-month by faculty artist Scott Oakes, bassoon. Lynne Davis, organ, will perform for Wednesdays in Wiedemann and guest Anna Myeong will perform in the Rie Bloomfield Organ Series. The month in music also includes showcase concerts for Jazz Arts, Concert Band, Concert Chorale and the Percussion Ensemble.

The Kansas Dance Festival always ranks highly among November's most stellar events. This year's show follows on the heels of dance director Nick Johnson and instructor Sabrina Vasquez taking, by special invitation, their Alithea Mime Theatre troupe to the International Mime Festival in Warsaw, Poland.

The School of Performing Arts will also present "The Burning Room," winner of WSU's Playwriting Competition, and Mozart's "Cosi fan tutte."

Tickets can be purchased in person or by phone from noon-5 p.m. Monday-Friday at the College of Fine Arts Box Office, (316) 978-3233.

Concert: Phillip Black, tuba, WSU Faculty Artist Series, 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, Wiedemann Recital Hall. Tickets $7, discounts available. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Concert: Lynne Davis, organist, Wednesdays in Wiedemann, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, Wiedemann Recital Hall. Free half-hour concert. Information, (316) 978-6218.

Dance: Kansas Dance Festival, WSU School of Performing Arts, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, and Saturday, Nov. 7, Miller Concert Hall, Duerksen Fine Arts Center. Tickets $10, discounts available. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Concert: WSU Jazz Arts I and Mid-Kansas Jazz Ensemble, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, Miller Concert Hall, Duerksen Fine Arts Center. Tickets $7, discounts available. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Concert: Anna Myeong, organist, WSU Rie Bloomfield Organ Series, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, Wiedemann Recital Hall. Tickets $10, discounts available. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Theater: "The Burning Room," WSU Second Stage, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 11-Nov. 14; 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 14-15; Welsbacher Theatre, Hughes Metropolitan Complex, 5915 E. 29th St. N. Tickets $10, discounts available. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Concert: WSU Concert Chorale, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, Wiedemann Recital Hall. Tickets $7, discounts available. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Concert: Scott Oakes, bassoon, WSU Faculty Artist Series, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, Wiedemann Recital Hall. Tickets $7, discounts available. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Lecture: Tom Huck, artist's talk, "Rural Satire and Graphic Terror," 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, Ulrich Museum of Art, WSU campus. Free. "Snacktime Marcy" on exhibit through December. Gallery hours 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 1-5 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays. Information, (316) 978-3664.

Theater: Roger Rees in "What You Will," WSU Connoisseur Series, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, Wilner Auditorium. Tickets $20, discounts available. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Opera: "Cosi fan tutte," WSU Opera and Musical Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19-Saturday, Nov. 21; 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, Wilner Auditorium. Tickets $16, discounts available. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

WSU Percussion Ensemble Concert, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 23, Miller Concert Hall, Duerksen Fine Arts Center, WSU. Tickets $7, discounts available. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

WSU's 'Cosi fan tutte' a comic tale of love and faithfulness

Wichita State University's Opera and Musical Theatre Series will present "Cosi fan tutte" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 19-21, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, in Miller Concert Hall.

The opera, by W.A. Mozart and L. Da Ponte, will be presented in Italian with English titles. "Cosi fan tutte" translates to "They All Do It."

Can women be faithful? That's the question posed by the greatest writing team of the 18th century. Two young soldiers are convinced their girlfriends are incapable of fidelity. Their cynical older friend maintains that "they all do it." The witty, sophisticated comedy, subtitled "The School for Lovers," features Mozart's melting melodies and Da Ponte's enlightened script.

The plot centers around a wager: The young soldiers bet their older friend that their sweethearts will remain faithful to them, even if they are called off to war. To test the girls, they fake a departure but return disguised as "Albanians." The bogus foreigners proceed to court the girls, who at first reject them. But spurred on by their misogynistic maid, the girls eventually agree to a date. Confusion, jealousy, forgiveness and, finally, wisdom result.

The opera's six characters are played by WSU graduate and undergraduate students sharing the roles, and Opera Kansas artistic director Edward Ehinger as the cynical Don Alfonso. Mark Laycock conducts the WSU Symphony.

Marie Allyn King

Lighting is by David Neville, and costumes by Rebecca Maholland. Marie Allyn King directs; musical preparation is by Robert Glasmann.

Fiordiligi will be portrayed by Jessica Walkup/Cearria Turner; Dorabella by Danielle Rohr/Erin Mundus; Despina by Leanne Scaggs/Meghan Zuver; Ferrando by Theodore Dvorak/Aaron Short; Guglielmo by Kyle D. Wheatley/Matthan Black; and Don Alfonso by Ehinger/Yung Jin Lai.

The first cast member listed after the character will perform Nov. 19 and Nov. 21; the second cast member listed will perform Nov. 20 and Nov. 22.

National Opera Week

Wichita State University is participating in a nationwide celebration of the thrilling art form that is opera. Professional companies, community groups and university programs are all helping to spotlight operatic activities. WSU's production of "Cosi fan tutte" is part of this new initiative.

Opera Talks

Ticket holders are invited to join Marie Allyn King, director of WSU Opera and Musical Theatre, 30 minutes prior to each performance for an informal and entertaining talk about the history of the opera, the plot and musical structure, composer and librettist. Opera Talks take place in Miller Concert Hall.

Technical theater major chose to work backstage rather than perform

Brandon Holmes spent his summer backstage at Music Theatre of Wichita managing the stage for the company's productions.

Holmes performed in musicals and theater in high school and his community, but at Wichita State University he chose a different path.

"I knew that I wanted to stick with theater because that is what I knew a great deal about," he said. "But I didn't want to perform anymore."

Instead, Holmes chose a field with "great demand for people and great opportunities to do amazing things."

Holmes is a senior in technical theater and design at WSU's College of Fine Arts.

Most of his career at WSU has been influenced by stage management, which is what he wants to do when he graduates. But he can also be seen working on the set.

Holmes said he enjoys seeing a show be built from its feet upward.

"You literally get to see the building blocks of the show and, when all the elements come together, it is such a rewarding feeling," he said.

Holmes spends hours every day working on a show, whether it's paperwork, organizing or being onstage.

"My major (has) a lot of hands-on work," he said. "You have to design something that fits with all elements of theater: costume, lighting, set, props, whatever. You have to find some way to tell the audience about the story from your side without confusing them."

But there are drawbacks to working behind the scenes instead of on center stage.

Holmes grew up as a performer, and the audience was able to see him after the show or at curtain call to applaud his performance.

"But being backstage, no one in the audience knows who you are or the work that you have done for this show to run so well," he said. "But it is still a great feeling to see the audience standing at the end of a show that you have helped put together."

Holmes' management experience started in high school at Shawnee Mission South, but most of his knowledge comes from WSU.

A stage manager keeps the cast and design team informed about the show so once technical rehearsals and performances are under way, everyone is on the same page, he said.

Stage managers call light cues, sound cues and scene shifts. They also make sure everything happens in the way it needs to happen.

David Neville, assistant professor and scenic light designer for WSU's College of Fine Arts, said Holmes was not a bossy stage manager, but he also wasn't a pushover.

"He's got a good head on his shoulders," Neville said. "He's organized. He's smart."

Holmes was assistant stage manager for "The Wild Party" and stage manager for "Medea," "Greater Tuna," "Lady, Be Good!" and "Waltzing in Heaven."

He began working at Music Theatre of Wichita in the summer of 2008. He worked there again last summer.

"It is a summer employment kind of situation, so you don't really know if you will be there until the next year," he said.

He was responsible for taking care and keeping track of props, organizing prop placement and completing theater paperwork. He also made sure scene changes occurred correctly.

He was assistant stage manager for many shows at MTW including "My Fair Lady," "Miss Saigon" and "The Producers."

"'Producers' was fun just because it was a very large show with a lot of fun elements," he said, including the dancing Nazi puppets.

In "Miss Saigon," a Cadillac and a helicopter made stage appearances.

MTW does Broadway-quality shows with real professionals, Holmes said.

"A lot of the people you see in the shows there have been seen and will be seen on Broadway," he said.

As soon as he graduates, Holmes wants to join a touring company of a show.

"I want to be a stage manager because I like to be in charge and physically involved in the running of a show," he said.

WSU Concert Chorale to feature harpist, tenor

The Wichita State University Concert Chorale with harpist Ann Glasmann and tenor soloist Aaron Short will perform a variety of choral works at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, in Wiedemann Recital Hall.

A highlight of the concert will be Benjamin Britten's "Choral Dances from Gloriana," which appear in the composer's opera. The 15-minute work will feature Ann Glasmann, instructor of applied harp at WSU. Glasmann is in her 21st year of teaching at Wichita State University.

Also featured is tenor soloist Aaron Short, a senior vocal performance major who recently was awarded "Singer of the Year" by the West Central region of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.

The program will also include works by Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and contemporary composers, including Sweelinck, Debussy, Mellnas, Purcell, Haydn and Mendelssohn. The program will conclude with two spirituals, "Deep River" and "Great Day."

Concert Chorale has been conducted since 1987 by Robert Glasmann, associate professor of choral music and opera at WSU.

Glasmann also serves as artistic director and conductor of the Wichita Chamber Chorale. He also conducts the adult choir at St. James Episcopal Church.

WSU's Second Stage presents 'The Burning Room'

"The Burning Room," written by Darrel A. Holnes and winner of Wichita State University's 2009 New Playwright Competition, will be presented by the School of Performing Arts Second Stage Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 11-14, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 14-15, in the Welsbacher Theatre in the Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex at 5015 E. 29th St. N.

"The Burning Room" explores the relationships between men and women, Latino culture and spirituality.

Isabel, a Columbian immigrant, is enjoying her new life in America. As she and her Mexican American boyfriend Pedro celebrate his sister Carla's birthday, Isabel gets the shock of her life when she is visited by her "cousin" Mario and the life she thought she left behind in Medellin. Isabel's real past life starts to be revealed to Pedro, a Houston cop. Pedro, along with Carla's husband, Raul, who is also a Houston cop, begin to investigate Mario. What Pedro and Raul encounter on their journey is a supernatural twist they didn't bargain for.

"The Burning Room" features WSU students Esmeralda Carlos Banuelos, Ashley Cravens, Nick Smith, Raul Herrera, Josh Zavella, Heather Miller, Lauren Rust, Marius Ausbee and Cristina Hink.

It is directed by WSU Theatre major Paula Makar. Design team includes student designers Tyler Lessin (sets), Kevin Sagamang (lights), Ashley Hibler (costumes), and Kenton D. Elworth (props).

For information, contact the College of Fine Arts Box Office at (316) 978-3233.

WSU playing leading role in 'Mikado'

It's a busy time at the School of Music at Wichita State University.

Mark Laycock, director of orchestras, will conduct the school's production of Mozart's "Cosi fan Tutte" in Miller Concert Hall in three weeks, then turn around and lead Menotti's "Amahl and the Night Visitors" with Opera Kansas on Thanksgiving weekend.

Paul Brodene Smith, assistant professor of voice at WSU, will spend the coming days helping young singers prepare for debuts in the upcoming shows.

Across the street in Jardine Hall, Rodney Miller, dean of the College of Fine Arts, will toil at administrative duties, office work necessary to keep the School of Music and other departments running.

All three educators, though, will step away from their daily routines to work on an off-campus project — Wichita Grand Opera's production of "The Mikado."

Gilbert & Sullivan's frothy comic opera will be presented next weekend. Laycock, Smith and Miller will play significant roles in the production.

Read full story.

WSU Madrigal, Chamber Singers to appeal to 'inner child'

The Wichita State University School of Music will present "Songs for the Inner Child," featuring the WSU Madrigal Singers and Chamber Singers, with guest choir the Wichita West High School Madrigal Singers, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, in Wiedemann Recital Hall.

Tom Wine

The Madrigal Singers, directed by Tom Wine, will open their program with a charming piece titled "Children's Letters to God," based on actual letters from kindergarten students. The concert includes a wide variety of children's nursery rhymes that are set with contemporary jazz harmonies.

"The melodies will bring back childhood memories," said Wine, "while the accompaniment will challenge the listener to enjoy these tunes at a new level of complexity and sophistication."

Also on the concert is a setting of the e. e. cummings poem "in time of daffodils." The seemingly simple idea that a flower understands its need to grow, Wine said, is also a test for adults to live life to the fullest.

The Madrigals first sang the piece for the annual Oct. 2 WSU memorial of the 1970 football plane crash.

The Chamber Singers, Kyle Wheatley, director, will begin the concert with the beautiful Ave Verum Corpus. Using the childhood theme, the singers have a medley called "Birthdays: Round Numbers" in honor of those special celebrations that end in zero.

"It promises to be a musical Hallmark moment," said Wine.

The Wichita West High School Madrigal Singers, Matt Webber, director, will present music from a variety of historical styles.

For information, contact Wine at (316) 978-3103, or call the WSU College of Fine Arts Box Office at (316) 978-3233.

WSU Theatre to present classic Greek play 'Medea'

The classic Greek play "Medea" by Euripides will be presented by the Wichita State University School of Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22-Saturday, Oct. 24; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, in Wilner Auditorium.

"Medea" is often referred to as a timeless tale of ultimate retribution and offers this line, from Robinson Jeffers' adaptation of the play, describing the scorned Medea: "For she is not meek but fierce, and the daughter of a king. … She is learning what it is to be a foreigner, cast out, alone and despised."

Cast aside for another by the husband whose life she saved, Medea is the classic Greek tragedy of a woman driven to horrific revenge. Although written more than 2,000 years ago, her story of abandonment and the resulting atrocities could be ripped right out of today's headlines, according to Ed Baker, WSU technical director and assistant professor.

Jeffers' adaptation of "Medea," the first major American adaptation of the play, was written for Judith Anderson for her 1948 Broadway performance. It was subsequently used for the 1982 Broadway production starring Zoe Caldwell. Both actresses won the Tony Award for their portrayals of Medea.

A bonus talk-back event will be held on Oct. 22 immediately following the opening night's performance. The panel discussion will include ideas, concepts and the story of the play. Everyone is invited.

"Medea" stars students Kylie Jo Jennings in the title role of Medea; Sara Turner as Nurse; John Keckeisen as Jason; and, filling the other roles, Alex Johnson, Ashley Ulmer, Heather Miller, Chelsea Daniel, Chad Kimmons, Justin Wilson, Andrew Fayette, Sean Gestl, Ashley Cravens and Sarah Schwartz.

Bret Jones

"Medea" is directed by WSU Director of Theatre Bret Jones, with student designers Todd Mika (scenic), Brandon Cheney (lighting), Nick Smith (sound), A.J. Kellison (projections), and faculty designers Betty Monroe (costumes) and David Neville (projections).

For tickets, contact the College of Fine Arts Box Office at (316) 978-3233. General admission is $10 with discounts available. "Medea" is rated PG-13.

Piano performance, pedagogy planned for WSU guest artist

Linda Holzer

Linda Holzer, a professor of piano for the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, will perform a solo piano recital at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, in Wiedemann Recital Hall at Wichita State University. Admission is free.

The guest artist is an active soloist and chamber musician who could brighten the day of any audience, according to Sylvia Coats, piano professor for the WSU School of Music.

"There will be something for everyone," said Coats, citing "the Baroque majesty of Scarlatti and Bach, poetic masterpieces by Debussy, Chopin and Rachmaninoff" and a contemporary selection by award-winning Chinese composer Tan Dun, famous for his film score in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

Holzer also will give a lecture, "Pathways to Musical Entrepreneurship," at 2:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26, in B203 Duerksen Fine Arts Center.

Holzer has been heard in concert in more than 20 states, including at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and New York Public Radio Station WNYC-FM, as well as abroad at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Palffy Palace in Bratislava, Slovakia, and the Landstrasse Gymnasium in Vienna, Austria. She holds degrees in piano performance from Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Florida State University (Tallahassee, Fla).

She chairs the Committee on the Pedagogy Student for the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy and is an active member of the Network of Music Career Development Officers. She is featured on Podsafe Music Network, and is an active member of Chamber Music America, College Music Society and Music Teachers National Association. She was named College Teacher of the Year by the Arkansas State Music Teachers Association in 2001. Holzer presents workshops and master classes, and serves as an adjudicator at festivals and competitions. Next May she will travel to mainland China for concerts.

College of Fine Arts has busy October planned

Five youth outreach events, a stellar faculty duo and classic Greek theater are among offerings for October from the WSU College of Fine Arts.

Subscription series or individual tickets for Wichita State's 2008-2009 performing arts series can be purchased in person or by phone from noon-5 p.m. Monday-Friday at the College of Fine Arts Box Office, (316) 978-3233.

Youth Outreach: Heartland Choral Festival, WSU School of Music and Wichita Chamber Chorale, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2-Saturday, Oct. 3, Wiedemann Recital Hall. For more information about registration costs and schedule, go to www.wichita.edu/choirs.

Concert: Paul Brodene-Smith, tenor, Andy Trechak, piano, Faculty Artist Series, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, Wiedemann Recital Hall. Tickets $7, discounts available. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Lynne Davis

Concert: Lynne Davis, organist, Wednesdays in Wiedemann, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, Wiedemann Recital Hall. Free half-hour concert. Information, (316) 978-6218.

Youth Outreach: Winds and Percussion Auditions, WSU School of Music, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, Miller Concert Hall, Duerksen Fine Arts Center. To schedule an audition, call (316) 978-3103.

Lecture: Eric C. Shiner Curator Talk on Warhol, 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, 210 McKnight Art Center West, WSU campus. Free admission. The event is held in conjunction with "Snap: Andy Warhol Photographs, 1970-1987," on view at the Ulrich Museum of Art through Dec. 18. Gallery hours 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays. Information, (316) 978-3664.

Concert: WSU Symphonic Wind Ensemble, 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, Miller Concert Hall, Duerksen Fine Arts Center. Tickets $7, discounts available. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Concert: WSU Concert Band & Jazz Combos, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12, Miller Concert Hall, Duerksen Fine Arts Center. Tickets $7, discounts available. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Concert: Brian Campbell, organist, WSU Rie Bloomfield Organ Series, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, Wiedemann Recital Hall. Tickets $10, discounts available. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Youth Outreach: Middle School Band Day, WSU School of Music, Wednesday, Oct. 14, Miller Concert Hall. Information, Victor Markovich at (316) 978-6424 or victor.markovich@wichita.edu.

Concert: WSU Madrigal Singers and Chamber Choir, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, Wiedemann Recital Hall. Tickets $7, discounts available. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Theater: "Medea," WSU Mainstage Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22-Saturday, Oct. 24; 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, Wilner Auditorium. Cost: $10, discounts available. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Youth Outreach: High School String Day, WSU School of Music, 8 a.m. Friday, Oct. 23, Miller Concert Hall, Duerksen Fine Arts Center. Information, Jacquelyn Dillon at (316) 978-3359 or jacquelyn.dillon@wichita.edu.

Concert: Guest Artist Linda Holzer, pianist, 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, Wiedemann Recital Hall, WSU campus. Admission is free. Information, Sylvia Coats at (316) 978-6433 or sylvia.coats@wichita.edu.

Concert: WSU A Cappella Choir and Women's Ensemble, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, Wiedemann Recital Hall. Tickets $7, discounts available. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Concert: WSU Symphony Orchestra Halloween Pops, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, Miller Concert Hall, Duerksen Fine Arts Center. Tickets $7, discounts available. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Youth Outreach: Men's Choir Festival, WSU School of Music and Senseney Music, 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, Miller Concert Hall and Wiedemann Recital Hall with 3 p.m. concert on same day in Wiedemann. Free admission to concert. Information, Tom Wine at (316) 978-3103 or www.wichita.edu/choirs.

Exhibit: WSU School of Art & Design, 6-10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29, WSU Shift Space gallery, 803 E. Third St. in Old Town; normal gallery hours 4-7 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Free. Information, (316) 978-3518.

Memorial '70 documentary screening Oct. 1; observance Oct. 2

Wichita State University is hosting a sneak preview screening of the documentary "Black & Gold: Remembering the WSU Plane Crash" at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, in Miller Concert Hall, Duerksen Fine Arts Center.

This is a ticketed event. Tickets are free, but are required for a seat in the auditorium. Survivors, surviving family members and 1970 players have been invited to attend.

Tickets are available at the Fine Arts Box Office in Duerksen Fine Arts Center. Box office hours are noon-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. There is a limit of six tickets per person. Requests for more than six tickets should be directed to Carmen Hytche at (316) 978-3142 or carmen.hytche@wichita.edu.

The documentary is produced by KPTS Channel 8, the local public broadcasting station. For more information about the documentary and to see some of the content, photos and video clips, visit http://www.kpts.org/wsucrash.php.

In an annual ceremony of remembrance, a wreath will be placed at Wichita State's Memorial '70 at 9 a.m. Friday, Oct. 2. The brief ceremony will honor the 31 WSU football players, administrators and supporters who died in a plane crash Oct. 2, 1970. The plane crashed near Silver Plume, Colo., en route to a game with Utah State University in Logan, Utah.

The ceremony is open to the public. The Memorial '70 sculpture is located on Alumni Drive near 18th and Hillside.

WSU Symphony Orchestra to feature faculty soloists

Wichita State University flutist Frances Shelly and harpist Ann Glasmann will be the featured soloists in the season's first concert by the WSU Symphony Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, in Miller Concert Hall.

The program, which includes music by Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Michael Abels, will be led by Mark Laycock, WSU director of orchestras.

Frances Shelly

Shelly's performing career spans more than 35 years and includes solo, orchestral and chamber music concerts throughout the United States and Europe. She is principal flute of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, having appeared as featured soloist on several occasions.

Glasmann was spotlighted on the National Public Radio program Performance Today in a WSU recital honoring harpist Marcel Grandjany's centennial year of birth, 1991. A member of the WSU faculty since 1989, she has also served as principal harp of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra.

The two will perform Mozart's Concerto for Flute and Harp in C Major. Comte de Guines (1735-1806) commissioned the double concerto for himself and his daughter, a harpist to whom Mozart gave composition lessons. Thought to have been premiered in Paris in 1778, Laycock called the concerto a "dazzling, virtuosic showpiece for the two solo instruments."

The concert will also include Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, a monumental work unified by a haunting opening theme, at one time identified by the composer as a musical representation of Fate. This motto undergoes transformations, emerging in the finale as a triumphal march. Laycock said Tchaikovsky's lush orchestration and melodic invention are particularly evident in the inner movements: an exquisite andante and an elegant waltz.

Michael Abels' "Global Warming" will open the program. Composed in 1991 near the end of the Cold War, the piece is a musical salute to improved international relations. Abels employs elements of folk music, especially lilting melodies from Ireland and the Middle East, to create an exhilarating celebration of the similarities between musical cultures, said Laycock.

More about WSU Faculty Artists

The Washington Post recently described Shelly's playing as "powerful and evocative." Originally from Dearborn, Mich., she earned her bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in flute performance from the University of Michigan. After graduation she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study in West Berlin, Germany. While in Europe her teachers included James Galway, Jean-Pierre Rampal and Frans Vester.

Shelly performs extensively with the Lieurance Woodwind Quintet. With Steven Egler, professor of organ at Central Michigan University, she has commissioned and premiered several new works for flute and organ, and the Shelly/Egler Duo has performed throughout the U.S. Recordings of the duo and the quintet are on the Summit and Morning Star Record Labels. Other recent collaborations include an intercontinental tour with New York Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato.

Glasmann received her training at Bowling Green State University, where she studied with Ruth K. Inglefield. As the recipient of two Ruth Lorraine Close Fellowships, she spent three summers enrolled in the Cours d'été de Gargilesse, France, in advanced studies with Pierre Jamet. She participated in the eighth and ninth International Harp Competitions in Israel and at the first and second Concours International Marie-Antoinette Cazala in France. Glasmann has premiered several new works for harp and diverse instruments at WSU, including works by Dean Roush, Marilyn Shrude and Paul Elwood.

Laycock is an associate professor of music at WSU, where he holds the Ann Walenta Faculty of Distinction Endowed Professorship. In 2007, he was recognized with the College of Fine Arts Excellence in Teaching Award. This season, he will conduct the Wichita Grand Opera production of "The Mikado" as well as the February concert of the Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony Orchestra. His work as guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator spans 18 states, including the leadership of all-state orchestras in Alabama, Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska and Washington.

Tickets are available through the Fine Arts Box Office at 978-3233. The concert will also be simulcast on WSU Internet Radio at http://wsuir.wichita.edu.

WSU to present 'How to Succeed' with guest director

The School of Performing Arts at Wichita State University will present "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 24-26, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27, in Wilner Auditorium. The show will be directed by Music Theatre of Wichita Producing Artistic Director Wayne Bryan.

This Frank Loesser musical won seven Tony Awards when it opened on Broadway in 1961 and also was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for drama. A more recent revival featured Mathew Broderick in the leading role.

Smart and funny, "How to Succeed" satirizes big business, libidinous executives and corporate culture as depicted in the popular "Mad Men" television series. The musical comedy provides a hilarious antidote to the corporate shenanigans that have made the past year's news so depressing.

Set will be designed by David Neville, lights by Nick Smith, costumes by Betty Monroe, choreography by Amy Baker Schwiethal and music direction by Tom Wine.

The all-student cast stars Jacob January as J. Pierpont Finch, Janet Wiggens as Rosemary, John Keckeisen as J.P. Biggley, Daxton Bloomquist as Bud Frump, Lauren Rust as Hedy LaRue, and Miles Mattal as Wally Womper.

For ticket information, call the Fine Arts Box Office at (316) 978-3233.

This production is rated G. It was made possible, in part, by a gift from the Harold Hauck Guest Choreography Fund and the Brown Charitable Trust.

Faculty/staff news update, summer 2009

Faculty/staff news update, summer 2009

As the academy of faculty and the staff at Wichita State University engage in externally supported research, training and service activities consistent with the university's mission and vital to its growth, this column will recognize grants, honors, awards, presentations and publications, new appointments, new faculty, sabbaticals, retirements and the deaths of our current and former colleagues.

AWARDS, HONORS AND WSU GRANTS

Les Anderson

Les Anderson, professor, Elliott School of Communication, received the Kansas Press Association's Clyde M. Reed Jr. Master Editor Award. Anderson, former owner of The Ark Valley News in Valley Center, was recognized for a lifetime of contributions to the newspaper industry.

Ted Ayres, vice president and general counsel, attended the 56th Annual National Security Forum at the Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. During the week of May 18-22, about 130 civilian leaders in business, education and government met with senior military leaders to explore current and future national security issues facing the United States.

Albert Goldbarth, Adele Davis Distinguished Professor of Humanities, has been made an honorary member of Harvard's chapter of Phi Beta Kappa as part of providing this year's commencement poems for the chapter. Read the article and hear his speech at www.harvardmagazine.com.

Grady Landrum, director of disability services, qualified to play in the Wheelchair U.S. Open Tennis Tournament, Aug. 31-Sept. 6, in St. Louis.

Patricia McDonnell, director, Ulrich Museum of Art, has joined the board of directors for the College Arts Association, based in New York. The CAA boasts an international membership of 14,000 individuals and more than 2,000 institutions.

Cheryl Miller, assistant dean, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and David Kamerer, former visiting assistant professor, Elliott School of Communication, received first-place honors from the National Federation of Press Women 2009 Communications Contest. Sharon Iorio, dean of the College of Education, and Wilma Moore-Black, assistant director/curriculum coordinator, TRIO Communication Upward Bound, won third-place national awards, and Les Anderson, professor, Elliott School of Communication, received an honorable mention. NFPW will hold its awards banquet at the national conference Sept. 10-12 in San Antonio.

Michael Palmiotto, professor, School of Community Affairs, was awarded a May/June Fulbright Specialist Award to Serbia, where he lectured to University of Belgrade Law and Security faculty, met with American Embassy officials, traveled to Kragujevac for three lectures at the University of Kragujevac, and attended and presented a paper at an international police conference in Macedonia.

Rosalind Scudder, professor, Communication Sciences and Disorders, has received the Kansas Speech-Language-Hearing Association's "Honors of the Association" for 2009. The award recognizes members who have made distinguished contributions and service to the field and the association. Scudder's award will be presented during the KSHA convention at the Hyatt Regency Wichita, Oct. 1-3.

PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS

Mara Alagic, assistant dean, Graduate School, associate professor, curriculum and instruction, is the guest editor for the September special issue of Journal of Mathematics and Arts devoted to mathematics education. The journal is published by Taylor & Francis (UK).

Daniel Bergman, assistant professor and chair, secondary science education, had "Quality questions" published this summer in New Teacher Advocate.

Frankie Brown, director, Human Resources, presented "What do Employers Really Want?" in July at the Statewide Diversity Job Fair hosted by Wichita's Urban League.

Cindy Craig, social sciences librarian, University Libraries, and Curt Friehs, business librarian at Kansas City, Kansas Public Library (previously of University Libraries) presented original research at the American Libraries Association Annual Conference in July in Chicago. They also presented a research poster at the conference. Their research article "Assessing the Effectiveness of Online Library Instruction with Finance Students" was published last winter in the Journal of Web Librarianship.

Lynne Davis, Ann and Dennis Ross Endowed Faculty of Distinction in Organ, presented a performance on WSU's Marcussen organ of French composers for the June 18 closing concert of the American Guild of Organists region 6 convention in Wichita, and the June 28 opening concert of the AGOs region 5 convention in Detroit. In July, she performed at the Cathedral of St. Michel and St. Gudule in Brussells, Belgium.

Karen Hayes, assistant professor, and Alicia Huckstadt, professor and graduate program director, School of Nursing, presented their research, "Improving Clinical Care of Hypertensive Patients," at the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners National Conference, Nashville, Tenn., on June 18.

Alicia Huckstadt, professor and graduate program director, nursing, had her chapter "Health promotion" published in Chronic Illness: Impact & Intervention.

C. Nicholas Johnson

C. Nicholas Johnson, director of dance, and Sabrina Vasquez, dance faculty, performed with the Alithea Mime Theatre dance company for the International Mime Festival in Warsaw, Poland, Aug. 22-31. Johnson is artistic director for Alithea, and Vasquez is co-director. Current and former WSU dance students joined the pair for the Warsaw festival.

Patricia McDonnell, director, Ulrich Museum of Art, contributed an essay on artist Marsden Hartley to the forthcoming exhibition publication for Cezanne and American Modernism, organized by the Baltimore Museum of Art and Montclair Art Museum.

Martha J. Smith, associate professor, School of Community Affairs, co-edited two special issues of Security Journal with Bonnie Fisher, University of Cincinnati. The first issue is Insecurity in the Ivory Tower: Understanding and Responding to Students' Victimization and Fear. The second issue, Women's Security: Critical Perspectives on Assessment Techniques and Preventive Responses, also includes an article by Smith, "A Six-Step Model of Potential Victims' Decisions to Change Location."

Liorah Golomb, assistant professor and humanities librarian, was co-author of "Navigating the MLA Bibliography: Performance Across Vendor Platforms, published in the Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship. Her co-author was Aline Soules, California State University.

Virginia Kay Williams, assistant professor and acquisitions librarian, was co-author of "Graphic Novels in Libraries Supporting Teacher Education and Librarianship Programs," in the July Library Resources and Technical Services. Her co-author was Damen V. Peterson, Mississippi State University. Williams' review of the book "Analyzing Library Collection Use with Excel" by Tony Greiner and Bob Cooper was published in the same journal issue.

NEW FACULTY AND NEW POSITIONS

These faculty members recently achieved full professor status: Les Anderson, Elliott School of Communication, Wilson Baldridge, modern and classical languages, Alex Chaparro, psychology, David Eichhorn, chemistry, C. Nicholas Johnson, performing arts/dance, Rhonda Lewis-Moss, psychology, Chunsheng Ma, mathematics and statistics, Linda Mitchell, curriculum and instruction, Chinyere Okafor, English and women's studies, Keith Pickus, associate provost, history, Prakash Ramanan, computer science, Michael Rogers, Center for Physical Fitness and Aging, Jim Wolff, Barton School of Business, Charles Yang, engineering, and Robert Zettle, psychology.

Jean Brickell, associate professor, College of Health Professions, has been named chairperson of Medical Technology.

Mary Koehn, associate professor and associate dean, College of Health Professions, has been named acting chairperson of the School of Nursing.

Craig Owens, assistant professor, music education, has been appointed director of jazz studies for WSU.

Linda Starkey has been appointed director of the School of Performing Arts.

Phil Bowers has been promoted to assistant director of TRIO Disability Support Services.

IN EMERITUS

The Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Research recently announced the 2009 emeritus faculty: Judith Johnson, associate professor (history); Susan Kovar, dean and professor (Graduate School and kinesiology and sports studies); Mahmoud Edwin Sawan, professor and chairperson (electrical and computer engineering); Ram Singhal, professor (chemistry); Juanita Tate, associate professor (nursing); and Phillip Thomas, dean and professor (LAS and history). In addition, Ron Kopita, vice president (campus life and university relations), has been granted emeritus status.

IN MEMORIAM

John Ballar Breazeale, 83, retired WSU administrator, died June 6 in Houston. Breazeale's career at WSU included serving as chairman of the physics department, dean of the Graduate School, vice president for Academic Affairs and director of the Institute for Aviation Research and Development. He was preceded in death by his wife, Wilma Ruth. Survivors include daughters Susan (Stuart) Twemlow of Houston, Barbara Schaecher of Salt Lake City, and Rachel (Steve) Mackey of Topeka; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Memorials can be made to the American Parkinson Disease Association or the American Diabetes Association.

Moya Diane Dickerson, 61, accounting, died Aug. 14 in Wichita. She is survived by her husband, Paul; son Kevin (Christine) of Colorado Springs; daughter Kristina (John) Andrews of Muvane; three grandchildren; sister Sandei (Alan) Fain; brothers Matthew (Hazel) of Enid and Randy (Patti Waibel). Services have been held.

Lois Amy (Howard) Gunter, 94, retired from the financial aid department, died June 7. Preceded in death by her husband, Preston,; sisters Dorthea Underwood and Lola Kreis; brother Bill Howard. Survivors include daughter Judy (Knute) Fraser of Wichita; sons Gary (Dianne) Gunter of Denver and Mike (Patti) Gunter of Austin; six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; sister Audrey Collins of Hutchinson; brother Ben (Mary) Howard of Merced, Calif.; many nieces, nephews and dear friends. A memorial to benefit low-income children has been established at College Hill United Methodist Church in Wichita.

Jack Mitchell, 85, former University of Wichita football coach, died July 6 in Arizona.

Wendell Peete, 62, system administrator in the Media Resources Center, died Sept. 5 in Wichita. He was preceded in death by daughters Demetra Lynn and Melody Ann, granddaughter Taylor and father J.B Peete. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis; daughter Winona; son Wendell Jr. (Georgia); grandsons Ocean and Austin; mother Helen Culton; sisters Philomene (Sherman Keeling), Tonette Crowley, Margaret Culton-Davidson (Mathis); brothers Thomas, Michael, George and Ricky Culton; and stepmother Nellie Peete and family. Services have been held.

Joshua Locke Yearout, 33, archivist, Special Collections, University Libraries, died July 7 in Wichita. He is survived by his wife, Amy; daughter, Grace; parents Charlene and Phil Yearout of Andover; sister Jessie Horning of Andover; grandmother Yvonne Critchfield of Hill City. Memorials may be made to the Grace H. Yearout Memorial Fund c/o Emprise Bank, 257 N. Broadway, Wichita, KS 67202.

IN OTHER NEWS

Albert Goldbarth

Albert Goldbarth, Adele M. Davis Distinguished Professor of Humanities, was interviewed for an Aug. 17 television broadcast, "Junk Man: Poet and Professor Albert Goldbarth," on "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" (in the NewsHour Poetry Series) on PBS. http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/wsunews/news/?nid=761

Dotty Harpool, director of graduate studies, lecturer, marketing, Barton School, was interviewed for a July 23 Wichita Eagle article, "Dillons branches out with gas." http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/wsunews/cnews/?cnid=817

Dean Headley, associate professor, was quoted in a June 18 Wichita Eagle article, "marketing and entrepreneurship, contributed to the article, "Fighting for every sale." http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/wsunews/news/?nid=713

Doug Hensler, dean, and Kate Kung-McIntyre, assistant dean, Barton School of Business, contributed to a July 6 Wichita Eagle article, "WSU students go abroad to acquire global business skills." http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/wsunews/news/?nid=722

Jeremy Hill

Jeremy Hill, director of the Center for Economic Development and Business Research, was quoted in a July 13 Wichita Business Journal story, "Sedgwick County approves AirTran subsidy." http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/wsunews/news/?nid=726

Jeremy Hill also was interviewed for a June 25 KAKE Channel 10 story, "Kansas bankruptcy levels lower than national average." http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/wsunews/news/?nid=718

Stanley Longhofer, director of the Center for Real Estate, was quoted in a July 28 Christian Monitor article, "US home prices rise. Is it time to buy?," about the Case Shiller index. http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/wsunews/newsrelease/?nid=739

Gary L. Miller, provost and vice president for academic affairs and research, was interviewed for an Aug. 16 Wichita Eagle article, "WSU lab building stellar reputation," about WSU's Advanced Networking Research Center. http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/wsunews/news/?nid=759

Michael E. Rogers, research director of the Center for Physical Activity and Aging, was quoted in an Aug. 3 Boston Globe column, "Sweat equity," on fitness for aging women. http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/wsunews/news/?nid=744

Victoria Shaffer, assistant professor of psychology, was interviewed for an Aug. 26 Incentive Insights Podcast from Incentive magazine about her research comparing the cash and noncash awards in corporate incentive programs. http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/wsunews/news/?nid=774

Levente Sulyok, assistant professor, and Robert Bubp, associate professor, foundations, drawing and painting, were interviewed for a July Mercury-Register (Chico, Texas) article, "Two artists portray their interpretations of place," about their summer exhibition at the 1078 Gallery.

John Tomblin

John Tomblin, executive director of the National Institute for Aviation Research, was quoted in an Aug. 23 Wichita Eagle article, "Stimulus could pay for CIBOR site." http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/wsunews/news/?nid=768