Wichita State News: Elliott School of Communication

Flint Hills stories lure Elliott School students out of classroom

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:36:00 CST

The Flint Hills Media Project at Wichita State University helps students become well-rounded journalists by getting them out of the classroom to look for real stories.

The Elliott School of Communication summer course will mark its fourth year in June when students and faculty go onsite to cover the ever-mobile Symphony in the Flint Hills. The course runs June 10-July 5, with the event on June 15.

"(Sitting in a classroom) doesn't teach you to be a journalist or a storyteller," said Amy DeVault, an assistant professor for the Elliott School.

"You have to be out there meeting and talking to people and finding out what makes them tick," she said.

The students not only gain experience creating media for digital and print formats, but they also cross into other disciplines as they prepare to cover a range of topics.

"Students have to prepare to interview orchestra musicians and to write intelligently about the symphony concert," DeVault said. "They learn everything they can about the tallgrass prairie and the history of each region we're covering."

This summer, the students will add military history and knowledge to their repertoire.

The Symphony in the Flint Hills (SFH) has been staged in a different pasture every year since 2006. This year's symphony takes place in historic Ft. Riley. Students will also cover the stories about current Army training and life at the fort.

'A learning lab'
Since 2010, Elliott School students and faculty in the four-week course have helped tell the story of music, rural life and small towns as the symphony has moved through a new Flint Hills county each year.

The first week, they drive to the chosen site, set up headquarters in a nearby motel some days before the symphony, and fan out in teams to find stories.

The following three weeks back in the classroom are feverish as they write features; edit stories, photographs and videos; and design, layout and publish work on a project website and in a glossy, four-color magazine.

Some of the stories are even picked up by state and local newspapers and television stations.

"The (Flint Hills Media Project) provides a great learning lab for students and teachers alike," said DeVault.

She has taught the course for three years, the first two with late professor Les Anderson, who developed the course concept.

Last year, associate professor Kevin Hager co-taught the course with DeVault and quickly caught her enthusiasm.

"It's one of the classes that people who teach should want to teach because it's not books and lectures and classrooms," said Hager. "It's going out and doing what you love to do."

"This class is becoming one of our leading examples of experience-based learning," said Lou Heldman, interim director for the Elliott School.

Trending nationally
Nationally, out-of-classroom environments are increasingly seen as vital teaching opportunities for many professions. Education Week and related publications are emphasizing the value of real-world settings to improve digital learning, gain a broader base of knowledge and hone skills in problem-solving and creative thinking.

Meanwhile, the Elliott School's popular media project has attracted the attention of national education associations.

In April, DeVault and Hager were invited to co-present the Flint Hills Media Project at the 2013 National Broadcast Educators Association conference in Las Vegas. And last November at the National High School Journalism Convention in San Antonio, DeVault led a daylong workshop on team storytelling by taking more than 50 high school students out into the city to find and tell stories.

The messages: Get out of the classroom and into real stories. Think like a reader. Use multiple tools to tell your story. Work together using each person's strengths.

When Matt Cecil, the new Elliott School director, learned about the project during his Wichita State interviews last fall, he took the idea back to South Dakota State University and helped create a similar experience for students to get off campus and cover an annual summer festival.

On the scene
"Les taught me how to teach this way," said DeVault, who, in 2009, joined Anderson in a similar lab environment in tornado-wiped Greensburg, Kan., as its residents rebuilt their lives and their town.

As with Greensburg, the Flint Hills course puts faculty working side by side with students and encouraging them to develop their own relationships with sources.

"It's like the old apprentice model," said DeVault, adding that it builds strong bonds between all participants.

Good journalism is all about relationships, she noted. When the students get to know the people they are interviewing and something of their culture, they become more involved in the stories they are producing.

Kristin Baker, an Andover High School journalism teacher who participated in the 2012 Flint Hills Media Project, wrote about the closing of Marlow Woodcuts in Americus, Kan., after touring the dusty remnants of the once thriving business with its last owner, Wanda Douglas.

"Whenever Wanda got teary-eyed, so did I," said Baker, who was taken aback at the delicately carved beauty of the woodcuts once sold all over the world.

"When we started, our goal was to help Symphony in the Flint Hills get these stories in the media. Second, of course, was to give our students that experience," said DeVault.

And, while helping the SFH organization narrate the story of the distinct Flint Hills eco-region, which has the most dense coverage of intact tallgrass prairie in North America, something else has happened, DeVault said.

"What we didn't expect is that students from everywhere would come home with a love for the Flint Hills and an appreciation for Kansas people."

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.

Senior found opportunity for involvement, success at WSU

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:11:00 CST

To have a well-rounded university experience, students are often encouraged to participate in activities outside of classes. Senior Laura Schlapp has heeded the advice, taking advantage of the opportunities that Wichita State has provided her.

Schlapp, an integrated marketing communications major and management minor, has been an active student at WSU for four years. She is the marketing and media director for Barton International Group (BIG), a member of Delta Gamma sorority, a mentor in the Emerging Leaders program and Order of Omega treasurer. She was also involved in Student Government Association.

Through BIG, she traveled to China in August 2012 for two weeks. The group of 11 students visited Beijing and Shanghai for exposure to international business and a different way of life.

"I think the most impactful thing for me was the culture," said Schlapp. "I also really enjoyed learning about the businesses we visited because they were more on the manufacturing side of companies."

During the trip, they also spent time at famous locations such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and Tienaman Square.

Preparing for the future

Besides involvement in student organizations, Schlapp, who will graduate in December 2013, also gained valuable experience through jobs and internships.

Schlapp is now the part-time communications assistant for U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo and the Fourth District of Kansas office. She runs his Facebook and Twitter pages and sends out media advisories and press releases to various publications. When Pompeo is in town, Schlapp accompanies him around the community to schools, chambers of commerce and media interviews.

"It has been a great experience because it directly ties with my major," she said.

After graduation, Schlapp is considering graduate school.

During summer 2012, Schlapp held an internship in Washington, D.C., with U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas. There she answered phones, spoke with constituents, gave tours of the Capitol to visiting Kansans, sorted mail, answered letters, attended and summarized briefings, and worked on special projects.

"I really enjoyed working with Sen. Roberts," Schlapp said. "Also, his staff was so nice and was really great about letting me do things with them so I could experience new things."

While in D.C., Schlapp recalled a few memorable sightings of politicians.

"I brushed shoulders with John Kerry, so that was exciting," she said. "Also, John McCain almost ran me over when he was jogging off to the Senate floor."

Schlapp has also been working in the Vice President for Administration and Finance office for four years.

The Wichita State experience

At Wichita State, Schlapp said she has learned a lot and grown as a person, especially through the help of WSU faculty.

"I have personal relationships with a lot of faculty here, not just in the Elliott School of Communication, but also in the business school, and through my job and other organizations," she said.

Schlapp also loves the energy and pride that people have for the university. For example, she traveled to the Final Four in Atlanta, and was impressed by the hundreds of students willing to drive 15 hours to watch their school play for a chance at the national championship.

"It speaks about the community at WSU, and if you get involved and really buy into the WSU life, you can have an amazing college experience and meet some great people," she said.

Schlapp said that in her experience at Wichita State, she doesn't see strangers on campus because of the school's close community and her involvement at the university.

"I have met mentors, my best friends and some great people who I love working with," she said. "I love being at WSU and take pride in where I come from."

Cheney high schooler wins WSU journalism scholarship

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 11:55:00 CST

Kaitlin Nance, a senior from Cheney High School, has been named recipient of the 2013-2014 Victor Murdock Scholarship at Wichita State University.

WSU's Elliott School of Communication awards one Murdock scholarship a year to an incoming freshman with a journalism emphasis who, in the opinion of the selection committee, exhibits particular interest in and the potential for success in journalism.

"Kaitlin's passion for journalism is apparent," said Eric Wilson, Elliott School instructor and scholarship committee chair. "Her solid work with editing and multimedia reporting is reflective of the type of work we look for in Murdock scholarship recipients. We are excited to have her come to WSU to begin her journalism career."

Applicants must have a minimum high school GPA of 3.0. Murdock scholarships are a four year award, and the total amount available to each student is $5,000.

Victor Murdock was born in Burlingame, Kan., in 1871 and was the publisher and managing editor of The Wichita Eagle from 1894-1903. Following his political career as a five-term U.S. Representative, he returned as editor and publisher of the Wichita Eagle until his death in 1945.

The fund was established by his grandson, Captain Victor Delano (U.S. Navy, retired).

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 junior receives national scholarship from SHRM Foundation

Mon, 4 Feb 2013 08:50:32 CST

Paige Bornholdt

Wichita State University junior Paige Bornholdt was selected as a recipient of the 2012 Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Foundation Undergraduate Academic Scholarship.

She is one of 11 applicants nationally to receive the $2,500 SHRM scholarship. More than 250 undergraduate students applied for the award.

Beth McFarland, special projects manager for the SHRM Foundation, said to Bornholdt: "Your accomplishments, character, scholastic ability and leadership potential distinguished you from other applicants. The SHRM Foundation is proud to support your education and recognize you as a future leader of the HR profession."

Bornholdt, from Kingman, Kan., is majoring in human resource management and strategic communication, with a minor in management. She is president of Wichita State's SHRM student organization and is a human resource intern for Axiom Healthcare Services in Wichita.

The Society of Human Resource Management is an international organization with more than 250,000 human resource professional members. In 1972, WSU was one of the first universities in the nation to charter an SHRM student group.

Wichita State's hunger initiative to be presented in Texas

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 10:19:00 CST

Members of the Wichita State University Hunger Awareness Initiative will speak at the Ethical Student Leadership Conference on Saturday, Jan. 26, at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas.

Michelle Dreiling, Elliott School of Communication (ESC) graduate student and initiative president, and Pamela O'Neal, School of Nursing academic writing specialist, will attend the conference.

Deborah Ballard-Reisch

Initiative founder and ESC professor Deborah Ballard-Reisch, and ESC lecturer Jessica Freeman, as well as graduate student Jack Brand, will present via Skype.

They will speak about the responsibility to participate in the world discussion on ending hunger and present WSU's Four-Pillar Campus Hunger Initiatives Model, created to enable colleges and universities build their own hunger awareness initiatives.

"We are so excited to share our model at the Ethical Student Leadership Conference in Texas," Dreiling said. "It is an opportunity for us to help others outside of our area to more efficiently address the issue of hunger and avoid some of the stumbling blocks they may encounter if they were to start from scratch."

Previous initiative efforts have focused on global and local hunger. In 2010, more than 3,000 volunteers came to the WSU campus and packaged more than 641,000 meals for Haitians displaced by the Jan. 12 earthquake. A campus food-packaging event in fall 2011 led to 21,000 meals packaged in less than two hours for Somali refugees in the Horn of Africa.

In 2011, the group emphasized campus hunger, distributing a survey throughout the WSU community. They also hosted three dinner and conversation events to discuss campus hunger. This fall, a campus-wide food drive collected more than 4,100 pounds of food, which was donated to the Kansas Food Bank.

Members of the initiative have presented their model at Southwestern College, Hutchinson Community College, the Kansas Hunger Dialogue and the Kansas Public Health Association Conference. In March, they will present at the Universities Fighting World Hunger Conference in Overland Park, Kan., and at the Pop Culture Association Conference Association in Washington D.C.

The WSU Hunger Awareness Initiative began in 2009 as a small group led by Ballard-Reisch. The mission of the group is to raise awareness of hunger and to investigate the nature and scope of hunger on the WSU campus and in the community.

New director hired for WSU's Elliott School of Communication

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 13:28:00 CST

Matthew Cecil

Matthew Cecil, a media historian with a strong professional communication background, has been selected as the next director of the Elliott School of Communication at Wichita State University.

Cecil, an associate professor in the South Dakota State University Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, will begin work at Wichita State June 30. He will succeed Lou Heldman, who has served as interim director since 2011.

Ron Matson, interim dean of the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, who made the appointment, said, "The faculty and I feel that Matt Cecil's experience and vision for the future of communication education make him ideal for this important position."

At WSU, Cecil will be responsible for about 30 faculty and staff members and courses that enroll more than 2,000 students annually.

"The Elliott School stands out regionally and nationally because of its outstanding people and because of its comprehensive, integrated approach to the study of communication," Cecil said. "The ESC is well-positioned for continued and even greater success, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of that."

Deep connections

Cecil was also impressed with the deep connections between the Elliott School and professions in Wichita, he said. "The school is really about active learning, about involving students in real projects on campus and in the community."

Cecil is the author of a forthcoming book, "J. Edgar Hoover and the American Press: Journalism, Public Relations and the Legitimation of the FBI," and has published or presented more than 20 articles on the topic. He is working on a new book exploring the work of iconoclastic journalist George Seldes.

Prior to joining the faculty at South Dakota State University, Cecil served on the faculties at Purdue University and the University of Oklahoma. He earned his Ph.D. in mass communication from the University of Iowa in 2000 and holds a Master of Arts in history from Minnesota State University, Mankato and a Bachelor of Science in history from South Dakota State University. Cecil's professional experience includes work as a daily newspaper reporter, political press secretary and corporate media relations practitioner.

The Elliott School of Communication, a unit of the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, offers the only academic program in Kansas that integrates speech communication, journalism, public relations and strategic communication.

Faculty/staff news update: November 2012

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 15:37:00 CST

Alla Aranovskaya, Leonid Shukaev, Boris Vaynor and Evgeny Zvonniko, members of the St. Petersburg String Quartet in residence at WSU; the student Suprima Chamber Orchestra; Andrea Banke, Erika Binsley, Sarunas Jankauskas, Scott Oakes and Frances Shelly, members of the Lieurance Woodwind Quintet, and Julie Bees, Lynne Davis and Mark Foley performed by invitation in November at the 100th anniversary celebration of the St. Petersburg State Conservatory in Russia.

Amy DeVault, assistant professor, Elliott School of Communication, led a daylong workshop on Team Storytelling for 56 high school students from around the country at the National High School Journalism Convention in San Antonio in November. The convention, put on by the National Scholastic Press Association and Journalism Education Association, was attended by more than 5,000 high school journalism students and teachers.

Eric Freeman, assistant professor, counseling, educational leadership, and educational and school psychology, presented "Falsification, Annual Targets, and Errant Leadership: What Really Happened in Atlanta" at the American Educational Studies Association conference held Nov. 1-4 in Seattle.

Dan Krutka, assistant professor, curriculum and instruction, presented "Student Civil Liberties: Is Your School Violating Student Constitutional Rights?" and co-presented "Bayard Rustin and the Social Studies Curriculum: Thoughts about Citizenship in a Complex World" at the Kansas Council for the Social Studies in Topeka.

Gayla Lohfink, assistant professor, curriculum and instruction, was co-author of "Developing cultural competence through problem posing and multicultural literature" in Advocate.

Joseph Mau, professor, counseling, educational leadership, and educational and school psychology, and M.E. Yeager, postdoctoral fellow, were awarded the Kansas Educational Research Scholars Program award from the Kansas Board of Regents. The study is titled, "Factors influencing Kansas college students' choice of a STEM major and factors influencing their success in completing a STEM degree."

Jacquelyn McClendon, senior clinical educator, nursing, and Kelly Anderson, assistant professor and senior clinic coordinator, dental hygiene, received an Interprofessional National Oral Health Agenda Curricular Innovation Award, Oral Health Nursing Education Program and Practice Grant in August for $2,000.

Nancy McKeller, associate professor, counseling, educational leadership, and educational and school psychology, presented "Legal Issues that Impact School Psychological Practice" at the Kansas Association of School Psychologists annual conference in Lawrence this fall.

Rick Pappas, physical education educator, human performance studies, received the highest award made by the Kansas Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (KAHPERD). The Wayne Osness award, which recognizes leadership and significant contributions, was presented to Pappas in November at the annual KAHPERD conference held in Lawrence.

Susan Parsons, assistant professor, nursing, published Collaborative Oral Health Care for Caregivers in an Assisted-Living Facility in the Journal of Nursing Education & Practice, Vol. 3, No. 3.

Susan Parsons, C. Lee and M. Trumpp, nursing, presented "Evidence-Based Practice: Ventilator Bundle to Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia" to the Kansas State Nurses Association, Exhibit Session.

Jean Patterson, professor and chair, counseling, educational leadership, and educational and school psychology, presented "High School 21st Century Learning Initiatives as a Manifestation of Neoliberalism" at the American Educational Studies Association conference.

Jennifer Rodgers, clinical educator, nursing, gave a one-hour presentation, "Pulmonary Care Continuum: Hospital to Community," to the Kansas Healthcare Collaborative 4th Annual Summit on Quality, with Bobbie Starks, Darla Wilson and Amanda Hullet.

Donna Sayman, assistant professor, and Dan Krutka, both curriculum and instruction, co-presented "A Freirean Analysis of Identity for Individuals with Asperger Syndrome," also at the Kansas Council for the Social Studies conference in Topeka.

Elaine Steinke, professor, nursing, has been inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing for her significant contributions to the profession of nursing and health care in general. Steinke, who attended the induction ceremony in October in Washington, D.C., is internationally renowned for bringing the science of sexuality and sexual counseling of cardiac patients to the forefront of cardiac practice.

Elaine Steinke presented "Psychology and sexual function: What do we know?" to the European Society of Cardiology 2012 Congress, Munich, Germany, in August.

Elaine Steinke, Victoria Mosack, associate professor, nursing, and Twyla J. Hill, professor, sociology, gave a poster presentation, "Sexual concerns of cardiac patients: A psychometric analysis," to the European Society of Cardiology, in Munich, Germany, in August.

John Tomblin

John Tomblin, executive director of WSU's National Institute for Aviation Research, has been named a Newsmaker for 2012 by the Wichita Business Journal. He and other 2012 Newsmakers will be recognized at a Jan. 29 event at Newman University.

Susan Unruh, assistant professor, counseling, educational leadership, and educational and school psychology, was the WSU representative on a panel, "School Psychology Practice: Here I Come," at the Kansas Association of School Psychologists annual conference in Lawrence.

IN MEMORIAM

D. Ray Cook, 69, former team physician for Wichita State and longtime community doctor, died Nov. 7. Services have been held. He is preceded in death by his parents, Leon and Marie Cook. He is survived by his wife, Elaine; daughter, Candi (Mark) Brown of Spring Hill, Kan.; son, Chad (Jill) Cook of Overland Park, Kan.; brother, Gene (Linda) Cook of Phoenix City, Ala.; grandchildren, Ben, Will, Graham and Betsy Brown, and Johnny Ray, Spencer, Freddie and Lucy Cook. The following memorial has been established: D. Ray Cook, M.D. Memorial Fund, c/o Christian Network Foundation, 17001 Prairie Star Pkwy, Suite 200, Lenexa, KS 66220.

Richard Allen Moellenberndt, 71, former professor of accounting, died Nov. 24 in Topeka. Services have been held. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen; daughter, Sarah Moellenberndt; and sister, Eleanor Shaffer.

Linda Tedder, 60, senior research grants administrator in the Office of Research Administration, died Nov. 24 in Wichita. Services have been held. She is preceded in death by her parents, Francis D. and Evelyn J. (Voran) Bornowsky. She is survived her son, Mike Tedder; grandchild, Lexi Tedder; great-grandchild, Jenna St. Martin; sisters, Paula Sullivan, Gail Roland, Mary Daugherty, Jean Kemp and Rita Winfrey; brothers, Ralph and Larry Bornowsky; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Kaylyn Turner, 70, former reference librarian, died Nov. 8. Services have been held. She is preceded in death by her parents, Robert Briggs and Ara Cron. Survivors are husband, Stanley; son, Joshua David (Tracy) Turner, Shawnee Mission; and grandchildren, Emily, Molly and Jack Turner. Memorials to Midland Baptist Church, 4200 N. Church Circle, Wichita, KS 67205.

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.

Faculty/staff news update: October 2012

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:17:00 CST

Dinorah Azpuru, associate professor, political science, was invited to form part of the Academic Council of the Latin American Association of Political Science. Based in Latin America and headquartered in Brazil, ALACIP gathers scholars linked to the world of political science in Latin America.

Deborah Ballard-Reisch

Deborah Ballard-Reisch, Kansas Health Foundation Distinguished Chair in Strategic Communication and professor, Elliott School of Communication, received the Organization for the Study of Communication, Language and Gender's 2012 Teacher/ Mentor Award.

Seth Bate, community and organizational specialist, Center for Community Support and Research, recently published "Paul Mesner Puppets: Marking 25 Years in Kansas City." It is the cover story for the summer 2012 issue of The Puppetry Journal.

Fred Besthorn, associate professor, social work, was a featured keynote speaker at the recent Social Work and Social Development Conference held in Stockholm, Sweden. He is widely regarded as an expert in the field of environmental social work and has many published works addressing the interconnection of environmental awareness to the practice of social work.

Barb Chaparro, associate professor, psychology, has been named a 2012-2013 Coleman Faculty Entrepreneurship Fellow, a program sponsored by the Coleman Foundation to increase and build support for entrepreneurship education across the Wichita State University campus.

Sherry Chapman, instructor, social work, has established with Carolyn Shaw, associate professor, political science, the chartering of Pi Gamma Mu, an honorary society for social sciences at WSU. Chapman is also the secretary of the Kansas Association for Play Therapy.

Dan Close, associate professor, Elliott School of Communication, has been elected to the Kansas Sunshine Coalition's board of directors. The organization monitors and acts on complaints of open meetings/open records violations by governmental bodies and officials.

Nancy Deyoe, assistant dean for Technical Services, and Ginger Williams, associate professor, University Libraries, presented "Reaching Youth Through Diverse Collections and Teen/Community-Driven Programming" at the second National Joint Conference of Librarians of Color.

Steve Farmer, Barton Distinguished Chair in Business, has been invited to serve as associate editor of Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes by the editor Xiao-Ping Chen, chair and professor, Department of Management and Organization, Michael G. Foster School of Business, University of Washington. OBHDP is published by Elsevier.

Ed Flentje

Ed Flentje, professor, Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs, presented at the Docking Symposium on Kansas Politics at Southwestern College.

Philip Gaunt, professor, Elliott School of Communication, director, Interdisciplinary Communication Research Institute, has published a science fiction novel, "The Blane Game." Gaunt's book will be available in local bookstores soon. For an advance copy, contact Gaunt at 978-6072.

Aimee Geist, curator of education at the Ulrich Museum of Art, was honored with the Outstanding Museum Art Educator from the Kansas Art Education Association at the group's annual fall conference Oct. 27 in Wichita.

Debbie Gordon, associate professor, women's studies, participated in the Ninth Annual Beirut Program in Beirut, Lebanon, a two-track exchange program of lectures and colloquia with leading professors and public intellectuals on Lebanon and the Arab world. The program also included meetings with social, political and economic leaders from across Lebanon's political spectrum.

Ruth Hitchcock, associate professor, Counseling, Educational Leadership, Educational and School Psychology, graduated from the Leadership Academy sponsored by the Association for Play Therapy at its Oct. 9-14 conference in Cleveland, Ohio. The academy's six-month curriculum especially explores leadership concepts and the Policy Governance Model that defines organizational roles and responsibilities.

William Hendry, professor, biological sciences, procured a grant in the amount of $48,750 for "Translational Studies of Gynecological Cancer with a Unique in vivo System" from the Kansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence.

Mary Liz Jameson, associate professor, biological sciences, Natural Science Collections Alliance member, testified before Congress about the need for digitizing science collection data.

Kyoung Lee, assistant professor, social work, became a commissioner on the Commission for Diversity and Social and Economic Justice at the Council on Social Work Education.

Melissa Mallon, assistant professor and coordinator, library instruction, had an article, "The New Distance Learners: Providing Customized Online Research Assistance to Urban Students on the Go," published in Urban Library Journal.

Jeffrey May, biological sciences, procured a grant in the amount of $37,500 for "Diagnostic Relevance of Human Urinary FSH Glycoform Assessment to Ovarian Aging" from the Kansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence.

Eunice Doman Myers, associate professor, Spanish, and associate dean, Liberal Arts and Sciences, gave a paper, "The Plight and Plots of African Immigrants in Angela Reyes' Los trenes de marzo (11-M)" at the Mid-America Conference on Hispanic Literature at the University of Nebraska on Oct. 12.

Michael Palmiotto, professor, criminal justice, published the textbook "Criminal Investigations, Fourth Edition" CRC-Press, 2013, and the refereed article (co-authors D. Vejnovic and V. Lalic) "Policing Football Violence and Ethnic Hatred in Bosnia and Herzegovina": in Journal of Defendology, Volume XL, No. 32, 2012.

Michael Palmiotto was appointed editor of the Journal of Defendology in September. The journal is published in Banja Luka, Bosnia-Herzegovina, in Serbian and English.

Sabrina Perez-Glatt, field practicum coordinator, School of Social Work, has been appointed to the Sedgwick County Council on Aging.

Eric Wilson, instructor, Elliott School of Communication, was an invited presenter at the annual Bombardier Safety Standdown symposium. He partnered with two Bombardier staff members to present "Beyond the Scene of the Accident," a half-day workshop on aviation media relations and crisis communication.

Li Yao, biological sciences, procured an Institutional Core Facility Support grant in the amount of $40,000 for "Inverted Microscope, Nikon Fluorescence System, Digital Imaging System, Motorized Stage" from the Kansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence.

IN MEMORIAM

John David Boyd, 73, professor emeritus of art and design, died Oct. 25 in Wichita. Services have been held. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Lorraine; son Aaron (Jenny) of Wichita; daughters Sarah Blythe (Kurt) of Chapel Hill, N.C., and Alice Villegas (Diego) of Cincinnati, OH; three grandchildren, and countless students.

Annie Pearl Johnson, 75, retired custodian, Physical Plant, died Oct. 26. Services have been held. She is survived by daughters Sharon (Anthony) Trotter, Cosandra (Derrick) Carr and Lisa Johnson; sons, Willie Lee (Sherelle) Johnson, Robert Earl Johnson and Anthonio (Tuyet) Johnson; sister, Dorothy Jean Johnson; brother, Augusta Johnson; 18 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.

James McKenney, 77, professor emeritus and former chair, political science, former director, Honors Program and Taft Institute, died Oct. 25 in Wichita. Services have been held. He was preceded in death by his father, James D., mother, Thelma, and step mother, Mary E. Survivors include his wife, Mary K.; sister Sharon and her husband (Roland) Simantel of Wasco, Ore.; brother Richard and his wife (Vona) McKenney of Eugene; sister Kathy and her husband Bela Kirchberger of Salem, Ore; and sister Jane and her husband John Hyder of Salem, Ore. Children and their families include James R. of Grants Pass, Ore.; Alison (Mitch, Maeley, Mariah) McKenney Brown of Valley Center; Sean P. (Kristie, Christopher, Bailey, Kaleigh) of Honolulu , Hawaii; and Colin (Brenda, Megan, Braeden) of Valley Center. Memorials may be sent to the Valley Center Public Library Building Fund c/o the Friends of the Library, 321 W. First, Valley Center, KS 67147.

Comm Week 2012 to feature Ronnie Ramos, Kathryn Zickuhr

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 16:51:00 CST

The Elliott School of Communication at Wichita State University will feature communication professionals Ronnie Ramos and Kathryn Zickuhr during Comm Week 2012, Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 17-18.

For a complete list of event times and locations, go to http://www.wichita.edu/j/?1877.

Ramos, managing director of digital communications for the NCAA, will present "Who is a Journalist Today?" from 1:30-2:20 p.m., Oct. 17, in 112 Elliott Hall and "How Communication Works Today" from 9:30-10:20 a.m., Oct. 18, in the CAC Theater. His presentations will center on the shift toward online information and the emergence of social media.

Zickuhr, research analyst for the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life project, will present "The Demographics of Digital Differences" from 2:30-3:20 p.m., Oct. 17, in 105 Elliott Hall and "Mobile is the Needle; Social is the Thread" from 2:30-3:20 p.m., Oct. 18, in the CAC Theater.

Her presentations will focus on the differences in technology use across the United States and the new messaging realities in the digital age.

In addition to daytime classroom and CAC Theater sessions, there will be an outstanding alumni award ceremony and graduate student event Wednesday evening, and a toast to late professor Les Anderson Thursday evening.

Sponsors for Comm Week 2012 are WSU's Office of the Provost, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers.

Faculty, staff news update: August/September 2012

Fri, 5 Oct 2012 14:33:00 CST

Ted Ayres, vice president and general counsel, was an invited participant in the symposium "Gathering at the School House Gate: 40 Years of Landmark School Speech Cases" relative to his involvement in the Widmar v. Vincent decision of the U.S. Supreme Court. The symposium, Sept. 20-21, was hosted by the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law and the UMKC Law Review.

Amy Baker, assistant professor, musical theatre, won the Mary Jane Teall Theatre Award in September for Choreography for "Honk!" at Music Theatre of Wichita.

Ed Baker, associate professor, and Danette Baker, adjunct faculty, theatre, were awarded the Ruth McCormick Theatre Educator of the Year Award at the Mary Jane Teall Theatre Awards in September.

Daniel Bergman, assistant professor, curriculum and instruction, was elected as Kansas Association of Teachers of Science KATS vice president for 2012-2013.

Catherine Bohn-Gettler, assistant professor, counseling, educational leadership, educational and school psychology, recently presented "Tracking causal information during reading comprehension" at the annual meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading. She also presented "The interplay between mood and working memory on inference generation" at the annual meeting of the Society for Text and Discourse, both in Montreal, Canada.

Jason Flanders, manager, scene shop, theatre, had his first gallery showing at the Aviary Gallery in Wichita during the Sept. 28 Final Friday gallery crawl.

Angela Gaughn has been hired by the Center for Community Support and Research as support group project specialist for the center to promote its support group database across Kansas.

Alicia Huckstadt, graduate program coordinator, and Amy McClintock, administrative specialist, nursing, applied to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and were accepted for a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The HRSA Advanced Education Nursing Traineeship Grant is for almost $350,000 this year and comes with a recommendation for the same amount next year. The program supports training students to become primary care nurse practitioners.

John Paul Johnson, professor, music education, has been chosen to represent North America as an adjudicator at the National Christian Universities Choir Competition held in Ambon, Maluku, Indonesia from Oct. 15-22. Choirs from private universities throughout Indonesia will travel throughout the country to perform for five adjudicators representing Asia, Europe, Africa, South and North America.

Bret Jones, director, theatre, will have his play "THEBES City" presented by Fly By Night Theatre Company as part of its 2012-2013 Season. For details, go to www.flybynighttheatre.com/season.html.

Charles L. Martin, professor, marketing and entrepreneurship, traveled to Lahore, Pakistan in July to participate as keynote speaker in the Second International Conference on Contemporary Issues in Business Management. More than 300 participants from around the world and from cross-business disciplines attended the event held at the Pearl Continental Hotel and the University of Central Punjab. The keynote address by Martin, "What Goes Around Comes Around: Business Thinking As Cyclical Phenomena," focused on the roles that cycles play in business planning, forecasting and human (buyer) behavior.

Katherine Mason, assistant professor, curriculum and instruction, recently co-published "Locating queer community in award-winning LGBTQ-themed young adult literature (2005-2010)" in The ALAN Review.

Betty Monroe, professor, costume design and technical theatre, had her article "Stereotypes in Theatre Costumes: A Blessing or a Curse?" published in the 2012 International Fashion and Costume Conference's Publication.

Sara Muzzy has been promoted to associate director of the Office of Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning.

David Neville, associate professor, design and technical theatre, won the Mary Jane Teall Theatre Award for Lighting Design for "Fiddler on the Roof" at Music Theatre of Wichita.

Fletcher Powell, producer, KMUW 89.1, has received a 2012 High Plains Media Award from the American Cancer Society for an October 2011 story about doctors beginning to focus on patients after their traditional treatments are complete, focusing on breast cancer survivorship. Winners were chosen from several categories, including magazine, newspaper, television, radio and online.

Priscilla Ridgway, community and organizational researcher, Center for Community Support and Research, published a piece in the National Recovery to Practice Initiative Newsletter discussing spirituality and recovery from prolonged psychiatric disorder. A longer report by Ridgway and peer specialist educator Lael Ewy on the topic was recently released. The document, Report of a Statewide Spirituality and Mental Health Recovery Summit, is available upon request from priscilla.ridgway@wichita.edu.

Michael Rogers, chair, professor and research director, Center for Physical Activity and Aging, presented "Effective exercise interventions for active aging" and "Falling Less in Kansas: Preventing falls in rural older adults" at a Sedgwick County conference in Wichita called Positive Aging: Protect your health, wealth and self.

Donna Sayman, assistant professor, curriculum and instruction, recently published "My journey into qualitative research." In J.M. Meloy (Ed.). Twenty-first Century Learning by Doing (3rd. ed.)

Donna Sayman, curriculum and instruction; Mark Vermillion, sport management; and Catherine Bohn-Gettler and Craig Elliott, counseling, educational leadership, educational and school psychology, recently completed a two-year, on-line "bootcamp" workshop offered by the WSU Media Resource Center. These faculty members used their training to revise and develop online courses for their departments.

Nick Taylor, a 2007 graduate of the Sport Management master's program in the College of Education and a lecturer in the department of sport management, won a gold medal in tennis at the Paralympics in London on Sept. 5. Taylor and doubles partner David Wagner of Oregon, have won two previous gold medals in Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008) in quad doubles wheelchair tennis.

Susan Unruh, assistant professor, and Nancy McKellar, associate professor, counseling, educational and school psychology, recently wrote "Evolution, Not Revolution: School Psychologists' Changing Practices in Determining Specific Learning Disabilities." It has been accepted for publication in the journal Psychology in the Schools.

Sabrina Vasquez, faculty, dance, is the recipient of the Dorothy Johansen Hauck Faculty Fellow in Dance and Musical Theatre.

Gayle Veltman, coordinator of testing, Counseling and Testing Center, was recently awarded the 2012 President's Award from the National College Testing Association. The award recognizes NCTA members who contributed to the organization in the preceding year through service on a standing committee, working on the Annual Conference Committee, or participating in a special NCTA project.

Eric Wilson, instructor and outreach coordinator, Elliott School of Communication, was interviewed by fellow ESC alum Marc LaVoie for KFDI News' "At Issue" program. Wilson talked about how the media has changed and about the Elliott School. To listen to the interview, go to http://www.kfdi.com/podcasts/news/atissue/170886071.html.

NEW FACULTY 2012
Please welcome new faculty to campus; for more information, go to http://www.wichita.edu/j/?1842.

SERVICE AWARDS 2012
Please congratulate faculty and staff who have been honored for their years of service or as Benders of Twigs; for more information, go to http://www.wichita.edu/j/?1860.

RETIREES 2012
Please offer good wishes to faculty and staff who have recently retired; for more information, go to http://www.wichita.edu/j/?1859.

IN MEMORIAM
Carol L. Johnson Harding, 74, retired, Physical Plant, died May 24. Services have been held. Survivors include brothers Walter L. Davis, Tracy A. Davis and Melvin E. Tipton; sisters Maxine J. Davis, Elaine Brashears and Joyce J. Henderson.

Debates are opportunity to sway undecided voters

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:00:00 CST

This WSU Newsline Podcast is available at http://www.wichita.edu/newslinepodcast. See the transcript below:

You're listening to the podcast edition of the Wichita State University audio newsline. Learn more about WSU on the Web at wichita.edu.

Get ready for an all-out brawl in several battleground states as President Obama and Mitt Romney try to woo voters during the presidential debates. While debates aren't constitutionally mandated, they are often considered part of the election process. Jeff Jarman, director of debate at Wichita State University, says the question nowadays isn't whether to debate, but how much?

Jarman: "The question now is not will there be debates, but how many debates? Challengers always want to debate and incumbents who are strong always want to limit the number of debates. But any candidate who tried not to debate, especially in a presidential campaign, would face serious repercussions from the public."

Jarman says the presidential debate format is significantly different this year.

Jarman: "They've changed the format this year to have extended discussions on more limited topics. So we'll see six 15-minute discussions to try to give the candidates a better opportunity to discuss important issues. The economy is so complicated. You can't fix the economy in 90 seconds, and the debates have adjusted for that."

The new debate format will help voters who watch the debates, according to Jarman.

Jarman: "The extended discussion and the longer format will give voters a real opportunity to see the differences between the candidates. They have more time to explain true differences in their approaches, and that will benefit voters who watch the debates."

Of course, regardless of the debate format, most partisans will claim their candidate won the debate, as Jarman explains.

Jarman: "Some caution is in order. Partisans, who make up the vast majority of viewers and voters, still overwhelmingly select their candidate as winning the debate, even when they have more extended time for discussion."

Jarman says undecided voters may be few in number, but they can make a big difference in the outcome of the election. That is one reason why the presidential debates are particularly important.

Jarman: "So, even though undecided voters make up a small portion of the electorate, in our close elections where there are several key states those undecided voters can make a big difference in the outcome of the election."

According to Jarman, there are advantages and disadvantages for the incumbent in presidential debates.

Jarman: "For the incumbent, there really are benefits and detriments to being in the office for the last four years. On the one hand, they have four years worth of achievements they can point to. On the other hand, they have four years worth of policies that their challengers can go after in the debates."

And it's a good bet that there will be some memorable lines coming out of the debates.

Jarman: "Well, you can count on the fact that there will be memorable lines in these debates. The problem for the candidates is they don't know which ones those will be before the debates happen. That's why they work so hard to prepare every line in these debates, so that whichever one turns out to be the famous line, it will be delivered the way they want it delivered."

Debates are broadcast live on television and radio. The first debate for the 1960 election drew more than 66 million viewers out of 179 million, making it one of the most watched broadcasts in U.S. television history.

Thanks for listening. Until next time, this is Joe Kleinsasser for Wichita State University.