SDX Professional Development Workshops

Information literacy is the ability to discover and use various types of information. It's an essential skill for navigating the information age. Take this workshop to learn about strategies for finding information—from a library, archive, database, or the Internet—and the ethics of using it. Also discussed are different types of resources and explains how to evaluate their usefulness and trustworthiness. The librarians also show how to avoid plagiarism and copyright infringement, and accurately cite sources. For students in Shocker Design Experience only.

In-Person Options:

• Tuesday, September 22, 2026, 1:30 PM, Ablah Library Research Lab Room 230
• Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 3:30 PM,  Ablah Library Research Lab Room 230
• Sign up for workshop

Online Option:

• Use the Wichita Public Library's LinkedIn Learning to access this online course (instructions below in the online section).
• Watch the course on Information Literacy with Librarian Elsa Loftis (1 hr 47 mins)
• To earn credit, complete all modules and save the Certificate of Completion that you receive at the end of the course; you will upload this certificate with your Professional Development Plan Part #2 assignment (with the workshop reflections).

Studying abroad doesn't have to be just a fantasy.  If you are curious, determined to try new things, interested in meeting new people and discovering new places, then studying abroad could become your reality. This Study Abroad workshop is offered by the International Education Office to help interested students start exploring their options. Interested students will get to learn about the programs, cost, funding, application process, and more. For students in Shocker Design Experience only.

Friday, September 25, 2026, 10:00 AM, John Bardo Center room 338

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Your first year in college can be a very challenging time academically and personally. In this workshop, we will spend time focusing on developing skills to be resilient throughout your college experience. We will also discussing imposter syndrome in order to help you overcome any challenges or setbacks you are going through. 

In-Person Options:

• Wednesday, October 14, 2026, 4:30 PM, John Bardo Center room 338
• Thursday, October 15, 2026 4:00 PM, John Bardo Center room 338
• Wednesday, October 21, 2026 4:00 PM, John Bardo Center room 338

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This training will address various relationship types, effective communication, and social media apps. Two people can agree to be in a relationship of some kind, but each person’s definition and expectations associated with that relationship may differ. Also, one person may use a particular app to meet new friends, while others may use it in search of another kind of relationship. We hope students walk away from the session feeling empowered to have the conversations and make clear the types of relationships they are willing or not willing to engage in. Further, we want to keep the momentum going in ensuring that students are familiar with CTAC and how to reach us should they need our assistance.

Friday, September 25, 2026, 11:30 AM, John Bardo Center room 338

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Join two of Loud Lights WSU Fall Fellows in an exploration of a court-ruled voting suppression law, and the creative open-source approach that led to the biggest upticks in voter turnout in Kansas history. 

In-Person Options:

• Wednesday, September 23, 2026, 3:30 PM, John Bardo Center room 338
• Tuesday, September 29, 2026 5:00 PM, John Bardo Center room 338
  

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There are 168 hours each week--how do you find time for what's important? In this workshop you'll make a plan to make the most of your time and you'll learn about the resources provided by the Office of Student Success. 

Tuesday, September 29, 2026, 5:00 PM, John Bardo Center room 338

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Learning how to ask industry professionals insightful questions and navigate career pathways.

Monday, November 9, 2026, 5:00 PM, John Bardo Center room 338

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From emails to introductions, the way you communicate matters. Learn strategies for presenting yourself professionally, communicating clearly, and building positive professional relationships.

Thursday, October 8, 2026, 3:30 PM, John Bardo Center room 338

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Can you succeed in college with ADHD? Yes you can! Join the Office of Student Accommodations and Testing to discuss realistic solutions for managing college life and ADHD. Each attendee will receive a free ADHD tool kit to take home.

Thursday, October 22, 2026, 3:30 PM, John Bardo Center room 338

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This presentation will detail the current state of cybersecurity growth, explore hacker motives, and demonstrate how easy it is to get information on individuals and use it to craft a malicious phishing email. Students will be encouraged during the seminar to use their Open Source Intelligence skills to find target data.

Monday, September 21, 2026, 3:30 PM, John Bardo Center room 338

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We know engineers design things-- cars, airplanes, bridges, computers...but who designs the processes, systems, and methods involved in getting those products to the end-user? Industrial engineers are concerned with the people and the processes involved in manufacturing and service, working to make large and complex systems of people, money, information, energy, equipment, and materials operate more effectively. Come learn about the systems and processes involved in the build of an airplane through a fun, hands-on LEGO activity!

Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 3:30 PM, John Bardo Center room 338

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To develop a great solution, we must properly specify the problem domain. This is a critical step in the Shocker Design Experience and in Systems Engineering. Come learn about Systems Engineering and how to properly specify a problem domain with a fun hands-on activity.

Thursday, September 24, 2026, 3:30 PM, John Bardo Center room 338

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You've probably tried to build a new habit before and watched it fall apart within a couple of weeks. In this workshop, based on James Clear's bestselling book Atomic Habits, you'll learn the science behind why habits stick (or don't) and walk through the four laws that make behavior change actually work. Come design a real habit of your own using the same tools Clear teaches in the book, and leave with a written plan you can start using today.

Thursday, October 1, 2026, 3:30 PM, John Bardo Center room 338

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This workshop will examine AI technology in three parts. First, we will review a brief history of AI and talk about how the most powerful models today work. Then, we will have a prompting workshop where we will use ChatGPT or another language model of your choice - so bring your laptop if possible! Finally, we will touch on a range of ethics issues in AI such as bias, intellectual property, and international relations. 

Monday, October 19, 2026, 5:00 PM, John Bardo Center room 338

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Strengthen your library skills with AI tools that help you search smarter, evaluate sources, and work more efficiently.

Tuesday, September 8, 2026, 3:30pm - 4:30pm

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Learn how to communicate information effectively using charts, graphs, or maps. We will overview types of graphical representations and how to select the right visuals to convey your ideas appropriately.

Tuesday, September 15, 2026, 3:30pm - 4:30pm

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Discover what research could mean for you, from understanding the research process to finding opportunities, working with faculty, and sharing your work to enhance your experience as a student.

Tuesday, September 29, 2026, 3:30pm - 4:30pm

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Learn all the steps to create a literature review, from conducting comprehensive research to synthesizing perspectives to presenting your findings.

Tuesday, October 6, 2026, 3:30pm - 4:30pm

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Tired of losing track of sources? This hands-on workshop will show students how to use EndNote to import, organize, and cite references across projects. Whether you're writing your first paper or formatting a thesis, EndNote can help you stay organized and reduce last-minute stress.

Tuesday, October 20, 2026, 3:30pm - 4:30pm

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Go beyond traditional library databases to find grey literature, learn where to look, and discover best practices for evaluating and incorporating into your research.

Tuesday, October 27, 2026, 3:30pm - 4:30pm

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Information literacy is the ability to discover and use various types of information. It's an essential skill for navigating the information age. Watch this course to learn about strategies for finding information—from a library, archive, database, or the Internet—and the ethics of using it. Librarian Elsa Loftis discusses different types of resources and explains how to evaluate their usefulness and trustworthiness. She also shows how to avoid plagiarism and copyright infringement, and accurately cite sources.

Use the Wichita Public Library's LinkedIn Learning to access this online course (instructions above).

Watch the course on Information Literacy with Librarian Elsa Loftis (1 hr 47 mins)

To earn credit, complete all modules and save the Certificate of Completion that you receive at the end of the course; you will upload this certificate with your Professional Development Plan Part #2 assignment (with the workshop reflections).

How are you protecting your work? Author and attorney Dana Robinson gives you a high-level overview of intellectual property (IP), including topics such as patents, trademarks, and other protections. Learn the answer to common IP questions and discover an attorney's perspective on how you can best safeguard your ideas, and avoid infringing others' rights.

The information in this course applies only to the United States.

Use the Wichita Public Library's LinkedIn Learning to access this online course (instructions above).

Watch the course on Understanding Intellectual Property (1 hr 44 mins)

To earn credit, complete all modules and save the Certificate of Completion that you receive at the end of the course; you will upload this certificate with your Professional Development Plan Part #2 assignment (with the workshop reflections).

Whether you are an inventor yourself, work at a company that innovates, or are part of a company where intellectual property is important, understanding patent law is a big advantage. In this course, lawyer and law professor Dana Robinson shows you how to distinguish between good ideas that can be patented and good ideas that don't meet the strict requirements of patent law. He also outlines the patent application process and explains how businesses can avoid infringing existing patents with a simple search of the patent database. Dana also dives deeper into patents, applying US law, but also discussing international options. Even if you aren’t ready to file your own patent, this course should enable you to talk intelligently to a patent attorney about filing patents and about diminishing patent infringement risks.

Use the Wichita Public Library's LinkedIn Learning to access this online course (instructions above).

Watch the course on Understanding US Patents (47 mins)

To earn credit, complete all modules and save the Certificate of Completion that you receive at the end of the course; you will upload this certificate with your Professional Development Plan Part #2 assignment (with the workshop reflections).

How can you communicate information more visually? Instructor Amy Balliett has you covered. In this course, she introduces you to 20 rules that go into the “why,” the “who,” and the “how” of effective visual communication.

Watch the course on 20 Rules for Visual Communication (2 hrs 2 mins)

To earn credit, complete all modules and save the Certificate of Completion that you receive at the end of the course; you will upload this certificate with your Professional Development Plan Part #2 assignment (with the workshop reflections).

These courses share concise tips that help users sharpen their skills and leverage all that these communication tools have to offer.

Watch all four to earn credit:

• Microsoft Teams Quick Tips (2021) (28 min)
• PowerPoint Quick Tips (2021) (32 min)
• Excel Formulas and Functions Quick Tips (2020) (38 min)
• Word Quick Tips (32 min)

To earn credit, complete all four courses and save the Certificates of Completion that you receive at the end of the courses; you will upload these three certificate with your Professional Development Plan Part #2 assignment (with the workshop reflections).

You’ve probably heard about machine learning before, but have you ever wondered what that term really means? How does a machine learn? Have you thought about building a machine learning model, but didn’t know where to start?

Watch the course Machine Learning with Python: Foundations (1 hr 54 min)

To earn credit, complete all modules and save the Certificate of Completion that you receive at the end of the course; you will upload this certificate with your Professional Development Plan Part #2 assignment (with the workshop reflections).

In a world overloaded with information and uncertainty, the value of curiosity can’t be overstated. Curiosity can help you notice what others miss, avoid being led astray by false assumptions, and prioritize truth over convenience. In this course, Becki Saltzman, the founder and chief curiosity seeker at Applied Curiosity Lab, shows how to put your innate curiosity to work. Discover how to strengthen your curiosity muscle and use applied curiosity to ask smarter questions, solve problems, sell to others, and even avoid common data blind spots that can lead to faulty conclusions. Along the way, learn how to leverage the power of curiosity to gain deeper insights and make wiser decisions.

Watch the course Using Curiosity for Deeper Insights and Wiser Decisions (1 hr 5 min)

To earn credit, complete all modules and save the Certificate of Completion that you receive at the end of the course; you will upload this certificate with your Professional Development Plan Part #2 assignment (with the workshop reflections).

Learn innovative strategies for communicating with confidence, whether you're presenting at a conference, speaking up at a meeting, seeking funding, or making a request of a boss, board, client, or colleague. Learn immediately useful tips that can help you personalize content, craft business stories that are interesting and actionable, connect with audiences of five or five hundred, and exude a powerful executive presence that commands attention and respect whenever you speak.

Watch all three courses:

• Preparing for Successful Communication (1 hr 3 min)
• How to Speak Smarter When Put on the Spot (22 min)
• Writing Formal Business Letters and Emails (36 min)

To earn credit, complete all courses and save the Certificates of Completion that you receive at the end of the courses; you will upload this certificate with your Professional Development Plan Part #2 assignment (with the workshop reflections).

Introverts face some unique challenges when it comes to communication and socializing. These courses offer insights and practical strategies designed to help introverts develop the ability to communicate with confidence in any situation of their personal or professional lives.

Watch both courses:

• Confident Communication for Introverts (1 hr 16 min)
• A Small Talk Guide for Introverts (1 hr 14 min)

To earn credit, complete all courses and save the Certificates of Completion that you receive at the end of the courses; you will upload this certificate with your Professional Development Plan Part #2 assignment (with the workshop reflections).

How you carry yourself matters, and with these courses you'll be better able to communicate with confidence and achieve goals such as building a network or leaving a lasting impression.

Watch all three courses:

• Articulating Your Value (34 min)
• Social Cues No One Teaches You (18 min)
• Body Language for Leaders and Managers (49 min)

To earn credit, complete all courses and save the Certificates of Completion that you receive at the end of the courses; you will upload this certificate with your Professional Development Plan Part #2 assignment (with the workshop reflections).

If you’ve ever found yourself feeling unworthy of promotions, opportunities, or accolades; constantly worried about being discovered as a fraud who doesn’t belong; or chronically needing to prove yourself time and again in your role, despite a track record of positive past performance, then these courses are for you.

Watch all three courses:

• How to Crush Self-Doubt and Build Self-Confidence (21 min)
• The Cure for Impostor Syndrome (22 min)
• Nine Habits of Highly Confident People (43 min)

To earn credit, complete all courses and save the Certificates of Completion that you receive at the end of the courses; you will upload this certificate with your Professional Development Plan Part #2 assignment (with the workshop reflections).

Why do we procrastinate? Why not just finish what we need to do and move on? These courses introduce practical, research-based techniques you can use to beat procrastination. 

Watch all three courses:

• Beating Procrastination (24 min)
• The Surprising Upside of Procrastination (8 min)
• Breaking Out of a Rut (31 min)

To earn credit, complete all courses and save the Certificates of Completion that you receive at the end of the courses; you will upload this certificate with your Professional Development Plan Part #2 assignment (with the workshop reflections).

These courses will guide you to manage your time for greater productivity and build a system tailored to your needs. 

Watch all three courses:

• How to Organize Your Time and Your Life (24 min)
• Getting Things Done (30 min)
• Prioritizing Tasks for Maximum Impact (19 min)

To earn credit, complete all courses and save the Certificates of Completion that you receive at the end of the courses; you will upload this certificate with your Professional Development Plan Part #2 assignment (with the workshop reflections).