Author: Diane Tinker Hurst

• Friday:
  • Brazita Bites 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Follow Wichita State Food Truck Plaza on Facebook.

• Thursday:
  • The Flying Stove 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Follow Wichita State Food Truck Plaza on Facebook.

• Thursday:
  • Wheat Street Dogs 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
  • Brazita Bites 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Follow Wichita State Food Truck Plaza on Facebook.

• Thursday:
  • Wheat Street Dogs 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Follow Wichita State Food Truck Plaza on Facebook.

Curious about Chat GPT, AI and machine learning and the impact they will have on the world? Attend presentations by two thought leaders in these areas. The National Institute for Research and Digital Transformation is pleased to welcome Dr. Monica Coley from Amazon Web Services and Andy Lin from Mark III to offer their perspectives and thoughts on this rapidly evolving technology.

• Coley, “AIML in a nutshell,” 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 2 in 142 Rhatigan Student Center, Harvest Room
  • Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) provide promise for advancing the practice of medicine and improving patient treatment and outcomes. Though the future of AI/ML yields optimism, excitement and a platform for innovation, challenges and concerns also exist around algorithm development, accuracy, implementation, adoption and trust within the industry. Coley will examine the key themes around AI/ML from both the context of the advantages of the innovation and its implications for the healthcare industry.
• Lin, “AI/ML & Simulation: State of the industry & practical tips for the next five years,” 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 3 in 265 Rhatigan Student Center, Lucas Room
  • Whether someone is focused on accelerating their research, building next-generation products and services in industry, or planning the next steps in their career, the impact of AI/ML, simulation, and the road to digital twins will touch almost everything done over the next decade. Come to this session to hear about how it got to this point with the steady rise of AI over the last decade, touch on the industry’s current “ChatGPT moment,” and ponder where to go from here. This session will also include some very practical tips on how to position an organization for the road ahead.

Visit the Food Truck Plaza this week to enjoy cuisines from local vendors. Today, dine with U-Hungry Truck and Brazita Bites from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Wichita State will present at the 2022 University Economic Development Association’s (UEDA) annual summit conference taking place Oct. 9-12 in San Antonio.

UEDA brings together higher education institutions, private sector businesses, non-profits, government organizations and community economic development stakeholders to create local and regional economic opportunity. The following WSU members will speak at this event during the break-out session:

• Tonya Witherspoon, associate vice president of Industry Engagement and Applied Learning
• Megan Feeney, WSU Tech Shocker Career Accelerator director, Industry and Workforce Collaboration
• Brian Austin, Shocker Career Accelerator Employer Releations director
• Diane Tinker Hurst, project manager with Industry and Defense Programs

The break-out session will address how WSU and WSU Tech are working with local industry and community partners to provide applied learning opportunities for students, resulting in $27 million in student wages earned during the 2022 fiscal year.

WSU is also a finalist for an Award of Excellence from UEDA for the innovation campus in the Engaged University category. The category recognizes initiatives that demonstrate excellence in the areas of talent, innovation and place.

Nominated projects successfully engage multiple community partners to link, leverage and connect efforts in talent, innovation and place. Other category finalists are Tech Parks Arizona at the University of Arizona, The StarTUp (Towson University) and the UK Economic Development Collaborative (University of Kentucky).

Winners will be announced the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 11 at the Summit conference.

Additional information about UEDA can be found at the link below.

All Wichita State students are asked to complete a ten-minute online survey to gather information about food security across the campus. The survey is a partnership between WSU, the city of Wichita, Friends University, and Newman University to gather information about food security faced by post-secondary students in the Wichita area. The survey is anonymous and will be used to inform an action plan to address the issue.

For more information, contact Diane Tinker-Hurst at diane.tinker-hurst@wichita.edu.

Wichita State students are invited to fill out the Innovation and Economic Prosperity (IEP) survey now through Feb. 25. All responses will be kept confidential, and all identifying information will be removed.

In fall  2019, Wichita State began pursuing the IEP designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU).

The IEP designation program helps higher education institutions better know, measure, tell and enhance their economic and community development impact while recognizing institutions that have demonstrated a substantive, sustainable and institution-wide commitment to and strategy for regional economic engagement, growth and economic opportunity. In Kansas, both Kansas State University and the University of Kansas have received this designation, as well as 70 other universities across the country.

WSU’s APLU IEP submission will be based on our Strategic Plan Goals and documented activities through the Strategic Planning Dashboard Submissions. It aligns with what higher education institutions have been tasked with by the Kansas Board of Regents through their Building a Future strategic plan and the Department of Commerce Framework for Growth plan, as well as President Rick Muma’s goals and priorities.

At the heart of the IEP Universities program is promoting institutional change to maximize the impact of research, learning and engagement on the regional economy and society, and that’s where we need the help of Wichita State students.

The WSU IEP team wants to hear from students to get their feedback about where WSU needs to go from here, what direction the university needs to go in, what WSU needs to get done to move in that direction and what solutions does the university need to have to move forward.

For more information, please contact diane.tinker-hurst@wichita.edu.