Author: Lainie Mazzullo

This week’s Student Success and Persistence highlight comes from senior Gregory VanDyke Jr.

Junior, as he’s more well known, is a criminal justice major, minoring in political science, organizational leadership and learning, and an honors track in leadership.

Junior found that becoming more involved in campus activities and leadership helped him get a better sense of who he is. But it was the guidance he received from a WSU faculty member that got him to that point.

“I will say that meeting Dr. Chelsea (Redger-Marquardt) has been the most helpful learning experience here at Wichita State. While I have a strong strong passion for criminal justice, I still felt like there was an ounce of passion for something else that was being left out, and I could not pinpoint it. It was not until Dr. Chelsea took the time to pour into me that I realized that the ounce of passion I was missing was a passion for leadership. Ever since I picked up a leadership minor and leadership track, Dr. Chelsea has not only been beneficial in my learning experience at Wichita State, but she also has been very supportive in helping me to find something in myself that I did not see before.”

Chelsea says students like Junior make her job at Wichita State enjoyable.

“I feel incredibly lucky to be able to connect with students each and every day, help them maximize their time at Wichita State, welcome them back as alumni, and see all the amazing things they are doing for our communities.”

Do you know of a faculty or staff member who promotes student success, or a student who has been helped by a faculty or staff member, that should be highlighted in WSU Today? Email your ideas to Caelin Bragg, newsletter editor with the Office of Strategic Communications, at caelin.bragg@wichita.edu.

As the United States looks toward the May 11 expiration of the public health emergency related to COVID-19, Wichita State is beginning the process of updating the website, campus signage and Student Health Services operations to reflect the transition away from the emergency phase.

We appreciate your patience as we move forward with this process. Stay tuned for further communication.

If you have questions regarding COVID content on your department or office website, please contact your supervisor.

Students who work an on-campus job at Wichita State are required to complete mandatory yearly training on preventing harassment and discrimination. The deadline is Friday, April 7.

Student employees can access the training in myWSU, on the myFinances tab under “Student Required Training,” then click on Preventing Harassment and Discrimination Training.

If you have not completed the training, it is very important that you do so no later than April 7.

This prevention training, which is led through WSU’s Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance, is not only important in making our campus a welcoming and equitable environment, but it’s also important for Title IX compliance. If you have completed your training this year, thank you for helping us make real progress in making our campus safe, inclusive and equitable.

Wichita State will introduce Paul Mills as its 27th head men’s basketball coach at 3:30 p.m. Thursday inside Charles Koch Arena. This event is free and open to the public, with streaming available live and on-demand via ESPN+.

“My family and I are extremely excited about being a part of Wichita State University,” Mills said. “The rich history, winning tradition and unbelievable community support will keep us working on behalf of the greatest fans in all of college basketball. We can’t wait!”

Mills has spent the past six years rebuilding the program at Oral Roberts (2017-23), earning bids to two of the past three NCAA tournaments.

In 2021 Mills became just the second coach in history to guide a No. 15 seed to the Sweet 16, upsetting Ohio State and Florida in the first two rounds.

This past season he coached ORU to a 30-5 record, an undefeated run through the Summit League (18-0) and a No. 12 seed in the Big Dance.

Mills is currently a finalist for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award as well as the NABC’s Skip Prosser Man of the Year honor, presented annually to a coach who achieves success on the basketball court and displays moral integrity off of it.

“Paul Mills’ heart for people, passion for life and approach to the development of young people and programs is energizing,” WSU Director of Athletics Kevin Saal said. “He aligns with Shocker Athletics’ core values, facilitates a first-class student-athlete experience and fuels broad-based competitive excellence. We are thrilled to welcome the Mills family – Paul, Wendy, Audrey and Abbey – to Wichita, Wichita State University and Shocker Nation!”

“We are looking forward to the next chapter of WSU basketball under Paul Mills’ leadership,” WSU President Dr. Richard Muma said. “He’s fully aligned with our priorities, which includes creating success for our student athletes and a winning culture for all of Shocker Nation.”

Mills’ teams play an exciting brand of basketball, annually ranking among the NCAA leaders in scoring and three-point field goals while playing tough, gritty defense.

Over the years Mills has also demonstrated a knack for finding and developing talent. His greatest success story is 6-foot guard Max Abmas, an overlooked recruit, turned NBA prospect who scored more than 2,500 career points in Mills’ system and was twice named Summit League Player of the Year.

Prior to ORU, Mills spent 14 seasons on staff at Baylor under head coach Scott Drew, the last eight as assistant coach during which he helped the Bears to six NCAA tournaments, tallying four Sweet 16 and two Elite Eight appearances, as well as the 2013 NIT title.

Mills, age 50, graduated from Texas A&M in 1996 with a degree in finance and completed a Master of Biblical and Theological Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary in the summer of 2020.

WSU’s Shocker Success Center — opening fall 2024 — is gaining national attention for its focus on a seamless student experience, combining 17 crucial student services into one spot.

Inside Higher Ed recently published a story where Provost Shirley Lefever and Vice President of Student Affairs Teri Hall were interviewed about the Shocker Success Center and how it will help students for years to come.

Weather safety is a priority at Wichita State. Please take a few moments to read through the information below regarding how we will keep you informed of weather-related activity.

• We strongly encourage you to sign up for the Shocker Alert System, which will send weather and class alerts to your phone and or email.
• The Wichita State website will be updated with a warning message during a tornado warning or weather situation that impacts classes or activities on campus.
• WSU’s official WSU Facebook and Twitter pages will be updated with pertinent information.
• You can call the Activity Line / Weather and Class Status at 316-978-6633, option 2.
• See a list of tornado shelters for each building on campus.

For more information about the weather outlook, consult the National Weather Service forecast for Wichita.

COVID-19 Pfizer original series vaccines and bivalent booster shots are available at no additional charge to the Wichita State campus community.

The walk-in vaccinations are available in the Student Wellness Center.

Each week, Shocker Athletics provides an update on the latest results, upcoming events and notable moments in WSU sports history.

Each week, Shocker Athletics provides an update on the latest results, upcoming events and notable moments in WSU sports history.

Each week, Shocker Athletics provides an update on the latest results, upcoming events and notable moments in WSU sports history.