Category: Events and Recreation

Meet the winners of the Library Research Award at a celebration event at 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 6 in the Digital Scholar Commons of Ablah Library.

One undergraduate and one graduate student have written an essay showing exemplary scholarship and creativity through effective research strategies and demonstrated use of resources, including collections, services, equipment, staff or facilities.

Refreshments provided. Learn more about this annual financial opportunity on the Library Research Award guide.

Join the Fairmount College Student Advisory Council and the Office of Student Success for some “Fun Before Finals!” from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 30 at Shocker Sports Grill and Lanes in the lower level of the Rhatigan Student Center and enjoy free pizza, bowling, billiards, drinks and more.

Students from the Museum Exhibition class, under the direction of Holmes Museum of Anthropology director and instructor, Rachelle Meinecke, have created a special exhibit this semester. The exhibit is a collaboration between the Kansas African American Museum, the Mid-America All Indian Museum and the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum.

It explores the powerful and often overlooked stories of minority men and women who have served in the military. The exhibit will be temporarily displayed in the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum’s second floor Special Exhibits Gallery, 204 S. Main St.

Be one of the first to view this special exhibit and support the students’ hard work, during its reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 24. The reception is free and open to the public. Light refreshments and drinks will be available.

The President’s Distinguished Service Awards will recognize faculty and staff for exemplary, dedicated and caring service to the Wichita State community on Friday, May 8.

The reception to meet and greet the honorees is at 9 a.m. The recognition ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. in 141 Woolsey Hall, Fidelity Bank Ballroom.

Honorees were selected by their peers from the university’s Staff Senate and Faculty Senate.

The 2026 President’s Distinguished Award honorees are:

Faculty Senate:

• Robin Henry, Department of History, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Alexander Ziegler, Department of Marketing, W. Frank Barton School of Business

University Staff Senate:

• Mandy Harmon, Undergraduate Admissions, Strategic Enrollment Management
• Scott Jensen, Housing and Residence Life, Student Affairs
• Jacob Mendez, Dean’s Office, College of Engineering
• Naquela Pack, Wichita State Connect, PreK-12 Engagement

University Staff Senate – Wayne Carlisle Award:

• Debra Franklin, Strategic Initiatives, Industry and Defense Programs

At this year’s joint URCAF+GRASP Conference is keynote speaker Carl Bowden, MBA, who will be speaking from 1:15 to 2 p.m. Friday, April 24 in 110 Woolsey Hall, Frank A. Boettger Auditorium. Carl is a consultant at Allen, Gibbs & Houlik, one of the largest Certified Public Accountant (CPA) advisory firms in Kansas, and will discuss uncertainty and career building. Carl Bowden was recently featured on President Rick Muma’s “Forward Together” podcast.

His presentation, “From Exploration to Focus: Making Sense of Your Career Journey,” explores how career paths rarely unfold exactly as planned — and why that’s a good thing. Drawing from his experiences across diverse roles, global travel and graduate school at the Barton School of Business, Carl reflects on how experimentation, observation and meaningful relationships can bring clarity over time.

The URCAF+GRASP oral presentations will begin at 8 a.m. and poster presentations will begin at 11 a.m.

Through his journey into consulting at AGH, Carl illustrates how treating experiences like data points can reveal patterns, refine purpose and guide better decisions. This talk challenges graduate students to embrace uncertainty, stay curious and take intentional steps toward building a career that is both impactful and authentic.

For any questions, email undergraduateresearch@wichita.edu or gs3@wichita.edu.

All faculty and teaching staff are invited to an American Association of University Professors (AAUP) chapter meeting on building faculty and teaching staff power and for other updates on campus issues. The meeting will be held from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Friday, April 24 in 209 Hubbard Hall.

Bring a friend or two for updates on events around the campus and state. For questions or a password to the Zoom remote link, contact AAUP chapter secretary George Dehner via email at george.dehner@wichita.edu.

The Center for Entrepreneurship invites students, faculty, business leaders and community members to attend the 2026 Shocker New Venture Competition (SNVC) — a high-energy showcase of emerging startups and student innovation.

Taking place on Friday, May 1 in Woolsey Hall, this annual competition highlights the most promising new ventures from students across Kansas as they compete for funding to bring their ideas to life.

The Office of First-Year Programs is now accepting donations for the Shocker Swag Swap. Students, faculty, staff and community members can drop off Wichita State gear they no longer want and earn Swag Bucks to use at the event.

Here’s how it works: donate your unwanted Shocker gear ahead of time, and the Office of Student Success will record your items and have your Swag Bucks ready for you at the swap. Then, on the day of the event, you can use your Swag Bucks to shop for gear.

Donating does not require participants to take anything in return, but participants must donate gear in order to receive gear.

Drop off your gear at the Office of Student Success in 218 Shocker Success Center. The Shocker Swag Swap is from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday, May 4 in 319 Rhatigan Student Center, McKay Room.

Bring in the Shocker gear you no longer want, and trade it for something you will. For questions, contact Kaelyn Hannah at kaelyn.hannah@wichita.edu.

Join the First-Year Research Experience (FYRE) from 3 to 5 p.m. May 13 at Ablah Library’s Collaboration Hub for a captivating showcase of research projects. Explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics projects from first-year Shockers already putting their research skills to work.

This event is open to everyone, and food will be provided, so mark your calendars and don’t miss out. Learn more at wichita.edu/fyre.

It’s National Library Week. Join University Libraries for a sweet treat from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 22 at Ablah Library, to celebrate libraries and the communities that make them great.

National Library Week, April 19-25, is an annual time to highlight all the ways libraries benefit individuals and communities alike. Not only do libraries provide books to read, but they offer a variety of valuable resources. WSU Libraries offers study spaces, research assistance, tech tools and so much more, to help students achieve success.