This week’s news in brief — Oct. 6

Barton School adds Redler and Oeding to Dean’s Advisory Board

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers co-founder Scott Redler and President and CEO of NXTUS Josh Oeding were recently named new members of the W. Frank Barton School of Business Dean’s Advisory Board.

 Redler, who is Vice Chair of the National Restaurant Association, was chosen for his years of experience in restaurant operation and entrepreneurship. 

Oeding, Barton school alum, founded Tenzing Capital and his experience at  NXTUS gave him the industry and venture capital experience and skills necessary for the advisory board position.

The new board members will work alongside 48 other leaders to advance and promote elements of the Barton School.

Former WSU football player and wife compile scrapbooks to honor plane crash victims

Bob Krestel, a former Shocker football lineman during the 1970s, and his wife, Diana Krestel, donated a meticulously-made collection of scrapbooks that they created to memorialize the 1970 plane crash tragedy and the subsequent aftereffects. The tragedy killed 31 individuals. 

Some of the artifacts compiled in the three books include newspaper clippings, game programs and photos and obituaries for those who died. The scrapbooks are now on display in the Rhatigan Student Center in the Shocker ‘70 Football Room on the second floor.

WSU Research team awarded funding for improving heart health

A WSU research team consisting of researchers from the College of Engineering and the College of Liberal Arts and Scientists were awarded funding to continue their research proposal, “The Development of a Smart Telehealth ECG and Human Activity Monitoring System to Improve Cardiovascular Health of Older Adults.”

 The funding was given by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with the hopes that the team will improve upon telehealth cardiovascular care methods provided via telehealth. 

The team is working to create low-cost wearable devices to continuously monitor a patient’s health, therefore hopefully increasing health accessibility. Along with the new funding, the team also receives support from the NIH Academic Research Enhancement Award to further their work, which they hope to complete in July of 2025.

Contemporary Indigenous Arts Festival hosted on campus

The WSU Ulrich Museum of Art teamed up with Contemporary Indigenous Arts Festival organizers to bring musical performances, artist talks, workshops and films to campus to celebrate and promote arts created by indigenous individuals. 

The free, open-to-all event was hosted on Oct. 4 and featured various artists and performers, such as Sicangu Lakota rapper Frank Waln and Mvskoke Creek/Seneca Hoop dancers Lumhe and Samoche Sampson. The festival was held collaboratively with the  Polk/Wilson and Amsden Galleries ‘Myths of the West: Narrating Stories of the Land and People through Wichita Art Collections’ exhibit.