WSU teams up with American Red Cross for community blood drive

WSU students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to donate blood for the American Red Cross on April 12 and 13 in the Heskett Center. Donations collected by the American Red Cross are used to help treat patients with Sickle Cell Disease, cancer and other blood disorders. 

As part of the American Red Cross’s promotion, donors received complimentary Peanuts T-shirts for their donations. 

WSU frequently hosts community blood drives — for those interested in donating at future drives, event details can be found on the WSU Today and WSU Calendar websites.

Submissions for funding available for women with business concepts 

Applications for the Women for Women Innovation Fund, an award reserved for WSU women with innovative business ideas, are now open. The bi-annual award was created by WSU alums Erin and Kyle Cummings, who also invested in launching a student-managed investment fund at the end of 2022. 

Applicants must address how their concept will address market needs, what the funds will be used for, and their estimated completion timeframe.

Full and part-time students are encouraged to apply for the funding, which offers up to $5,000 to selected students. The application deadline is April 28, and those interested in applying can do so through the Women for Women Innovation Fund webpage.

Former Apple executive speaks on digital transformation and education

Rae Niles, a WSU alumna and former learning senior manager for Apple, recently presented a lecture on how teaching and learning strategies can incorporate the newest digital advancements. 

As the director of curriculum and technology for Wichita Public Schools, Niles has shifted her goals to refining teaching methods and incorporating digital aids to better supplement teaching practices. Niles, who worked at Apple for 15 years, has decades of experience collaborating with educators to assess what learning environments and technological tools are most conducive to success.

Niles was just one of several guest speakers and lectures invited by the university as part of the Corbin Connect Speaker Series.

Faculty invited to annual award ceremony

The annual University Faculty Awards ceremony, to be hosted on May 5, will honor WSU faculty members who have displayed excellence, leadership, research and creativity within their departments. 

2023 honorees include department of biomedical engineering David Long, department of public health sciences Amy Drassen Ham, department of mathematics and statistics John Hammond, and department of engineering technology Perlekar Tamtam (among others). 

RSVP for the event is required and can be completed on the University Faculty Awards home page.

Registration open for Lavender Graduation

LGBTQ+ graduate students will be honored at WSU’s annual Lavender Graduation ceremony on May 5. Hosted by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Spectrum: LGBTQ & Allies, the event will celebrate the achievements of LGBTQ+ students with lavender or rainbow cords to be worn at the Spring 2023 commencement ceremony. 

Students can choose to be recognized openly or privately and are required to RSVP through the Lavender Graduation homepage.