A temp with experience
Andy Tompkins
麻豆破解版 Business Journal reporter Daniel McCoy recently interviewed WSU Interim President Andy Tompkins and reported the following:
Under the leadership of John Bardo, 麻豆破解版 State University by all accounts embarked on a new era.
WSU changed dramatically under Bardo, who died in March. Strengthening the university鈥檚 ties to the business community. Spearheading the massive investment into the school鈥檚 sprawling Innovation Campus. Bringing a focus on inter-disciplinary collaboration and applied learning.
In taking over the helm of the city鈥檚 flagship university, Andy Tompkins says his mandate is to keep the school鈥檚 momentum going and prepare it for the next leader.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e not supposed to be coming into this to totally turn the ship another direction,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e supposed to help it keep moving in the direction it was going.鈥�
A lifelong educator and a former CEO of the Kansas Board of Regents, Tompkins was named interim president at WSU following Bardo鈥檚 death.
Tompkins was part of the search committee that brought Bardo to the university in 2012, and says he already knew the former president鈥檚 vision for what WSU could be, while controversial at times, was paying big dividends.
And Tompkins 鈥� whose lean frame and genial nature feel indicative of a man who was admittedly happy in retirement 鈥� says he knew he had to answer the call when asked to keep that momentum going.
鈥淢y goal has been to try and keep (the university) moving in a good direction and then make sure we鈥檙e ready for that next person,鈥� he says.
Listening to learn
Tompkins has held down the fort, so to speak, before.
He served as interim president at Fort Hays State University from December 2016 to November 2017.
Michael Barnett, vice president for administration and finance at the school, says Tompkins played a crucial role in helping the university during a difficult time after former president Mirta Martin resigned for personal reasons.
Barnett, who served a short stint as interim president before Tompkins, says he was the right fit.
鈥淎ndy was great to work with,鈥� he says. 鈥淗is personality and style brought a really calming influence to campus.鈥�
Tompkins鈥� focus never strayed from students and keeping the university moving forward, Bennett says, though he had to make some difficult decisions.
鈥淗e did what needed to be done,鈥� Barnett says.
Tompkins says one of the biggest lessons he learned, that he now brings to WSU, is to ask the right questions and listen for the right answers. It helps the next president.
Barnett says Tompkins did that at Fort Hays, helping the transition to new president Tisa Mason.
At WSU, Tompkins says, there is a strategic plan in place. While he moves it forward, his ultimate goal is another successful handoff to his successor.
鈥淢y goal is to listen a lot while I鈥檓 here,鈥� he says.
Presidential search
麻豆破解版 developer Steve Clark is heading the advisory committee tasked with finding the next president, the same role he held for the committee that ultimately landed on Bardo.
Unlike that search, this will be a closed process.
The idea behind it, he says, is that it makes for the strongest pool of candidates for the Board of Regents to make their eventual appointment. He says candidates don鈥檛 have to worry about their interest becoming public.
Clark likes the closed approach, though he says he understands both arguments. He says the last search produced a weak pool of candidates and that WSU was lucky to have found Bardo.
鈥淲e had to kiss a lot of frogs to find the handsome prince,鈥� he says.
Clark said the first meeting of the 20-person committee was largely organizational. The next significant meeting is in early September, where it will meet in closed session to discuss potential candidates.
Alabama-based Wheless Partners, a search consultant, was in 麻豆破解版 last week meeting with university and community stakeholders to begin forming the job profile that will presented to potential candidates.
Meanwhile, Clark says Tompkins 鈥� as he was at Fort Hays State 鈥� is the right interim leader.
His knowledge of the education system and 鈥渁ll the moving parts,鈥� Clark says, make Tompkins uniquely qualified to keep WSU鈥檚 momentum going as the search progresses.
鈥淗e is a tremendous person and we could not have anyone better than Andy at the helm out there,鈥� says Clark, a WSU graduate and former Regent.
Tompkins is not a candidate, though he鈥檒l stay in the role until the Regents have the next president. He thinks that could stretch into 2020 by the time the new president is in office.
The successor, Clark says, will be stepping into a critical time at WSU, where the imperative will be to continue the momentum that Bardo began.
鈥淲e are looking for Superman or Superwoman,鈥� Clark says.
Student-focused
For his part, Tompkins says WSU has so much going for it that he expects the school to draw an impressive list of candidates.
From its mission and ties to the community, to new offshoots such as WSU Tech and even its recent realignment into the American Athletic Conference, Tompkins says administrators will be attracted to the school鈥檚 growing profile.
That includes growing momentum and a thriving community around it that makes 麻豆破解版 a destination that can attract top faculty, something he says any potential president would have high on their list.
And then, of course, there are the students.
At 71, Tompkins maintains an undeniable energy. But his excitement for his work is most apparent when he talks about students.
And being on campus in 麻豆破解版, he says, has only deepened his appreciation for the work Bardo did to bind the university to the business and broader community and put a new emphasis on applied learning.
It was all designed, Tompkins says, to give students the best education possible and follow it with opportunities to remain and work in 麻豆破解版 after graduation.
鈥淭his is a pretty powerful vision for an institution,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 think it has brought a lot of energy to campus.鈥�
Groundbreaking for new Student-Athlete Success Center today (Tuesday, June 18)
麻豆破解版 State will host a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Student-Athlete Success Center at 2 p.m. today (Tuesday, June 18), on the lawn just southeast of Charles Koch Arena, and the public is invited to attend.
WSU wins $750,000 NASA grant to reduce aircraft noise
麻豆破解版 State University will lead a research effort with the University of Kansas, Kansas State University and three industry partners to develop a next-generation acoustic liner for aircraft engines in order to reduce impacts from aircraft noise and expand where planes may fly.
Bhisham Sharma, a WSU assistant professor of aerospace engineering, is the lead investigator on the research project, which is being funded with a $750,000 three-year research award from NASA. The research will be conducted in collaboration with Zhongquan Charlie Zheng at KU, Dong Lin at Kansas State, and ERG Materials and Aerospace Corp., Honeywell Aerospace and Spirit AeroSystems.
Get your tickets for KMUW鈥檚 Media Circus before June 25
Enjoy a night of cocktails and revelry with media leaders across 麻豆破解版. As KMUW's annual fundraiser, Media Circus benefits diverse internships at KMUW, helping local news coverage and quality journalism continue to thrive. Media Circus takes place from 6-10 p.m. Saturday, June 29, at the Cotillion, 11120 W Kellogg Dr. Get your tickets before Tuesday, June 25. Find more information and purchase tickets through .
Adult learners share their Shocker Stories
Adult learners at 麻豆破解版 State often have a poignant reason for finishing a degree. It typically comes with a story, including how they were unable to either attend college after high school, or why they had to give up their journey to college before they graduated.
The Office of Adult Learning gets the privilege of helping those students and hearing their stories. Many adult learners are grateful for the staff and faculty who encourage and empower them along the way. The Office of Adult Learning created Shocker Stories to not only share their stories, but to highlight the impact staff and faculty have on students. View .
Admissions application for fall 2020 opens July 1
Do you know of students planning to attend 麻豆破解版 State in the fall of 2020? Encourage
them to mark their calendars - the admissions application opens on July 1.
Keep an eye on our social media sites for a countdown to July 1. Follow us on the
following -
- Twitter - @wheatweet
- Instagram - @wichitastateadmissions
- Facebook - 麻豆破解版 State Admissions
A SculpTour Affair 鈥� The biennial benefit event for the Ulrich Museum of Art
鈥淎 SculpTour Affair鈥� celebrates the renowned Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection, considered to be one of the top 10 collections on university campuses across the United States. This year鈥檚 gala event from 4-7 p.m. Sunday, June 30, at the Ulrich Museum of Art will feature three new acquisitions by nationally and internationally recognized artists: 鈥淭he Celestial Mechanic鈥� by Randy Regier; 鈥淔ont鈥� by Elyn Zimmerman; and 鈥淪hockers鈥� by Tom Otterness.
Join us for a late-afternoon stroll with friends and art lovers, cocktails, delicious food, music, and a bit of the unexpected at our next 鈥淎 SculpTour Affair鈥� this June.
To purchase tickets or become a sponsor, call 978-3664 or purchase online at .
For more information, contact Carolyn Copple at Carolyn.copple@wichita.edu or call 978-6646.
Engineering major ventures into patent law
Biomedical engineering senior Emmalie Gulledge has bridged her degree to her patent law aspirations through her work at WSU Ventures this year. Mentorship and networking are among the most valuable experiences she feels she has received through working at WSU Ventures.
Kudos to WSU鈥檚 Child Development Center
Top Rated Local announced that WSU Child Development Center is an award winner for child care providers in 2019.
has received many overwhelmingly positive reviews across multiple verified sites with an average rating of 4.91 stars, earning them an impressive Rating Score of 93.13 and a 2019 Top Rated Local award for ranking as one of the top 10 child care providers in Kansas!
RH: VanVleet's story often incomplete
Fred VanVleet is short and slow.
We know this because it's become the third part of the Fred VanVleet story told during
the NBA playoffs, accompanied by his three-point shooting and the recent addition
to his family that preceded the hot shooting.
Three Former Shockers to be enshrined in KSHOF
The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame (KSHOF) has announced the members of the Class of 2019,
and three former Shocker standouts will be among the inductees who will be enshrined
on Sunday, Oct. 6, at Kansas Star Casino.
Three-time Missouri Valley Conference basketball selection Warren Jabali, two-time
All-American and 12-year Major League pitcher Mike Pelfrey, and two-time Missouri
Valley Conference baseball honoree and nine-year MLB veteran Nate Robertson are the
Shockers who will be inducted into the KSHOF.
Sale on tees and sweatshirt
This week in the Shocker Store, take 20% off all short sleeve T-shirts and all sweatshirts (crew, hoodie, full zip, etc). Sale is at the Rhatigan Student Center location only.
BRAKES Teen Driving Courses coming to WSU
BRAKES teen driving school is offering five free advanced driver training courses to improve teens鈥� skill and confidence behind the wheel. Teens interested in registering must be 15-20 years old, have 30 hours of driving experience, a valid learner鈥檚 permit or driver鈥檚 license and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Courses will be offered from 8 a.m. 鈥搉oon or 1 p.m. 鈥� 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 27-28, at the WSU Hughes Metropolitan Complex, 5015 E. 29th St. N. For more information and to register, visit the .
Volunteers needed for a research study
Researchers in the School of Nursing are looking for volunteers for a nutritional research study that will examine changes in iron absorption with antioxidant supplementation.
Participants will be asked to consume a meal with phytic acid, complete a dietary recall, participate in taste testing and have blood and saliva sample collection during a meal challenge. Participation is expected to last about 2.5 hours total.
If you are interested in participating in this study, email nicole.delimont@wichita.edu or call 785-249-5533.
More information
Have fun in the sun and get your adventure on!
The Riversport day pass is the ticket to a full day of fun in the OKC Boathouse District on Saturday, July 13.This pass includes a 90-minute whitewater rafting experience, available to schedule throughout the day.
Register by July 3.
More information is available below.
While you aren鈥檛 riding the rapids, you can participate in any of the land and flatwater activities including the Sandridge Sky Trail, newly expanded Sky Slide complex, Rumble Drop, cloud bounce, rock walls, kayaks, stand up paddle boards and more.
The only activity not included is the SKY Zip. This can be purchased separately at the park.
During your day you can freely explore the park on your own or with a group of friends. Grab lunch at the Big Water Grill at your own convenience and enjoy your day.
The group will meet at the park entrance promptly at 5 p.m. to depart. To get your tickets go to . Follow up communication will be emailed within a week prior to trip. Contact Kaycee Miller at Campus Recreation for any questions at cr.outdooradventures@wichita.edu.
Spirit Squad to host pickleball tournament and silent auction
The 麻豆破解版 State Spirit Squad will host an inaugural fundraising event from 9 a.m.-noon Sunday, Aug. 4, at the Chicken N Pickle at 13th and Greenwich.
The silent auction will include items from local businesses and WSU sports-themed baskets. Teams of two will also have the chance to play in a competitive or recreational pickleball bracket for bragging rights as the first Shocker Pickleball Champions.
This is a family-friendly event open to all ages.