WSU Grad Students Gain Hands-On Field Work
Wichita State associate anthropology professor David Hughes and Steven Roberts ’03 led a group of graduate students on an excavation of mammoth remains near Cunningham, Kan., this October. A mammoth tusk had been uncovered during a construction project, and the WSU team now has the tusk at a campus lab, where it will be studied, cleaned and prepped for eventual display at Skyland Grain LLC in Cunningham.
The verdict on how old the tusk may be is still out. Radiocarbon dating to determine the age could take a few more months, Hughes reports. He says the tusk most likely came from a Colombian mammoth, the largest species of mammoth to live in North America. They roamed the tundra plains of Kansas during the Pleistocene Epoch, a time of three ice ages, which began some 1.8 million years ago and lasted until about 11,700 years ago. The dig gave Wichita State students a chance for some hands-on field work.
Wichita State to Become Tobacco-Free Campus
Starting July 1, 2017, Wichita State and all of its satellite locations and WSU-owned properties will be tobacco free. The new tobacco-free campus policy, passed in August by WSU President John Bardo’s executive team, eliminates the use of any tobacco product, including cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, hookah and electronic cigarettes. WSU joins more than 1,100 college campuses in the United States that are tobacco free.
Wichita State’s “Bird People” Have Returned
Wichita State’s “Personnages Oiseaux” by Joan Miró has returned to the Ulrich Museum of Art this fall after its five-year restoration. After spending some 30 years exposed to the elements, the massive 28- by 52-foot outdoor mural that graces the southern wall of the Ulrich was in disrepair. In 2011, the mosaic mural was taken down and sent to Russell-Marti Conservation Services in Missouri.
The original particleboard backing was removed and replaced with stainless steel to prevent deterioration, and each piece of glass and marble was cleaned and repaired. Miró spent six years creating the mural, which was installed in 1978. “Personnages Oiseaux,” or “bird characters,” is made of 1 million pieces of glass and marble and is one of Miró’s largest works of art in the United States. It is the only piece he ever created in the medium of glass and marble.
The fundraising goal for the restoration was $2.2 million, which was met through the generosity of individuals, corporations and foundations. The National Endowment for the Arts and the Institute for Museum and Library Services awarded more than $600,000 in federal grants. For more about WSU’s iconic mural: “You Can’t Miss It.”
Wichita State Enrolls Largest Freshman Class
Wichita State enrolled 3,736 new students this fall semester, a 7.6 percent increase over new students in fall 2015. Fall 2016 represents the largest class of new freshmen (1,476) in WSU history, including the largest number of new full-time freshmen (1,420). Overall, enrollment at WSU for fall 2016 is 14,474 students, a decrease of 21 students or 0.14 percent, compared to a year ago, according to the official enrollment report given to the Kansas Board of Regents following the 20th day of classes.
A Shocker to Know: WSUAA’s Chris Purdum
When Chris Purdum ’07 came to Wichita State from Norfolk, Neb., he didn’t know anyone. So he got busy, getting involved as a tour guide, president of the Fairmount Towers Activities Council and a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. As luck would have it, he met his future wife, Ashley Gluszek ’08, on his first day of orientation. The two spent the next four years taking in the college experience. By the time he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance, he was a committed Shocker.
“I had a wonderful undergraduate experience and that was due in large part to the advisors, staff, professors, alumni and my peers,” he says. “Because of those people and the experiences we shared, we continue to be as involved as we can with the university.”
That involvement led Purdum to his new position as chairman of the board for the WSU Alumni Association. His goals as board chair include achieving meaningful growth in paid membership and continuing with the success of the Drive Your Pride WSU Scholarship Kansas License Plate Program.
A huge baseball fan, Purdum is vice president for commercial banking at Commerce Bank in Wichita. He and Ashley have three children.
— Lainie Mazzullo
