Wichita State Poised For Massive Growth

[Kung Wu]

We are way behind in Cube Sat education. Hopefully this will help.

"We" as in you and your wife?! Oh thank goodness, I thought it was just me!!

Personally, I couldn't sleep last night because of my wife's ignorance on Cube Sat education. So okay, yeah, she's definitely not where she should on Cube Sat education, I'll fess up to that. And as the man of the house, I guess that's on me. Fine, I'll own that.

I guess you've shamed me into it -- I'm gonna run upstairs and switch her show off and make her watch some Youtube videos on Cube Sat education. I'll just tell her this guy I met at some rando bar the other day told me to. She'll understand.

[1972Shocker]

"We" as in you and your wife?! Oh thank goodness, I thought it was just me!!

Personally, I couldn't sleep last night because of my wife's ignorance on Cube Sat education. So okay, yeah, she's definitely not where she should on Cube Sat education, I'll fess up to that. And as the man of the house, I guess that's on me. Fine, I'll own that.

I guess you've shamed me into it -- I'm gonna run upstairs and switch her show off and make her watch some Youtube videos on Cube Sat education. I'll just tell her this guy I met at some rando bar the other day told me to. She'll understand.

I sit on a cube at least twice daily when I am changing clothes in my closet. I feel like have it pretty well mastered.

[shoxlax]

What can I say, I’ve turned into a nerd.

[Kung Wu]

What can I say, I’ve turned into a nerd.

Jackassing aside, why do they call a 10cm x 10cm x 30cm aluminum box (about 4" x 4" x 12") a "nano" satellite? That's like a gazillion magnitudes from nano scale. What am I missing?

[shoxlax]

It’s all relative man. Anything under 10 kg in NASA’s definition is a nano.

[Kung Wu]

Ohhh, it's a weight thing, not a size thing. Got it!

[ABC]

We are way behind in Cube Sat education. Hopefully this will help.

Please explain more. Thank you.

[WstateU]

Please explain more. Thank you.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C9cv5fHO331/?igsh=cnRwMmsxcmkwemdr

[SubGod22]

This is a big deal.

WSU - WSU included in initiative to boost behavioral health workforce

Wichita State University is part of a collaborative effort to address the behavioral health care worker shortage across Kansas. With new funding, mental health care agencies in south-central Kansas will be better equipped to tackle this critical need.

In a recent report, Kansas was positioned among the states with the poorest access and availability of mental health treatment, largely due to a shortage of professionals to care for mental health patients. However, a committed cohort of mental and behavioral health professionals has successfully secured funding to address this deficiency by implementing educational initiatives aimed at bolstering the talent pool of behavioral health professionals within our state.

Backed by $5.7 million in funding from the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS), the newly established Kansas Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (KSBHCoE) is focusing on key areas to enhance opportunities and expand the mental health workforce. This effort involves strategic collaboration with several local agencies and institutions, including Wichita State.

• Funding for Wichita State’s physician associate program to include behavioral health training
• Fund internships and clinical support at Wichita State’s Counseling and Psychological Services
• Increase the number of child and adolescent psychiatry residencies and fellowships through the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC)Create an addiction medicine fellowship through KUMC
• Recruitment and retention of nursing faculty at two-year colleges across Kansas

KSBHCoE was formed in 2023 and includes 11 mental and behavioral health organizations from across the Southcentral Kansas region.

“The goal is that every Kansan has access to quality, affordable behavioral health care,” said Dr. Jessica Provines, assistant vice president for wellness and chief psychologist at Wichita State. “Right now, there are long waits across the state, and much of our state is suffering from a behavioral health scarcity. Wichita State wants to be part of the solution.”

Kyle Kessler, executive director of the Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas and director of KSBHCoE, said Kansas suffered a significant setback in its mental and behavioral health infrastructure when the Menninger Clinic left the state in 2003.

The Menninger Clinic, founded in Topeka in 1919, was a prominent mental health institution. At its peak, Kessler said approximately one-third of the country's mental health experts had connections to Menninger.

In 2020, COVID-19 swept across the globe and led to heightened isolation, depression and anxiety. The crisis underscored the urgent need for mental health services and exposed their scarcity during a time of widespread uncertainty. Since then, there’s been an uptick in demand for mental health resources and facilities in Kansas.

“We’ve had this re-emphasis on the importance of mental health in the past year or two,” Kessler said. “These organizations need to be funded appropriately, they need to grow, and we need to have the workforce to serve those patients.”

Wichita State’s psychology program skews heavily toward counseling and community health care, and this funding will help broaden its focus into forensic psychology.

“The state of Kansas and the Midwest in general have a severe shortage of psychologists with training in forensic psychology,” said Dr. C. Brendan Clark, associate professor and chair of Wichita State’s Department of Psychology. “If we are to meet the demand generated by the opening of the state hospital, we will need to begin training forensic psychologists as soon as possible.”

Additionally, WSU’s physician’s associate program will receive funding to develop specialty training in behavioral health.

By building the talent pool of highly qualified behavioral health care workers, KSBHCoE aims to cut down the extreme wait times that many Kansans — particularly those in rural communities— experience when they need mental health care.

“The idea is that this group will help create a model for others to follow and lead to policy change around behavioral health care and the behavioral health workforce in Kansas,” Provines said.

[pogo]

My dad practiced Behavioral Health when I was a Kid. "Behave for the sake of your health"

[SubGod22]

WBJ - WSU Tech named part of Metallica scholars initiative for sixth year

WSU Tech is participating in the Metallica Scholars initiative for its sixth year, which has grown to include colleges in all 50 states.

Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation, a nonprofit created by Metallica band members and management, has announced the largest expansion of the Metallica Scholars initiative, including 18 new colleges and its largest grant of $2.6 million across the program.

The Metallica Scholars Initiative assists community colleges and their career and technical education programs. This year’s grant at WSU Tech will provide financial support to students interested in veterinary nursing.

It's nice to see a foundation like this that is supporting and encouraging the trades. It's the best route for a lot of people and helping and encouraging those people goes a long way in making a better future for them and the rest of us, as we need their skills just as much as those who go onto get a traditional education.

[SubGod22]

WSU - Wichita State adds new scholarships for working professionals to take badge courses

Wichita State University has established the Aetna Better Health Endowed Workforce Badge Program Fund, thanks to a generous gift from Aetna Better Health. This fund will provide scholarships to participants enrolling in select behavioral health badge courses, enhancing the skills and knowledge of the Kansas workforce in critical areas of health and wellness. The Aetna Better Health Workforce Badge Scholarship will fully cover the costs for participants who register for one of the following badge courses:

• Direct Support Professional Series: Badges 1-8
• NADD Specialty Clinical Certification: Psychotherapy
• NADD Specialty Clinical Certification: Positive Behavior Supports & Effective Environments
• NADD Specialty Clinical Certification: Clinical Assessment
• Achieving Cultural Competency through Narratives of Intersectionality
• Creative Interventions: Trauma-Informed Care

Already this year, 15 scholarships have been awarded at WSU, with funding for 14 more by the end of the year and plans to offer 10-20 scholarships annually in the years to come.

Aetna Better Health is a leading health care benefits company and part of the CVS Health family, taking a holistic approach to health and wellness. Their commitment to supporting and strengthening the Kansas workforce is demonstrated through this initiative.

This strategic partnership aligns with Wichita State’s and Aetna Better Health’s shared goals of building a healthier world by increasing knowledge for better care, serving the most vulnerable populations and positively impacting the community. It’s also another example of how Wichita State prioritizes access and affordability for students.

Badges at Wichita State are academic short courses of one credit hour or less, specifically designed for working professionals. These courses stand out from other online non-degree courses because they are tied to credit hours and adhere to Higher Learning Commission regional accreditation standards. Offered online and self-paced, badges also provide opportunities for licensed professionals the opportunity to earn contact hours toward relicensure. Courses are taught by experienced faculty who are experts in their fields.

For more information about the Aetna Better Health Workforce Badge Program Fund and how to apply for a scholarship, please visit wichita.edu/badges or email workforce@wichita.edu.

I think we all know I'm an advocate for mental health at this point and I love seeing WSU step up to help improve that area.

[pogo]

Wonder why there is not construction camera for the new NIAR building. I can understand why none on the ATF Lab but

[Veritas]

Not sure on NIAR but the Cessna stadium Concam is like a still photo. The only thing that changes is the tire tracks in the gravel on the east side.
Any new updates on the additional bids and when construction will start again?

[SubGod22]

Not sure on NIAR but the Cessna stadium Concam is like a still photo. The only thing that changes is the tire tracks in the gravel on the east side.
Any new updates on the additional bids and when construction will start again?

I haven't heard anything. Someone probably needs to reach out to Eldridge, Sullentrop, or someone else who might have knowledge or be able to ask those that do about it.