The newsletter for the WKU community
October 16, 2020
Health Information Management student working to pave the way for others
WKU senior Keisjia Mitchell is a second-generation college student pursuing her baccalaureate degree in Health Information Management (HIM). Although the Bowling Green native keeps her plate full with work, parenting, and school, leaving a path for future students is top of mind.

She served all four years of high school in the Junior Reserves Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC), graduating as a company commander. Through the program, she developed skills in leadership and learned the importance of serving her community.
 
Carrying those skills into college, Mitchell now serves as a student representative for the KHIMA (KY Health Information Management Association) student engagement committee. “Being a part of this committee is a huge honor. It has made me proud of the school that I represent. I hope that my work is paving the way for future students and that I can unite them to build a sense of community [in the program] at WKU.”
Meteorology major receives AMS scholarship
WKU senior Grace Campbell, a meteorology major from Franklin, has been awarded an American Meteorological Society scholarship.

Campbell, daughter of Kevin and Lisa Campbell, received the $2,000 AMS/Science Systems and Application, Inc. Scholarship. She is the fifth WKU Meteorology student to receive an AMS Named Scholarship.

“Grace started her journey with the WKU Meteorology Program early on at our annual summer youth Weather Camp, and to see her finish with national recognition is an incredible story,” said Dr. Josh Durkee, WKU University Meteorologist, director of White Squirrel Weather and Professor of Meteorology in WKU’s Department of Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences. “She is adding to the legacy of high-quality student recruitment and measured success that the Meteorology Program has instilled and provided since its inception in 2008.”
Check WKU's Healthy on the Hill website for COVID-19 information, including FAQs, Reported Cases Dashboard, Symptoms & Health Checks and more. Reminder: Flu shots are available at GGC@WKU by scheduling an appointment or walking in to the clinic.
CLIMBING HIGHER
Sandy Staebell, Kentucky Museum Collections Curator/Registrar, is the recipient of the 2020 Kentucky History Klotter Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kentucky Historical Society. Other 2020 award recipients include Dr. Christy Spurlock, Kentucky Museum Education Curator, and WKU Political Science professor Dr. Victoria Gordon. Their Journey to the Vote series of programs received the Programming Award. Learn More
Beta Alpha Psi recognized as Gold Chapter for first time
WKU’s Eta Omicron chapter of Beta Alpha Psi has been recognized as a Gold Chapter by the international honor society for the first time in the chapter’s history. This honor was awarded to only 10 out of more than 300 chapters internationally.
Spotlight: Darrian Evans
This year, WKU Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program alumnus Darrian Evans started learning the skill of Sankofa Yoga to supplement her mental health therapy practice in her hometown of Louisville.
Regents committees to meet
The WKU Board of Regents will conduct committee meetings starting at 9 a.m. Oct. 23 in the Martin Regents Room of Jody Richards Hall and via Zoom. More: Agendas and supporting materials
Hatcher Lecture Series
The Department of Modern Languages will host the annual Paul G. and Ernestine G. Hatcher Modern Language Lecture Series at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. In her presentation, Why College Students Should Learn a Language, Dr. Mary K. Long from the University of Colorado will explain why learning a language is important for students’ personal and professional lives.
GRAD LEARN Webinar Series
The Graduate School has launched GRAD LEARN, a webinar series designed to share information about evidence-based practices to promote innovation in graduate education. The first webinar for faculty and staff, Connecting Graduate Admissions and Graduate Student Success, will be presented from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Hispanic Heritage Month
When National Hispanic Heritage Month began on Sept. 15, the WKU Department of English announced it would showcase five influential Hispanic authors on the department’s Facebook and Instagram pages. On Thursday, the final day of Hispanic Heritage Month, the department wrapped up its celebration.
Benefits open enrollment
Here's a reminder from Human Resources that benefits open enrollment for WKU’s Health Plan ends next Friday (Oct. 23). All benefit-eligible employees must enroll for coverage effective January 1, 2021. Log in to the Benefits Portal to enroll. The 2020-2021 Top Life Employee Wellness program year began Oct. 1. For details, see the 2021 Benefits Guide. If you need help enrolling, email benefits@wku.edu to schedule an enrollment assistance session via Zoom.
View from the Hill
The year 2020 marked the beginning of WKU’s journey as a smoke-free campus. Now the university is being recognized with a tobacco-free award as WKU’s Amy Bingham explains in this week’s View from the Hill.
Athletics
October
17
Saturday
Head for The Hill

WKU Admissions will host a virtual open house event for prospective students on Saturday. Learn More
October
17
Saturday
Fall Super Saturdays

The Center for Gifted Studies will host Virtual Fall Super Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Learn More
October
19
Monday
Percussion Event

WKU Percussion will present Inuksuit, an 80-minute outdoor musical performance, from 11:10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in areas near the Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center. Learn More
More events: Check WKU Events calendar or follow @wkuevents on Instagram
Western Kentucky University 
1906 College Heights Blvd. 
Bowling Green, KY 42101