UPCOMING EVENTS

SEPTEMBER 
2


Labor Day 
PPMC Offices Closed


SEPTEMBER
13

 

7:30 a.m. - noon 
WSU 





SEPTEMBER
20
Open to the Public 
Info: LGM member
1-4 p.m. 
WSU
OCTOBER
24

The Public Policy and Management Center's 2019-2020 Graduate Assistants are (l-r) Sarah Gooding, Brooke Bailey, Drake Koops and Abigail Hammack.
Meet our 2019-2020 Graduate Assistants  
  
We are delighted to have four Graduate Assistants working with us during the 2019-2020 academic year. Their contributions to the PPMC are invaluable, and we greatly appreciate having them on our team! 

Brooke Bailey  began working as a graduate research assistant for the PPMC in May 2018. She graduated from Emporia State University with bachelor's degrees in Communication and Political Science in May 2018. This is her second year in the Master of Public Administration program, and she will graduate in May 2020. Brooke, a Wichita native, has always been interested in public service and has worked in both the public and nonprofit sectors. In the future, she hopes to become a city/county administrator. She has a passion for local government and loves learning about quality of life issues in communities. 

Sarah Gooding  is in her second year as a graduate research assistant at the PPMC and in WSU's Master of Public Administration program, and is pursuing certificates in both city and county management and nonprofit management. Sarah began her career as a newspaper journalist, and is the 2015 co-recipient of the Kansas Press Association's Victor Murdock Award for reporting on the systemic challenges that impact every part of life for individuals in poverty in Southeast Kansas. This reporting, along with her interactions with local government managers, inspired her to work on her MPA.

Abigail Hammack  is a Wichita native with a bachelor's degree in Public Relations from Kansas State University. During her undergraduate education and after graduating in 2016, Abigail worked in higher education in the areas of student services and international education. Abigail is now pursuing her Master of Public Administration degree at WSU, and is in her first year as a graduate assistant at the PPMC. Prior to deciding to return to school, Abigail was the Marketing Director for a regional economic development organization in Virginia. Her interest in the public sector remains in the areas of nonprofit leadership, and community and economic development. 

Drake Koops  is a first-year graduate student in the Master of Public Administration program, and joined the PPMC as a graduate assistant earlier this month. Drake graduated in May 2019 from Sterling College with undergraduate degrees in History and Criminal Justice: Pre-Law and a minor in Political Science. His hometown is Downs, Kan., a tiny town in North Central Kansas. He has been enjoying his time in Wichita getting used to all the traffic and fast food restaurants! In his free time, Drake can be found watching any and all types of movies, reading books, listening to podcasts, and playing with his two Standard Poodles. Drake's future career interest is serving as a Foreign Service Officer who runs the day-to-day operations of an embassy. 
Women in Public Service hear from WSU Tech's Utash at mentoring luncheon 

On Thursday, Aug. 22, more than 90 women attended the Women in Public Service mentoring luncheon with keynote speaker Dr. Sheree Utash, President of WSU Tech and VP of Workforce Development for WSU. This WPS luncheon was particularly special, because attendees were encouraged to bring the next generation of women with them. This provided a valuable opportunity for middle school, high school and college students to mix and mingle with women who have chosen to pursue careers in public service.

During the luncheon, Utash talked about her institution's transition from Wichita Area Technical College to the WSU Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology (WSU Tech), and shared how she's said YES throughout her career. She discussed aspects of public service - nurturing the hopes and dreams of those we serve, and collaboratively working toward a common goal. In keeping with the WPS Year of Yes  theme, she challenged attendees to move forward by saying YES .
Wichita State's Badge program offers courses for working professionals

Did you know that Wichita State University's Department of Workforce, Professional and Community Education offers Badge courses for working professionals? Badge courses are online and self-paced. Badge coursework will appear on your WSU transcript, but will not impact your GPA. 

Badge topics include healthcare, education, engineering, creative, business, general workforce skills and behavioral science. Conveniently designed for students looking to develop new job-related skills and competencies, Badges can be stacked and applied toward degree completion.

Badge scholarships are available! Those who enroll in a Badge course by Monday, Sept. 9, 2019, will have tuition and fees waived for one Badge course for the Fall 2019 semester. To learn more about the program, visit badges.wichita.edu
Wichita State University Public Policy & Management Center  |   wichita.edu/ppmc
STAY CONNECTED: