The newsletter for the WKU community
August 16, 2022
President's Message:
A New Academic Year on the Hill
Colleagues,

As you continue your college and department meetings this week, I want to thank you for your diligent preparation ahead of our students’ arrival and your commitment to their success. Your dedication changes lives, and the work you do enriches the WKU Experience.
 
I enjoyed seeing many of you at our Faculty and Staff Convocation. Gatherings like this underscore the importance of togetherness and shared experience. Our work remains deeply interconnected, and I am grateful that we can start the semester under normal operations. 

Monday morning, we welcomed new faculty and staff members to The WKU Family. I encourage the returning members of our workforce to take time to get to know your new colleagues and show them what we mean when we refer to the WKU Spirit as demonstrated so vividly by this year’s Spirit Award Winner, Dr. Martha Sales.

As I mentioned during Convocation, we have provided all faculty and staff with six free drinks to redeem at Spencer’s in The Commons at Helm Library, which opens on Monday, August 22. These have been loaded onto your WKU ID and expire at the end of this fall semester. I hope you use this opportunity to connect with your students and colleagues, both old and new, over your favorite drink in this transformative space on our campus.
2022 Faculty and Staff Convocation
President Timothy C. Caboni delivered his annual Faculty and Staff Convocation address Monday in Van Meter Auditorium. Here are highlights from the event:

  • Convocation address: President Caboni offered a recap of the 2021-2022 academic year, while also previewing the year to come. Learn More

  • Spirit of WKU Award: Dr. Martha Sales, Dean of Students and Assistant Vice President for Student Life as well as Executive Director of TRIO Programs and the Intercultural Student Engagement Center, was the 2022 recipient of the Spirit of WKU Award. Learn More

  • Fundraising success: President Caboni announced that when the fiscal year ended on June 30, 2022, WKU completed its most successful decade of fundraising in institutional history with nearly $303 million raised since July 1, 2012. Learn More
CLIMBING HIGHER
Dr. Bruce Schulte, Associate Vice President for Strategy, Performance & Accountability and University Distinguished Professor, was recognized with the Richard Buchholz Conservation Behavior Award at the recent meeting of the Animal Behavior Society Conservation Committee in San Jose, Costa Rica. Learn More
Assistant Professor Jessica L. Folk's feature-length screenplay, Tallie, received first place in the University Film & Video Association's (UFVA) 2022 juried screenplay competition. Learn More
Gatton Academy receives Inspiring Programs in STEM Award
The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science received the 2022 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education. The Inspiring Programs in STEM Award honors colleges and universities that encourage and assist students from underrepresented groups to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science will be featured, along with 78 other recipients, in the September 2022 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. Inspiring Programs in STEM Award winners were selected based on efforts to inspire and encourage a new generation of young people to consider careers in STEM through mentoring, teaching, research, and successful programs and initiatives.
Spotlight: LaDeirdre Mumford
“I am currently on deployment, but I work for Matthew 25 AIDS Services as a Health Educator and Linkage to Care Specialist on the civilian side. I educate members of the community and form partnerships (like with WKU Health Services) to perform testing and help others to know their status, all while pursuing my master’s in Public Health at my alma mater.” – LaDeirdre Mumford, Joint Visitors Bureau Protocol Officer, Health Educator
WKU Board of Regents meets
During its meeting Friday, the WKU Board of Regents approved a new name for the ROTC Physical Training Facilities located at the Charles M. Ruter Track and Field Complex, approved faculty emeritus appointments and recognized three new Regents.
School of Nursing and Allied Health receives grant
The School of Nursing and Allied Health in the WKU College of Health and Human Services recently received a $479,000 grant from the Healthcare Workforce Collaborative of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education.
Visiting professor of Jewish Studies joins WKU department
The Department of History in the Potter College of Arts and Letters (PCAL) has received a grant to hire Dr. Alexander Marcus as the Visiting Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies for the 2022-2023 academic year. The grant aims to build a Jewish student organization at WKU and supply a forum for the Jewish community in Bowling Green.
Professor awarded CITL Innovative Teaching Grant
WKU’s Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL) awarded architecture science professor Dr. O.E. Mansour an Innovative Teaching Grant. Dr. Mansour’s work explores how learning objectives of a project-based architectural course (AS 373 – Architectural Documentation II) as well as classroom activities improve the course quality and enhance the intended learning outcome.
View from the Hill
A huge outdoor classroom located just 20 minutes from WKU’s main campus offers endless opportunities for learning and connecting. In this View from the Hill, WKU’s Amy Bingham shows all that the McChesney Field Campus has to offer.
Athletics
August
16
Tuesday
M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan

M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan events this evening include the M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan Kickoff, Topper Walk and Class of 2026 photo. Learn More (More: Move In Week Parking; WKU Dining Move In Week Hours of Operation; WKU Dining Fall 2022 Hours of Operation) 
August
16
Tuesday
Planetarium Show

Lives of the Stars will be presented at 7 tonight at the Hardin Planetarium. Showtimes are 7 p.m. Tuesday, 7 p.m. Thursday and 2 p.m. Sunday through September 1. Learn More
August
19
Friday
Topper Fest

The WKU community will celebrate the start of the academic year with Topper Fest at 5:30 p.m. Friday on the South Lawn. Learn More
Western Kentucky University 
1906 College Heights Blvd. 
Bowling Green, KY 42101