The newsletter for the WKU community
August 29, 2023
President's Message: Week Two
of the Fall Semester
Dear Colleagues,

Activity abounds on The Hill as our students have returned to campus and settled in for the fall semester. I enjoyed welcoming many student groups during the last two weeks and witnessed their excitement about immersing themselves in the full WKU Experience.

Students have made one thing clear – our faculty and staff have, once again, gone above and beyond to welcome them to campus and help them prepare for the year ahead. Thank you to all those who dedicated their time and energy to assist students moving into residence halls; who served as M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan Cluster Facilitators or assisted with events throughout the week; who volunteered to help our newest Hilltoppers navigate campus through Topper Directions; and who demonstrated the WKU Spirit when engaging with our students and their families.

During the weekend of September 8, we will invite our students’ families back to campus for Parent and Family Weekend. Our guests will see firsthand our dedication to their students’ well-being and success and will experience the bonds that make our university a true home away from home. You can find more information about Parent and Family Weekend here.

Families remain critical to our recruitment and retention strategies. Building relationships with our prospective students’ families and keeping them engaged after the students enroll and make progress toward their WKU degree set us apart from many other universities across the nation. I appreciate the efforts of the academic colleges, departments and individual members of our faculty and staff to establish and maintain relationships with families through frequent communication and meaningful involvement.

As we continue to celebrate the Hilltopper Spirit through the university’s We Wear Red. We Show Up. initiative and WKU Athletics’ Rock Your Red Fridays campaign, students, parents, family, faculty, staff, friends and alumni across the country can join us by participating in College Colors Day this Friday. I encourage all faculty and staff to wear red WKU apparel on Friday as our Hilltopper Football team prepares to kick off what promises to be another successful season this weekend.
CLIMBING HIGHER
Tabatha Spain, Testing Coordinator for the WKU Distance Learning Testing Center, received the NCTA Service & Leadership Award from the National College Testing Association. Learn More
Dr. Katrina Burch and her students in the Discrimination and Work-Life (DAWL) lab published a peer-reviewed empirical commentary on parental leave policies in academia. Learn More
Spotlight: WKU Homecoming
Here's a reminder that the WKU Alumni Association, in partnership with the Department of Student Activities and WKU Athletics, will celebrate a “BIG RED, White and Blue” Homecoming on November 9-11.
2023 WKU Sisterhood grant application available online
The 2023 WKU Sisterhood grant application is available online. Deadline to submit completed applications is October 1.
Biology faculty, graduate student publish research
WKU Biology Department faculty members Dr. Michael Smith and Dr. Steve Huskey along with graduate student Kathryn Denny recently published two papers in the journal Integrative and Comparative Biology. The articles are based on master's thesis work completed by Denny. The authors found that veiled chameleons produce low frequency vibration pulses that are transmitted along branches to other chameleons.
Larry & Joe to present music workshop, concert Thursday
The Kentucky Folklife Program, in partnership with the Potter College of Arts & Letters Cultural Enhancement Series and South Arts, will host the musical duo Larry & Joe, musicians and storytellers crafting a Venezuelan/Appalachian melodic fusion. They will present a free music workshop from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday at the Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center Recital Hall, room 189. That evening at 6:30, Larry & Joe will perform a free concert at the same location.
ONE WKU Lunch & Learn Series
The ONE WKU Lunch & Learn Series will begin on September 7.
Ogden College announces passing of former dean
It is with great sadness that we share the loss of Dr. Martin Houston, the former dean of Ogden College. He passed away on August 20, 2023, at age 84. Dr. Houston’s career led him to Western Kentucky University in 1970, when he joined our community as a professor in the Department of Biology. He was appointed as Dean of Ogden College in 1994 and served in this position until 2001.
WKU Week in Photos
Take a look back at the first week of the fall semester in the latest WKU Week in Photos.
Athletics
August
29
Tuesday
DiscoverFest

DiscoverFest will be held from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. today on the lawn between Minton Hall and Downing Student Union. Learn More
August
30
Wednesday
Market on the Avenue

Market on the Avenue will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday at Centennial Plaza on Avenue of Champions near PS2. Learn More
September
4
Monday
Labor Day

WKU will be closed Monday in observance of the Labor Day holiday. More: Labor Day weekend dining hours
Western Kentucky University 
1906 College Heights Blvd. 
Bowling Green, KY 42101