Shock Talk Podcast

Michael Staab '13, fault management and system autonomy engineer with Blue Origin, talks with hosts Jacob O'Connor and Jon Peterson, both of Wichita State's Office of Tech Transfer and Commercialization, about a galaxy of topics, including returning humans to the moon, 20 hours on the road to Denver, space treaties, Jeff Bezos, colonizing Mars, skiing, and so much more. Note: Views and opinions voiced by the hosts of any Shock Talk Podcast (STP) episode are not necessarily those held by the WSU Alumni Association or its STP partners, including the WSU Office of Technology Transfer and Commercialization.

This week's Comm Report, with Connie White, Bernice Barnes and Adriana Ramos, covers current alumni and university news, including the Shocker men's bowling team's most recent victory in the PBA Collegiate Invitational held on March 20.

This week's Comm Report, with Connie White and Adriana Ramos, covers current alumni and university news, including the new role Kaye Monk-Morgan will be taking up in April.

Host Jacob O'Connor, along with Jon Peterson, both Wichita State students who work at the university's Office of Tech Transfer and Commercialization, interview J. David “Dave” Cunningham '86, founder and CEO of Flint Hills Group, a custom software development company based in Wichita. Recorded at Wichita's Groover Labs, Cunningham, who's a fourth-generation Wichitan, shares his fascination and history with looking into “how things work.” Inside scoop: Not really into technology, computer science and software development? If you're a runner considering your first marathon —or just looking for inspiration to push though personal boundaries of any sort, this episode is still custom-geared for you! Note: Views and opinions voiced by the hosts and guest personalities of any Shock Talk Podcast (STP) episode are not necessarily those held by the WSU Alumni Association or its STP partners, including the WSU Office of Technology Transfer and Commercialization.

The Shock Talk Podcast (STP) Comm Report covers Shocker news and personalities each week, as reported by WSUAA communication staffers: Connie White, director of communications, and student interns Bernice Barnes and Adriana Ramos. This week, Usha Haley, WSU professor of management and W. Frank Barton Distinguished Chair in International Business, professional basketball player and former Shocker standout Toure' Murry, and Karen Lee Born '94, novelist, are in the news. Plus, Shocker basketball fans are invited to an All-American Alumni Party next week at the AAC basketball championship tournaments in Fort Worth.

The Shock Talk Podcast (STP) Comm Report covers Shocker news and personalities each week, as reported by WSUAA communication staffers: Connie White, director of communications, and student interns Bernice Barnes and Adriana Ramos. This week, J. Robert “Bob” Young '61 and Eddie Sandoval '17 are in the news.

The Shock Talk Podcast (STP) Comm Report covers Shocker news and personalities each week, as reported by WSUAA communication staffers: Connie White, director of communications, and student interns Bernice Barnes and Adriana Ramos. This episode features the WSUAA's announcement of the 66th Class of Wichita State University Alumni Awards honorees. Congratulations, Scott Stucky, Bob Strattan, John Tomblin, Elaine Bernstorf, Manny Villarreal-Barboza, and Paul Harrison and Rick Stephens.

Host Jacob O'Connor, along with Jon Peterson, both of Wichita State's Office of Tech Transfer and Commercialization, react to Michael Staab's discussion of his new position at Blue Origin. Staab '13, an engineer formerly with NASA is now working at the privately funded aerospace company as a fault management and system autonomy engineer within the company's advanced programs development division. (Bonus: learn how a Shocker aerospace engineer de-stresses from his high intensity job. Is it baking? Knitting? Playing Metallica tunes on the guitar?) Note: Views and opinions voiced by the hosts of any Shock Talk Podcast (STP) episode are not necessarily those held by the WSU Alumni Association or its STP partners, including the WSU Office of Technology Transfer and Commercialization.

The Shock Talk Podcast (STP) Comm Report covers Shocker news and personalities each week, as reported by WSUAA communications staffers: Connie White, director of communications, and student interns Bernice Barnes and Adriana Ramos. This episode features Stephanie Dawkins Davis '89, who has been nominated by President Joe Biden to the U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit. Amplify your mind, Shockers: listen in!

Host Jacob O'Connor, along with Jon Peterson, both of Wichita State's Office of Tech Transfer and Commercialization, react to Michael Staab's review of two key career highlights at NASA. Staab '13, an engineer formerly with NASA now with Blue Origin, was involved in the Cassini mission to Saturn and the Mars explorations by the spacecraft rover named “Opportunity.” In Part 2, to air Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022, O'Connor and Peterson will talk about Staab's exciting new phase of his engineering career as he takes up a new position at Blue Origin, a privately funded aerospace company. For more about Staab and the aerospace adventures he has had at NASA, read “Wherever I May Roam,” from The Shocker alumni magazine archives.

The Shock Talk Podcast (STP) Comm Report covers Shocker news and personalities each week, as reported by WSUAA communications staffers: Connie White, director of communications, and student interns Bernice Barnes and Adriana Ramos. This episode features Michael Staab '13 of Blue Origin, Lemuel Moore '11 of the Wichita Police Department, and Darren DeFrain, WSU associate professor of English, and his research partner Aaron Rodriquez — and their Vizling app. Amplify your mind, Shockers: listen in!

Host Jacob O'Connor, along with Jon Peterson, both of Wichita State's Office of Tech Transfer and Commercialization, preview our upcoming two-part Shock Talk Podcast Innovators miniseries episode with Michael Staab '13, an engineer formerly with NASA now with Blue Origin. Michael, whose career projects at NASA include the Cassini mission to Saturn and the Mars explorations of the spacecraft rover named “Opportunity,” will be reviewing his time at NASA — and sharing his excitement about his new position at Blue Origin. The episode will take place in two parts, the first of which will air Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022 and the second on Wednesday, Feb. 16.

The Shock Talk Podcast (STP) Comm Report covers Shocker news and personalities each week, as reported by WSUAA communications staffers, Connie White and Connor Freund. We hope you enjoy this episode of the Shock Talk Podcast!

Jacob O'Connor from WSU's Office of Tech Transfer & Commercialization along with Connie White, WSUAA director of communications, and Connor Freund, communications and marketing specialist at the WSUAA, sat down to chat about the future of the innovators podcast and to share a look ahead at the guest list.  Wichita Life ICT: https://wichitalifeict.com/ 

The Shock Talk Podcast (STP) Comm Report covers Shocker news and personalities each week, as reported by WSUAA communications staffers Connie White and Connor Freund. Filling in for Connie, is Bernice Barnes, our WSUAA student intern. We hope you enjoy this episode of the Shock Talk Podcast! President Muma's MLK Jr Day, video : https://twitter.com/PresidentWSU/status/1483051017017114624?s=20

We had the opportunity to catch up with Landon Huslig '15 of Wichita Life ICT. Hear about his journey from high school to attending college at Wichita State. To now being a full time Pipeline Integrity Engineer at Koch Industries and while running and operating Wichita Life ICT. Wichita Life ICT: https://wichitalifeict.com/ Wichita Life ICT Podcast: https://wichitalifeict.com/tag/wichita-life-podcast/

The Shock Talk Podcast (STP) Comm Report covers Shocker news and personalities each week, as reported by WSUAA communications staffers, Connie White and Connor Freund. We hope you enjoy this episode of the Shock Talk Podcast!

Jacob O'Connor from the Office of Tech Transfer & Commercialization along with Connie White, Director of Communications and Connor Freund, Communication & Marketing Specialist at the WSUAA sat down to chat about the past innovators interviews and take a look ahead to the year 2022. Hear what's on tap for the upcoming episodes and reminisce on the year 2021.

The Shock Talk Podcast (STP) Comm Report covers Shocker news and personalities each week, as reported by WSUAA communications staffers. This week, among the Shockers in the news are Julius Thomas III '05, all of the 2021 Alumni Award Honorees, Naquela Pack '16, Ron Baker '15 and Zach Bush '17 and Curt Gridley '80 among many more Shockers who made 2021 so very special.

In this interview, host Jacob O'Connor sits down with Susayn Brandes, the president, CEO and board chair of Great Plains Ventures Inc., a five-company management firm based in Wichita. Brandes shares how her father, the late Charlie Peer, started up Great Plains Ventures' originating company after losing his aviation-industry job — and how she handles the high stress business situations she deals with today. Check Susayn out: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susayn-brandes-03839b34/

The Shock Talk Podcast (STP) Comm Report covers Shocker news and personalities each week, as reported by WSUAA communications staffers. This week, among the Shockers in the news are all of the 2021 fall graduates, Wichita State's Center for Economic Development and Business Research (CEDBR) and the Shocker men's and women's basketball teams. 2021 Arts and Culture Impact Analysis: https://www.wichita.edu/about/wsunews-releases/2021/12-dec/arts_release_4.php Fan Central: https://www.shockeralumni.org/s/1817/interior.aspx?sid=1817&gid=2&pgid=471 Shock Talk Podcast: https://anchor.fm/shocktalk

This week we share our full interview with Curt Gridley hosted by Jacob O'Connor from the Office of Tech Transfer & Commercialization. Gridley co-founded Groover labs with his wife Tracy Hoover. Taking Tracy's last name “Hoover” and Curt's last name “Gridley” and combine them, you get the name Groover. Hints the name Groover Labs. Hear this #ShockTalk Innovators episode wherever you listen to podcasts. Groover Labs: https: https://bit.ly/3oU4UBh

The Shock Talk Podcast (STP) Comm Report covers Shocker news and personalities each week, as reported by WSUAA communications staffers. This week, among the Shockers in the news are WSU President Rick Muma, Cindy Hoover '90, Naquela Pack '16 and AfterShocks team members Conner Frankamp and Rashard Kelly. Tune in and stay up with what's going on at Wichita State and throughout the Shocker world.

We had the chance to catch up with Cindy Hoover '90, a vice president in R&D at Spirit AeroSystems and the current chair of the WSUAA's board. Listen in and hear a couple of stories about her days as a student at Wichita State –– covering everything from what it was like being a Wallace Scholar and studying electrical engineering, to playing in WSU's marching band, to rappelling off the CAC. Tune in wherever you listen to your podcasts

This week we preview our talk with Curt Gridley '80, an entrepreneur whose tech start-up Amber Wave Systems sold to US Robotics for 40M in shares back in 1996 and who co-founded Wichita's Groover Labs with his wife Tracy Hoover. Combining Tracy's last name “Hoover” and Curt's last name “Gridley,” you get “Groover.” Hence, Groover Labs. Hear about this upcoming #ShockTalk Innovators episode wherever you listen to podcasts

The Shock Talk Podcast (STP) Comm Report covers Shocker news and personalities each week, as reported by WSUAA communications staffers Connie White, communications director, Connor Freund, communications specialist, and Bernice Barnes, communications intern. Tune in and stay up with what's going on at Wichita State and throughout the Shocker world.

Founder and CEO of Jenny Dawn Cellars winery, Jennifer McDonald started her wine journey in California and now has opened her first urban winery in downtown Wichita. Hear her story and much more on this episode of the #ShockTalk Innovators hosted by Jacob O'Connor from Wichita State's Office of Tech Transfer & Commercialization. Tune in — and hear the bold, flavorful, full-bodied story. Available wherever you listen to podcasts.

From dealing with chronic illness to creating The Co-Immunity Foundation, Wichita State student Madeline Shonka has overcome a diverse set of obstacles — and is on a mission to help others through similar challenges. Tune in to this episode of #ShockTalk Innovators to hear Shonka's story. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Click the link below to learn about The Co-Immunity Foundation: https://www.coimmunityfoundation.org/about-us Connect with us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wsushockeralumni/

Christina Long '03, a print journalism major, is founder and owner of CML Collective LLC and president and CEO of Create Campaign Inc. In this new episode of #ShockTalk Innovators Christina discusses how she took the jump from a steady job into the entrepreneurial world. Connect with Christina Online: https://www.createcampaignks.com/about-us https://www.cmlcollective.com/cml https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-long-05221555/

The WSUAA and Shocker Career Accelerator partner on this Shock Talk Career Chats: Brewing Professionals featuring six Shocker brewers, who talk about what it takes to be a pro in the brewing business and the challenges that come with it. The original premiered at 4 p.m. CT Tuesday, June 1, when WSUAA director of alumni programs and moderator Tate Blanton '13 spoke with Augustino Brewing's Augustine '06 and Bianca '11 Iacopelli, Central Standard Brewing's Ian Crane '08 and Andy Boyd '05, and Walnut River Brewing Company's B.J. Hunt '99 and Rick Goehring '02.

This week we feature award-winning writer and educator Kerry Jones '00 in the #ShockArt lane of our #ShockTalk podcast series. Jones is the director of the writing center at Wichita State. She holds a B.A. in English from Mansfield University with dual minors in philosophy and creative writing. In this inaugural episode of our Shocker Lit Reading miniseries — and with a tip of the witch's hat to the Halloween season — Jones has chosen to read from her new short story, “Love, American Style.” Available wherever you listen to your podcasts. For a continuation of “Love, American Style,” visit ShockerAlumni org: https://www.shockeralumni.org/s/1817/19/interior.aspx?sid=1817&gid=2&pgid=1214

In this interview, host Jacob O'Connor sits down with Roy More III. Roy is an aerospace engineer and CEO and Founder of STEMusic. STEMusic uses the power of music to get younger kids interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math. Roy has used this company to target a unique group of kids in hopes of having a larger chain effect on the work force as a whole. Tune in to find out more! Check Roy Out: https://www.thestemusic.com

Hey, Shockers! What does an NCBCA three-time 1st team All-American, a four-time PWBA title winner and armadillos have in common? Find out in this episode of #ShockTalk Shocker Sports with Shocker alumna and pro bowler Dasha Kovalova'18.

This episode of Shock Talk: Innovators features Kim McCollum, assistant director of GoCreate: A Koch Collaborative, which is housed in Wichita State's John Bardo Center on the university's Innovation Campus. McCollum and host Jacob O'Connor talk about the signature makerspace that helps inventors and hobbyists make whatever they can imagine — from woodworking projects, to T-shirt presses, to … you name it!

The WSUAA and Wichita State Athletics co-host this #ShockTalk: Shocker Sports with a panel of former WSU athletes. Moderator Gretchen Torline '94 is joined by Keomi Johnson '00 (basketball, softball, and track), Terri (Richter) Moses '80/90 (basketball and softball) and Deana (Alexander) Torgerson '97/99 (basketball and track and field).

In this episode of the Shock Talk podcast, Jacob and Rob sit down with Derek Sorrells. Derek is a local serial entrepreneur who started and sold his first business at age 19 and is now the Co Founder of The Arcade, Founder of Sweet 'n Saucy, & Owner of Papa's General Store. In this interview we discuss how Derek got his start in entrepreneurship, how he came up with each business idea, and what it has meant to him to run businesses in the city of Wichita. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, & review the podcast with the link below: https://anchor.fm/shocktalk Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wsu-ventures/ Check Derek out on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dereksorrells/ Link to Sweet 'n Saucy: https://sweetnsaucywichita.com

This Career Chat features Stan Longhofer '89 as moderator. Dr. Longhofer holds the Stephen Clark Chair of Real Estate and Finance at Wichita State's Barton School of Business and is the founding director of the university's Center for Real Estate. Joining Stan are Abby Kelly '11 — Barton School of Business graduate who works with Fulton Grace Realty in Chicago — and David Grard '14, an Elliott School of Communication graduate who works in Oregon with the Portland Real Estate Group. The WSUAA partners with the Shocker Career Accelerator in the production of this podcast.

This episode has been published and can be heard everywhere you listen to your podcasts. In this Shock Talk podcast, host Jacob O'Connor and co host Rob Gerlach sit down with Jesse Marks. Jesse is a WSU graduate and local entrepreneur who has made a business around your compost. Jesse is the Founder and CEO of Nudge Compost. His business collects food scraps from Wichita locals and composts them, similar to how the garbage collection service works- except it's good for the environment. In this episode, Jacob and Rob discuss how Jesse came up with this eco-friendly business and why Wichita is the perfect place for it to thrive. Connect with us on LinkedIn: Tech Transfer & Commercialization: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wsu-ventures/ Shocker Alumni: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wsushockeralumni/ Connect with Jesse: https://www.instagram.com/nudgecompost/ https://www.nudgecompost.com

Our #ShockTalk Podcast guest Darren DeFrain — associate professor of English at Wichita State and the author of numerous short stories, essays, and screenplays, as well as the story collection Inside & Out (MSR Press) and the cult novel The Salt Palace (New Issues Press) — talks R&D about an app he is co-developing for visually impaired people. The app, called Vizling, enhances the experience of reading comic books and graphic novels. Awarded $100,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities to continue research on the app, DeFrain hatched the idea for Vizling with a former graduate student of his, Aaron Rodriguez, who's now a Ph.D. student at Florida State. A partnership between the WSU Alumni Association and Office of Tech Transfer & Commercialization https://www.shockeralumni.org/s/1817/home.aspx?sid=1817&gid=2 https://www.wichita.edu/research/ttc/ Vizling online: http://vizling.org/ https://twitter.com/vizling

Veteran theater, television and film actor Ray Wills '82 hosts this WSUAA-produced Shock Talk Career Chat featuring Wichita State University-educated performing artists Rhonda Aldrich '78, Angela Parrish '10/10, David Stone '70 and Julius Thomas III '05, aka “Alexander Hamilton,” who each talk about their work, how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the current performing arts scene, and how their days at Wichita State set the stage for their professional creative endeavors.

In this episode, hosts Jacob O'Connor and Rob Gerlach from Wichita State's Tech Transfer & Commercialization sit down with local entrepreneur Luke Luttrell '02. A mechanical engineering graduate, Luke is co-founder and CEO of two different entrepreneurial ventures: Next LED and Project Content. From working for his fraternity after college, to making a name for himself in the Software As A Service (SAAS) industry, there‘s a common theme: Keep moving forward even if you don't know how things will turn out. As Steve Jobs said, "You can only connect the dots looking backwards." Tune in to hear the full story!

Wichita State graduates A.A. Mohib '97/01, aerospace and industrial engineer, and Greg White '89, venture partner, Kubera Venture Capital LLC, Atlanta, talk about the spirit of innovation at WSU — and tell a few tales of their undergraduate days on campus. Credits: WSUAA communication staff Connie White, Scott Paske, Connor Freund

In this episode, host Jacob O'Connor and co-host Rob Gerlach from Wichita State's Office of Tech Transfer & Commercialization sit down with entrepreneur Steve Hayes, a founder of the Hayes Company, which headquarters in Wichita. As a student at Wichita State, Steve worked with his father to set up this logistics fulfillment business. What started as a small family operation transformed into an international business with a 500+ workforce and contracts with such corporate titans as Walmart, Target and Home Depot. Tune into this episode to hear about Steve's incredible journey, as well as what advice he'd offer to his younger self. Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wsu-ventures/ If you enjoyed this Innovators episode, please subscribe, rate and review the Shock Talk Podcast with the link below: https://anchor.fm/shocktalk An Innovators episode airs every (nonholiday) Wednesday at 7 a.m.

Welcome to Shock Talk: Innovators Wichita State's Office of Technology Transfer & Commercialization and the WSU Alumni Association team up on a Shock Talk Podcast miniseries hosted by entrepreneurship student and 2020 Fran Jabara Endowed Scholarship recipient Jacob O'Connor. Shock Talk: Innovators salutes Wichita and Wichita State's rich history of innovation, brings you news and information about our ever-changing entrepreneurial climate — and features select individuals whose signature ideas and ways of doing business are making things new. From episode to episode, our subject matter is wide open, and our temporal focus ranges from past, to present, to future potentials. The one constant is this: every Innovators episode drills in on someone worth listening to. Episodes are released at 7 a.m. CT every non-holiday Wednesday.

Former Wichita State basketball standout and AfterShocks player Markis McDuffie visits with Scott Paske of the Wichita State University Alumni Association to preview the TBT Wichita Regional on July 16-20. McDuffie, who played at WSU from 2015-19, also discussed his Shocker playing days and his pro basketball experience playing in Hungary and Italy.

Former Wichita State basketball players Ron Baker '15 and Zach Bush '17 visit with Scott Paske of the Wichita State University Alumni Association about The Basketball Tournament's (TBT) Wichita regional, which begins July 16, 2021, at Charles Koch Arena. Baker is the general manager and Bush is head coach of the AfterShocks, a predominantly Shocker alumni team that will compete in the 64-team, winner-take-all tournament for $1 million.

In the debut episode of the WSUAA's Shock Talk podcast series, Karon Bradley, head coach of the Wichita State alumni team AfterShocks, talks Shocker Basketball with AfterShocks players Garrett Stutz and Shaquille Morris. Competing in 2019's The Basketball Tournament for a $2 million top prize, the AfterShocks won their opening TBT game in the Wichita regional on July 25 in Charles Koch Arena. Coach Bradley, Stutz and Morris got together the day after the victory to talk Shocker hoops and what it's like to be back playing the Roundhouse. Credits: Connor Freund, Scott Paske, Connie White for the WSUAA

Courtney M. Marshall, WSUAA president and CEO, moderates this discussion with recent Shocker graduates Kaisha Batman '20, news reporter for KSNG in Garden City, Kan.; Kylie Cameron '20, digital producer for KWCH 12 in Wichita; and Shelby (Reynolds) Kellerman '16, reporter for the Wichita Business Journal.

The WSUAA continues its Career Chats series with Shock Talk Career Chats: Human Resources Professionals, in partnership with Wichita State's Shocker Career Accelerator. This second Career Chat features a panel discussion with Brian Austin '08, Lane Lindt, Kent Dang '19 and Jena Lysen '80/85/95.

Wichita State head baseball coach Eric Wedge talks with Scott Paske for The Shocker Mag about Shocker baseball and the challenges facing WSU's lauded program, including the curve ball thrown by COVID-19. Video: https://rb.gy/j66vgc