Barton School News - All Stories

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University has announced Susan Thomas, founder and CEO of 10Fold, will serve as the college’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence for the Spring 2023 semester. Thomas is from Newton, KS and began her college education at Wichita State. She founded 10Fold in 1995 and the company is now ranked among the top eight percent of independently owned communications firms exclusively focused on business-to-business technology in the U.S. (IBISWorld, 2020).

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University has awarded Isabella (Bella) Kilman, a senior from Valley Center High School, the 2023 Clay Barton Scholarship. The $50,000 scholarship is one of the largest business scholarships in Kansas.

The Barton School recently talked with Maley Hansen, senior at Wichita North High School and future Barton School of Business student, who was named one of three 2023 Gore Scholars. More than 480 high school seniors from all over the country competed in this year’s Distinguished Scholarship Invitational to become Gore Scholars – participating in essays, a leadership competition and interviews. Maley will receive a $64,000 scholarship to attend Wichita State University in August 2023. She is only the fourth North High student to receive the scholarship, which was established in 1954.

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University has named Stephanie Cockrell as its new Director of Graduate Programs. In the role, Cockrell will work to define and execute strategies to increase enrollment and retention as well as deliver robust experiences for graduate students. This includes study-abroad programs as well as experiential education and applied leadership opportunities. Cockrell will also lead all recruiting marketing and communication activities for graduate degree programs. Her first day in her new position was January 23.

Dr. Usha Haley, W. Frank Barton Distinguished Chair in International Business and Kansas Faculty of Excellence, was recently featured in the Times Higher Education and also judged Financial Times Awards for impactful research. Read more about these stories.

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University is pleased to announce that founder, chairman and CEO of Banyan Technologies Group, Tanvir Arfi, has been named the School’s Spring 2023 Executive-in-Residence. Residents provide Barton School students, faculty and the Wichita community with vital perspectives and knowledge from industry leaders.

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University has announced the hiring of three new faculty members within the college. These new members of the Barton team will bring a wide breadth of industry knowledge and innovative research to their department.

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University is pleased to announce the appointment of Mel Whiteside as the inaugural Executive Director of the Barton School’s Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD). Whiteside was most recently the Dean of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics at Butler Community College.

Wichita State alums Erin & Kyle Cummings have donated $250,000 to launch the W. Frank Barton School of Business Student-Managed Investment Fund. The generous contribution will provide students with new applied learning opportunities as they invest real money in stocks, bonds and more. The remaining $250,000 will be reallocated from existing WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement (WSUFAE) investments to support this initiative.

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University and WSU Tech have named scholarship recipients who are participating in a joint pathway program. The two schools have committed $28,000 in scholarships for WSU Tech students committed to continuing their education with a business degree. The scholarships will be awarded equally to five students over the next two years.