College of Fine Arts News - All Stories

June 11, 2026 — Wichita State University is expanding its Teacher Apprentice Program™ (TAP) to include new middle-school level math and science pathways aimed at addressing critical teacher shortages across Kansas.

June 10, 2026 — Wichita State University is preparing students and families for significant updates to federal financial aid programs scheduled to take effect July 1 as part of new federal legislation commonly referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill.

The Barton School of Business at Wichita State University announces the creation of the Ross Tidemann Scholarship, a new four-year scholarship that will support incoming Barton School students through the Allen, Gibbs, and Houlik Scholarship Competition beginning in fall 2026.

Wichita State University’s Spero program housed and led by the Barton School of Business is entering its third year after graduating 80 participants across its Career Readiness and Entrepreneurship pathways. Early outcomes indicate that more than 75% of Career Readiness graduates report being employed, while 3 out of 4 Entrepreneurship graduates are operating ventures currently generating revenue.

May 28, 2026 — Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), in collaboration with Hexcel Corporation, celebrated the groundbreaking of the new Hexcel Applications Center.

Thirty-six years after sitting in the crowd as a Wichita State graduate uncertain about what came next, Koch executive and Barton School alumnus Richard Dinkel returned to Charles Koch Arena with a message for the Class of 2026: uncertainty is not something to fear; It is where growth begins.

May 26, 2026 — Wichita State University has received approval to rename University Stadium to Crossland Stadium in recognition of Crossland Construction’s significant contributions and longstanding connections to the university.

The Barton School of Business at Wichita State University has received a $500,000 commitment from Vicki Decarsky via Derby Community Foundation in support of Spero, a workforce and entrepreneurship initiative designed to expand opportunity across Wichita.

May 20, 2026 — Dr. Moriah Beck, Talaty Endowed Research Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Wichita State University, has been elected a 2025 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, one of the world’s largest and most prestigious scientific societies.

May 19, 2026 — Wichita State University marked the opening of a federal forensic laboratory on its Innovation Campus, expanding the university’s role in applied learning and national public safety efforts.