Bryonna Hawk

April 30, 2025 — Bryonna Hawk is passionate about helping others through speech-language pathology and will continue her studies in Wichita State's graduate program. She credits her success to strong time-management strategies and hands-on experiences at the Evelyn Hendren Cassat Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic.

Luke Parrett

April 30, 2025 — Luke Parrett, a filmmaking major from Oklahoma, chose Wichita State for its proximity to home and the hands-on learning offered at Shocker Studios. His time at WSU has been shaped by applied learning in nearly every class, preparing him to pursue gig work across the Midwest and build a career in the film industry.

Colby Hutson

April 30, 2025 — Colby Hutson came to Wichita State for engineering but found his true calling in music performance, thanks to small class sizes and supportive relationships with professors. After graduation, he’s headed to Colorado State University to pursue a master’s degree in French horn performance.

Sayed Mohib Hassan in his graduation regalia

April 29, 2025 Sayed Mohib Hassan came to Wichita State University thanks to the W. Frank Barton School of Business and its business analytics program. While at WSU, Sayed made sure to make the most of his time by engaging in extracurriculars, participating in clubs and working for the Graduate School and recommends his peers do the same.

Ashlyn Riggs works with students at the Child Development Center

April 29, 2025 Ashlyn Riggs came to Wichita State University thanks to its proximity to home and she already had a connection to campus through her mother, who is an active employee. While at WSU, she had the opportunity to work at the Child Development Center as a lead sub teacher all while getting her degree in education.

John Mark Koontz poses with his double bass outside Duerksen Fine Arts Center

April 23, 2025 — John Mark Koontz is graduating with a Bachelor of Music in double bass performance. He credits Wichita State’s faculty and ensembles for shaping his growth. His advice: stay consistent—progress takes time, but it adds up.

Adam Key

April 22, 2025 — Missourian Adam Key, was drawn to WSU for its welcoming community, affordability and emphasis on applied learning. Adam has built an impressive resume through internships, leadership roles and hands-on experiences with local businesses and startups.

Lindsey Mendenhall posing with WuShock

April 22, 2025 Lindsey Mendenhall was able to get more than just an education at Wichita State. Through the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), she got to work in her field while getting her degree and has a job lined up with the NIAR Advanced Materials Lab. Beyond the classroom, Lindsey found that the lessons she learned from teaching her dogs set her up for success in her academic and professional lives.

Two girls sit at a table with game pieces in front of them.

April 14, 2025 — The College of Engineering at Wichita State University is hosting an Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day event, commonly known as Girl Day, for high school students from Wichita and the surrounding area. The event will be from 9:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 30 in the Rhatigan Student Center at WSU.

Tyler Winn posts with WuShock

April 20, 2025 — Tyler Winn’s journey at Wichita State University has been shaped by perseverance and applied learning. After transferring from a community college to WSU in 2023, he quickly connected with faculty and gained valuable internships, including with the Wichita Thunder and NCAA March Madness.

Wichita State University rowing

March 19, 2025 - Shocker Rowing will celebrate its 50th anniversary on April 26-27 with activities honoring the history of the program at Wichita State University. Founded in 1975, Shocker Rowing has competed at home on the Arkansas River and across the nation in the sport’s most prestigious events.

Intrust Bank Arena in 2018

March 14, 2025 - The NCAA’s main event is back in Wichita to continue a long history of Wichita State University bringing this bracket-busting event to the city. Intrust Bank Arena is the site for men’s first- and second-round games on March 20 and 22.

Open Streets ICT – WSU & Shocker Neighborhood

March 4, 2025 - Open Streets ICT returns to Wichita State University’s campus and neighborhood on April 13 with the goal of connecting with young people. Around 8,000 people participated in Open Streets ICT – WSU & Shocker Neighborhood in 2024, double the amount from the previous year.

Several students and adults watch a robot complete the course at a previous MINDSTORMS challenge at Wichita State.

Feb. 27, 2025 — The College of Engineering at Wichita State University is hosting its 25th annual Shocker MINDSTORMS Challenge, a robotics competition for area students in third through eighth grade or ages eight through 14 years old. The event will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 1. The competition portion will be in the Heskett Center, while the awards ceremonies will be in Hubbard Hall, room 208.

Several runners participate in a 5K

Feb. 12, 2025 — The College of Engineering at Wichita State University is hosting a public 5k run/walk that is open to students, staff, faculty, alumni and community members. The 5k will be from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 22 on the WSU campus. Registration proceeds from the 5k will go toward the College of Engineering Needs-Based Scholarship Fund.

Melissa Penkava Koza works on a costume for a show.

Jan. 31, 2025 What started as a work study position in the costume shop of her university’s theater department has propelled Melissa Penkava Koza’s sewing hobby into guiding the next generation of costume creators.

Campus

Jan. 21, 2025 Seeing an opportunity to support partnerships with the Wichita community, Wichita State University has established the new Office of Community Partnerships.

Javier Martinez in his graduation regalia

Dec. 16, 2024 Javier Martinez received the Mark and Stacy Parkinson Scholarship, which, alongside Wichita State University’s closeness to home and mechanical engineering program, made it a no-brainer for Javier to attend WSU. He used the opportunities available to him as a Shocker to stay up on his studies and now joins his peers in graduating with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering.

Carter working in the field

Dec. 12, 2024 Carter initially chose Wichita State University for its locality, being able to receive in-state tuition, but he also found a community in the campus and place to call home in the anthropology department in Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. They are now graduating with their master’s in anthropology with a plan to enter a doctoral program in archaeology in the future.

Lilith Samples

Dec. 12, 2024 Following time at another university, Lilith Samples realized her hometown of Wichita was where she belonged and is now the first in her family to graduate from college. While at Wichita State University, she was able to work at the Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology in Neff Hall and hopes to continue in the profession after graduating.