WSU News - All Stories

Sept. 8, 2021 — A new, yearlong, interdisciplinary program focused on developing women leaders with a global, innovative mindset will start this fall at the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University. The Widener Global Leaders Program, made possible by a gift from Peri Widener, is designed to create a transformational experience and foster an inclusive community for women majoring in business, communication or fine arts.

Aug. 31, 2021 — Wu Crew Reads is a pilot program between Wichita State University and Gordon Parks Elementary School. Members of the Wichita State community spend 20 minutes every week reading to and with third-graders via a virtual platform.

Aug. 26, 2021 — The National Endowment for Humanities (NEH) has awarded a Wichita State University researcher $100,000 for his work on developing an app that allows visually impaired people to read comic books and graphic novels.

Aug. 12, 2021 — WSU’s Office of Tech Transfer and Commercialization has aligned with Innosphere Ventures, a Colorado-based incubator and commercialization program that accelerates business success of science and technology-based start-up companies, to commercialize faculty inventors.

Aug. 9, 2021 — Multidimensional support systems are the key to preventing bullying and cyberbullying and can help lessen the psychosocial side effects of being a victim of bullying, according to a study done by one Wichita State researcher.

Aug. 2, 2021 — The National Science Foundation has awarded a $200,000 grant to Dr. Ajita Rattani, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering’s School of Computing, that seeks to improve facial recognition technology, addressing civil liberties concerns that some demographic groups are more likely to be misidentified.

July 9, 2021 - John Wise, Wichita State University assistant director of track and field, documents his love of history, travel and frozen soft drinks in “Travel With a Wiseguy” on YouTube. He posts a video weekly, many from trips around Kansas to visit small towns, ghost towns and places such as Old Oxford Mill and Little Jerusalem.

July 9, 2021 -- Dr. Anthony Muscat has been named dean of Wichita State University’s College of Engineering, effective July 25. Muscat is a professor and chair of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of Arizona, where he has been since 1998.

June 30, 2021 -- The U.S. Air Force is launching a new program with Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) to make a digital replica of the F-16 Fighting Falcon in an effort to improve the sustainment and modernization of F-16s operating around the world.

June 29, 2021 - Alicia Sanchez is assistant dean of students and director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Wichita State University. In May, she earned a senate-confirmed appointment to the Kansas Human Rights Commission as an At-Large member.

June 9, 2021 - Wichita State’s Esports director Courtney Calder played soccer more often than video games growing up in California. Those experiences, however, helped prepare her for running the Esports program, as did her time working in sales for Apple after graduating from Northwestern University. Wichita State’s varsity program, housed in the Heskett Center, offers four teams competing in Overwatch, League of Legends, Rocket League, and Valorant.

June 7, 2021 — Five-year-old Ford Hall has had to overcome more in his short life than most do in a lifetime. That’s because immediately after he was born, he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The doctors informed his mother he would probably never be able to walk. “It was that conversation with that doctor that really lit a fire in us,” said Cori Hall, Ford’s mother.

May 12, 2021 — Two Wichita State University seniors have partnered with the McConnell Air Force Base Innovation Lab to help fight COVID-19 – by using robotics. Computer science majors Lucy Hoang and Lydia Melles are creating an autonomous robot that uses ultraviolet C-lights (UVC) to clean grocery stores.

May 6, 2020 - In a true testament to his love for Wichita State University, Rick Muma didn’t hesitate when he was asked to lead the university through a pandemic and an overall trying seven months as interim president. On May 6, the Kansas Board of Regents showed its appreciation and confidence in his leadership, giving Muma its nod of approval and making him the official 15th president of the university.

May 6, 2021 -- The Kansas Board of Regents has appointed Dr. Richard Muma as the 15th president of Wichita State University. Muma is currently interim president at Wichita State.