Wichita State’s Marco Hernandez has been named 2025 Kansas Board of Regents Faculty of the Year.
Hernandez – assistant teaching professor of print media and foundations coordinator in Wichita State University’s School of Art, Design and Creative Industries – is known as much for his rigorous teaching as for his warmth and mentorship.
“Receiving awards and recognition like this means a great deal to me,” Hernandez said. “It makes me feel valued and proud to be part of the WSU community. Moments like these affirm the dedication I put into my work and remind me that the effort is truly worthwhile.”
Hernandez, who joined Wichita State in 2016, immigrated to the United States from Mexico. He credits that experience — and his upbringing in a traditional Mexican family — with shaping his values of persistence, resilience and hard work. Those values now anchor both his teaching and his creative practice.
“My culture has always played a central role in my art practice,” Hernandez said. “Incorporating Mexican cultural imagery allows me to maintain a strong connection to my roots, no matter where I am in the world.”
His prints have been exhibited widely at venues such as the Wichita Art Museum, Salina Art Center, Lesley University, Kansas State University and the Atlanta Printmakers Studio. His most recent solo show, “Sin Perder A Mis Raíces (Without Losing My Roots),” ran at the Wichita Art Museum’s Cessna Gallery earlier this year.
Beyond the studio, Hernandez organizes the annual First-Generation Artist Exhibition in the Rhatigan Student Center’s Cadman Gallery. He also leads the student printmaking organization, Tornado Alley Press, which is known for its public demonstrations, visiting artist lectures and the annual Steamroller Printmaking Event that uses a literal paving steamroller to create large-scale prints.
“My students are a constant source of inspiration,” Hernandez said. “Their enthusiasm fuels my own creativity and reminds me of the joy found in the process of making. Teaching art has become an integral part of my creative practice.”
Jennifer Ray, associate director of the School of Art, Design and Creative Industries, said Hernandez epitomizes the best of Wichita State.
“He is beloved by our students, known for both his rigor and kindness,” Ray wrote in her nomination. “As a colleague, Marco is collaborative and generous with his time. He epitomizes what’s best about WSU.”
With Wichita State’s recently renovated printmaking studio now complete, Hernandez said he is energized by the new space and is planning to apply for artist residencies in the coming years.
“I’m excited to dedicate focused time to developing new work and expanding my creative exploration,” he said.
About Wichita State University
Wichita State University is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 23,000 students between its main campus and the WSU Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology (WSU Tech), including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student-centered and innovation-driven.
Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students. The National Science Foundation ranked WSU No. 1 in the nation for aerospace engineering R&D, No. 2 for industry-funded engineering R&D and No. 8 overall for engineering R&D.
The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.
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