WSU News - All Stories

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 7, 2021 — The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center B-1 Division is sponsoring a research project with Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research to study the effects of flight operations on aircraft structures.

April 1, 2021 - In the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings of universities offering a Ph.D. in engineering, the College of Engineering at Wichita State University is again ranked in the top 100 engineering graduate programs, the only institution from the state of Kansas to make it in the top 100. Wichita State ranks No. 77 on the list, up from No. 94 a year ago.

March 26, 2021 — Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) announces the addition of two new technologies to its Automated Technologies Laboratory for Aerospace Systems (ATLAS): a fully integrated thermoplastic welding system and a prepreg tape slitting and tow-rewinding machine.

March 10, 2021 — Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research has received delivery of two Boeing 737 aircraft for modification. The aircraft are part of a year-long project with Virginia-based Dynamic Aviation to modify three 737 aircraft for a special-mission program.

Feb. 18, 2021 -- The National Science Foundation has released its latest comparison of research and development expenditures among the nation’s universities, and Wichita State University has risen in all categories, increasing expenditures by $47 million.

Jan. 22, 2021 — Wichita State University will receive $684,000 from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for three programs aimed at increasing safety measures for the use of unmanned aerial systems.

Jan. 5, 2021 - A Wichita State University-based program aimed at aiding frontline workers in the fight against COVID-19 has resulted in the formation of a new Wichita startup company and a premium disposable stethoscope. The Single Patient Stethoscope™ from Ad Astra Medical Devices, LLC, boasts a sturdy, lightweight design engineered for maximum performance in today’s demanding medical environments.

Nov. 12, 2020 — The National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) has received another $13.7 million contract from the United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to extend the Modeling for Affordable, Sustainable Composites (MASC) research program.

Sept. 14, 2020 -- Wichita State University’s Advanced Center for Virtual Engineering and Testing will soon have a new name. The building’s renaming is a tribute to Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran’s commitment to provide vital resources and connections that help Wichita State offer impactful student experiences to drive prosperity for the city, region and state.

July 8, 2020 — Wichita State’s National Institute for Aviation Research's Digital Twin program uses insights gained through the digital assembly of aging aircraft to provide valuable data to those who might work to maintain and repair similar aircraft in the future.

July 2, 2020 -- Partnered with the U.S. Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) and Aviation & Missile Center, Wichita State University’s FirePoint Innovation Center is building collaborations with the U.S. Department of Defense.

June 2, 2020 - In March when Ascension Via Christi needed stethoscopes, its usual supply chains had dried up. Wichita State University engineers, working as part of the newly formed Ad Astra Coalition, quickly established a new supply chain to address the urgent need.

Feb. 26, 2020 -- Wichita State University and WSU Ventures have entered into a new strategic partnership with California-based Lightning Diversion Systems, a Ducommun Company. The partnership involves the exclusive licensing of a lightning strike protection system for rotor blades in the wind turbine industry.

Sept, 25, 2019 - The U.S military needs a source of spare parts to keeps its aging aircraft flying. Wichita State University is rapidly establishing a database and acting as an essential connector for those requests. The National Institute for Aviation Research’s unique capabilities make it qualified to help with the teardown, digitizing and cataloguing of parts. That process saves the military time and money, which keeps its aircraft and other vehicles prepared.