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Ashley Purdum in personal protective equipment

June 11, 2020 -- Ashley Purdum, an associate clinical professor at Wichita State University, works as an acute care speech-language pathologist at Wesley Medical Center. Because of the ongoing pandemic, her work life has changed quite a bit.

Nurse with stethoscope

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.

NSF I-corps lab

June 2, 2020 -- A Kansas City biotechnology startup company is getting a boost thanks to Wichita State University’s National Science Foundation (NSF) Shocker Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program.

Lou Heldman

May 28, 2020 - Lou Heldman, 71, came to Wichita State in 2007, a time when the university’s vision expanded. He fit in with a group, most prominently former president John Bardo and current president Jay Golden, that want the university and community to think and act boldly. He retires in June.

Face coverings created by GoCreate, a Koch collaborative.

May 19, 2020 — Through GoCreate, a Koch collaborative, more than 10,000 cloth face coverings have been created by an army of more than 1,500 volunteers in the span of about six weeks.

Archaeology researchers digging underground

May 19, 2020 — You can tell a lot about people based upon what they eat – culture, preferences, geography and overall health. Food is not only nourishment, but it’s a message to anthropologists, like Wichita State University’s Dr. Crystal Dozier, to help understand the past.

A Girl Scout does an activity on a computer.

May 11, 2020 -- Students in the Service in Learning Engineering class have found a way to help Kansas Girl Scouts earn their STEM badges from home.

Wichita State campus

May 7, 2020 -- As our state begins to implement Ad Astra: A Plan to Reopen Kansas, we too are beginning to develop and implement plans for the university’s short- and long-term future. This plan – Shockers United – is a culmination of seven working groups across campus, each comprised of students, faculty and staff, and each tasked with examining a different facet of university operations that must now be modified to a new normal as we seek to coexist with and thrive in spite of this virus.

Camille Childers

May 7, 2020 — Camille Childers never thought she’d be leading the charge in Wichita State University’s battle against a pandemic. Nevertheless, she had a plan.

George Dehner

April 30, 2020 — George Dehner, a world environmental historian who examines the intersection of humans and disease in the modern era, presented “Influenza pandemics since Russian Flu: Do they provide insight to COVID-19?” as part of a Fairmont College of Liberal Arts and Sciences series, Perspective on the Pandemic.

A student works on a sculpture.

April 29, 2020 -- Thanks to a group of local professionals, including three Shockers, Sedgwick County creatives financially impacted by the coronavirus can now apply for emergency relief.

Rija Khan and Mackenzie Haas

April 28, 2020 -- New student body President Rija Khan and Vice President, Mackenzie Haas want to focus on diversity, inclusivity, mental health and campus transparency during their term. The paid hopes to create change by being authentic and advocate for the student body.

Wichita State student demonstrates canning techniques in a kitchen.

April 23, 2020 - Wichita State student teachers are jumping in to help with lesson plans during the pandemic. A group of 13 students contribute to an open document with lesson plans, videos and slide shows designed for remote learning.

Softball infielder Ryleigh Buck claps.

April 23, 2020 - Wichita State athletics is at home and still working together and planning for a return from COVID-19. A series of podcasts demonstrates how the Shockers are dealing with these circumstances. From coaches such as Keitha Adams (basketball) and Steve Rainbolt (track and field) to Ryleigh Buck (softball), Jack Sigrist (baseball) and Dawson Lewis (golf), the Shockers are using many tactics to stay positive.

Dr. Brian Miller

April 16, 2020 -- While hospitals and doctors’ offices are seen as the battlegrounds against COVID-19, there’s another group of medical professionals who are also on the front line: home health care workers.