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Recovery Connect

March 24, 2022 — A new initiative by Wichita State’s Public Policy Management Center and Sedgwick County is helping connect community members to resources that could help with economic recovery efforts. Recovery Connect focuses on helping people, small businesses and non-profits find existing resources in the community.

Students working at a table

March 23, 2022 — The Wichita State University Foundation has secured a $540,000 lead gift from Meritrust Credit Union to expand the W. Frank Barton School of Business’ career efforts with the formation of the Office of Career and Professional Development.

Shirley Hazen

March 23, 2022 – The School of Nursing at Wichita State University has received a $35,000 endowed scholarship gift from retired faculty member Shirley Hazen through the Shirley E. Hazen RN-BSN Endowed Nursing Scholarship.

Wichita State's Molecular Diagnostics Lab

March 10, 2022 — Wichita State University’s Molecular Diagnostics Lab has been awarded the Jiggs Nelson Quality of Life 2022 award for its lifesaving and heroic work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

students in front of the RSC

March 3, 2022 — In accordance with recently updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, effective Friday, March 4, masks will no longer be required for students, employees or visitors, regardless of vaccination status, while on or in Wichita State University premises or while attending campus activities or athletic events (unless otherwise noted). This includes all indoor and outdoor campus locations.

Researchers at Wichita State University's Molecular Diagnostics Lab test a specimen.

March 1, 2022 — Wichita State’s Molecular Diagnostics Lab (MDL) is re-opening COVID test collections to the public starting today (March 1).

Cohen Ayers and Grace Simon

Feb. 24, 2022 — The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University has chosen two recipients to receive the 2022 Professor Fran Jabara Scholarship in Entrepreneurship. This year’s winners are Cohen Ayres from Garden Plains and Grace Simon of Wichita. They will each receive $32,700 over four years to attend WSU and major in entrepreneurship.

J. Robert Young

Feb. 23, 2022 — Wichita State alumnus J. Robert Young has pledged a gift of $3 million to provide resources that will help students build successful careers. Of that total, $2 million will endow the J. Robert Young Executive-in-Residence Program in the W. Frank Barton School of Business. The remaining $1 million will support the Shocker Success Center project, which will consolidate 17 student services in Clinton Hall.

Margaret Dechant

Feb. 22, 2022 - The Dean’s Advisory Board for the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University is excited to announce Margaret Dechant as its new leader. Dechant, CEO and partner at 6 Meridian, will take over for Clark Bastian. Dechant currently serves as a member of the board and looks to bring her knowledge and passion for the Barton School and WSU to her appointment. Bastian chairman of Fidelity Bank, will remain on the board after his term as chair comes to an end in June.

Jon Rolph

Feb. 14, 2022 - The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University has named Jon Rolph, president and CEO of Thrive Restaurant Group and a member of the Kansas Board of Regents, its Executive-in-Residence for the spring 2022 semester.

Group of individuals standing

Feb. 9, 2022 — A bequest from the estate of Richard "Dick" Smith will provide about $5.5 million each to Wichita State University and the University of Kansas to endow full-ride scholarships for students at those schools.

John Bardo Center

Jan. 24, 2022 — Six Wichita State University teams were selected as semi-finalists in the university’s sixth annual Koch Innovation Challenge Angel Round on December 3. Those six teams of Wichita State students advance to the Grand Champion competition in May.

Valeria Paunetto is standing in front of the brick laid Morrison Hall and there is a tree in the background. The sun is shining. Paunetto is wearing her shocker gear with some yellow earrings and she is smiling.

Jan. 24, 2022 — Valeria Paunetto, originally from Puerto Rico, won the Adelante Scholarship in 2021, which has helped her pursue a degree in social work at Wichita State.

Darren DeFrain holding up phone with Vizling app

Jan. 20, 2022 — The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has awarded a grant of $243,922 to a Wichita State University researcher for his work on an app that will allow people who are visually impaired to read comic books, graphic novels and other digitized graphic materials on their devices.

Campus aerial

Jan. 18, 2022 — Wichita State’s Molecular Diagnostics Lab (MDL) is open and continues to process thousands of COVID tests with 24-hour results. However, the lab has indefinitely suspended its COVID test collection service.