WSU News - All Stories

Oct. 20, 2020 — The Kansas Legislature in 2011 made a commitment to invest $105 million statewide over the next decade with the purpose of increasing the number of engineers available to industry. For its $35 million share of that money – granted under the University Engineering Initiative Act (UEIA) – Wichita State College of Engineering pledged to double the number of bachelor’s degrees it awarded annually. The aggressive goal was surpassed this past academic year as the college awarded 380 bachelor’s degrees.

Sept. 23, 2020 - Darren Defrain is the social professor of English and director of the writing program at Wichita State. Defrain has written novels, memoirs and essays, created a graphic novel, teaches on graphic novels/storytelling and is actively working on a graphic novel app.

Sept. 21, 2020 -- Saying she wants to help build a new generation of business leaders with a world view, Wichita State alumna Peri Widener has pledged $275,000 to her alma mater. A portion of the gift will launch a program to help develop students into global business leaders.

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.

Aug. 31, 2020 -- Gene and Yolanda Camarena are well known for helping underserved Kansas youth improve their lives through education and other causes. Now the Wichita couple is enhancing that legacy with a $1 million gift to Wichita State University to give students of color opportunities they otherwise might not have.

Aug. 26, 2020 — Wichita State University has been named a founding member of a newly formed AI Institute for Foundations of Machine Learning (IFML), established by a $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

Aug. 3, 2020 — If necessity is the mother of invention, it may also be the source of new patents: The story of how Dr. Ali Eslami became the holder of US Patent 10,689,898 – his first – begins with a local company asking for an invention to save it money.

July 16, 2020 — The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded more than $1.1 million to Dr. Vinod Namboodiri, professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Wichita State University, and his team to create a community-wide wayfinding system for people with disabilities.

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 7, 2020 -- Nearly 70 years after John and Colleen Wooley first met as students at the University of Wichita, they have established a legacy that will touch the lives of Wichita State University students for generations to come. The couple’s $2.2 million estate gift will provide more than $100,000 in scholarships each year for students with financial need.

June 4, 2020 — Responding to industry demand for workers with specialized skills, Wichita State is now offering a graduate certificate in computational data science.

May 20, 2020 — Jay Price, director of the public history program at Wichita State University, decided to make a series of graphic novels to commemorate the trail."

May 19, 2020 -- The Army is turning to “digital-twin” technology from Wichita State University to resolve challenges and boost efficiencies for its enduring fleet of Black Hawk helicopters.

May 18, 2020 — COVID-19 might have forced Wichita State’s Ulrich Museum of Art to close its doors, but the museum has found new avenues to shine and thrive: an ambitious public art project and building the Ulrich’s online presence into a teaching and learning resource.

April 14, 2020 -- Emerging Artists is an annual showcase of work by many of the best students in the School of Art, Design and Creative Industries. The March 14 event was canceled due to the novel Coronavirus. The group held a virtual awards ceremony through Facebook to celebrate the students' accomplishments.