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Juan Aguilar is standing outside behind a metal sculpture.

Feb. 7, 2022 — Four years ago, Juan Aguilar made a decision that is about to make his last two years in college a whole lot more affordable.

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.

Campus aerial

Jan. 7, 2022 -- The Wichita Entrepreneurial Coalition has received a nationally competitive Build to Scale Venture Challenge award from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The grant, one of only 50 awarded across the country, is designed to fuel a national movement promoting high-growth enterprises and unique startups.

The above photo was taken before the COVID-19 pandemic and masking policies.

Dec. 9, 2021 -- The Department of Human Performance Studies in the College of Applied Studies (CAS) at Wichita State University (WSU) has secured approval for a new graduate-level degree in athletic training. The 62 credit-hour program launches in the summer of 2023.

Shirley LeFever and President Muma hand Khalid Raza an honorary degree at the WSU fall 2021 Commencement.

Dec. 9, 2021 -- Khalid Raza has never forgotten his Shocker roots. Now the chief executive officer of Graphiant, a next-generation networking technology company based in San Francisco, Raza’s first independent start-up began in 1992 when he was working as a graduate assistant at Wichita State University.

Valeria Esparza sits in front of the Wichita State University sign. She is wearing a grey sweater and black turtleneck and is sitting on a brick ledge. There is some shrubbery below the sign.

Dec. 8, 2021— Valeria Esparza’s dream was to attend college as a first-generation student. She is now guaranteed a position to teach elementary education as her future job following graduation. Esparza is one of more than 1,100 students eligible for fall 2021 graduation.

Madeline Shonka (left) created an app called CoVstat to help patients with chronic illnesses. Devon Creasman (right) created ICT Box which brings local artisan goods to your doorstep.

November 29, 2021 – Wichita State University’s Center for Entrepreneurship (CEI) has granted two students the Women for Women's Innovation Award — one who wants to use an app to help those with chronic illnesses, the other who wants to support local businesses by creating Wichita artisan gift boxes.

Aunjnae White, a first-generation student, posing with her degree in psychology.

Nov. 22, 2021 – New beginnings are usually an adjustment, and it can be a leap of faith if you are the first to go to college in your family.

Shocker Nation graphic

Sept. 30, 2021 -- Enrollment for fall 2021 at Wichita State University and WSU Tech is showing strong growth despite a decline in 2020 caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the loss of thousands of local jobs.

Micah and Ken White

May 13 2021 - On Friday morning, Ken White will receive his diploma from Wichita State University at Charles Koch Arena. Walking nearby will be Micah White, his son, who will receive the degree he completed last fall in the ceremony delayed by COVID-19 restrictions. They will be the first on their side of the family to earn a college degree. Ken White, founder and chief financial officer of Howerton+White marketing agency, earned his Bachelor of Applied Arts in media arts, majoring in audio production. Micah White earned his degree from the School of Music in jazz performance with a guitar emphasis.

Janet Federico

April 30, 2021 – Twelve years following receiving her Master’s in Business Administration, Janet Federico moved from Washington, D.C. to Wichita to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Wichita State after rediscovering herself as an author, speaker and illustrator later her career.

Two Wichita State students using a tablet.

April 12, 2021 – After months of hard work from Wichita State faculty members Carrie Dickison and Maria Sclafani, the Open Alternative Textbook committee approved English 102 for Open/Alternative Textbook (OAT) course designation. Starting in fall 2021, Wichita State students will no longer have to buy textbooks for English 102.

Michael Golomb

March 25, 2021 -- The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University has launched its Entrepreneur in Residence program and named Michael Golomb, founder and CEO of FanVestor, as its newest resident. This distinction will last through the spring 2021 semester. Each Entrepreneur in Residence will provide essential collaboration and outside industry knowledge to Barton School students, faculty and the Wichita community.

Brittany Wojciechowski

March 24, 2021 — Brittany Wojciechowski, a Wichita State University Ph.D. student in aerospace engineering, has been awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF), which is worth more than $120,000.

Erin Jacobson and Gavin Dick

March 1, 2021 — Seniors from the Maize Virtual Preparatory School and Mother of Divine Grace Distance Learning School have been chosen for the Professor Fran Jabara Scholarship in Entrepreneurship at Wichita State University.