WSU News - All Stories

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.

March 14. 2022 — Things are shaking in Wichita with the Kansas Modification Center’s 777-300ERCF conversion program at Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR). The team at NIAR WERX completed ground vibration testing last month.

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.

March 10, 2022 — Wichita State University President Rick Muma has launched a new podcast, called “Forward Together,” where the president speaks with guests from throughout Shocker Nation to highlight the people and priorities that guide WSU. The podcast drops monthly, with the March edition releasing March 9. Some of the guests so far include Hollywood director Dean Hargrove, WSU basketball coach Isaac Brown and WSU research vice president Coleen Pugh.

On March 9, 2022, the B-1 System Program Office (SPO), Tinker AFB, OK awarded a six-year, $100 million follow-on contract to Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) to continue the B-1’s Digital Engineering (DE) transformation. The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) helped form the strategic partnership and created a flexible contract structure, which allows NIAR and the B-1 SPO to adapt requirements real-time to meet critical warfighter needs.

March 7, 2022 — Tom Gentile, president and CEO of Spirit AeroSystems, has been named as the newest member of the Dean’s Advisory Board for Wichita State’s W. Frank Barton School of Business.

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.

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.

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.

Feb. 15, 2022 — The Center for Entrepreneurship at Wichita State University has hired Troy Tabor as its new director, effective Jan. 23.

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.

Feb. 4, 2022 — Ella Tucker, senior at Epic Charter Schools in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has been awarded the 2022 Wichita State University Clay Barton Scholarship. She will receive $12,500 a year for four years to attend Wichita State. The $50,000 Barton Scholarship is one of the largest business scholarships in Kansas.

Jan. 26, 2022 - GoCreate is using its equipment and expertise to build form work for the center concrete pier of the Promise Bridge. GoCreate staff and Wichita State students will machine 30 blocks of foam, each 4 feet by 3 feet by 8 feet, that will be used by Dondlinger Construction.

Jan. 20, 2022 — Wichita State University and Kansas Modification Center have reached another significant milestone to advance the passenger-to-freighter aircraft conversion of the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft at WSU’s National Institute for Aviation Research WERX

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.