For WSU News and WSU Today content older than July 2018, search the WSU News Archive.

WSU News Archive   Return to WSU News Home

Graphic image of Harris and Oelze

April 7, 2022 — Two Wichita-area teachers who graduated from Wichita State University’s School of Education were recently recognized for their outstanding work in the classroom by the White House with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

Wichita State students at Intrust Bank Arena

March 24, 2022 — Around 12-15 Wichita State students are volunteering for the practices and events surrounding the NCAA women's basketball Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games. Their responsibilities range from organizing practice schedules to decorating locker rooms with NCAA and school logos to working with media members on credentialing and seating. Some will run statistics. For those planning on a career in athletics, the applied learning experience adds to their resume and gives them experience working a nationally recognized event with large crowds and a television audience.

Bhisham Sharma, an assistant professor in aerospace engineering, and Shuang Gu, an associate professor in the department of mechanical engineering, two recipients of John A. See Innovation Award.

March 14, 2022—Two Wichita State researchers and a student group have been awarded the John A. See Innovation Award. The award is given each year as a way to recognize novel ideas that have the potential to meet a market need and attract further funding once they have advanced through the early prototyping phase.

Forward Together graphic

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.

A heat map from the study shows where the participants’ eyes tend to look with the red indicating more gazing in that area and the blue indicating less gazing.

March 8, 2022 — Ever wonder what other people are looking at during Zoom or WebEx meetings? Dr. Akmal Mirsadikov, who specializes in deception detection and eye tracking at Wichita State University’s W. Frank Barton School of Business, recently ran an exploratory study about how people interact on Zoom.

Stephanie and Matt Clark

March 7, 2022 - Wichita State alums Matt and Stephanie Clark taught English to students from fifth grade to high school in Ukraine from 2006-08 as Peace Corps members. Their friends and their warm memories are in turmoil as the Russian invasion wears on in their adopted country. They rely on social media to hear from former students, host families and friends, as they try to sort good information from bad and bring attention to the crisis.

Nelsen Petersen

March 4, 2022 - Nelsen Petersen, a Wichita State alum, is a high school teacher, author, filmmaker and running enthusiast who developed strong connections with Ukraine during his travels. Later this month, he plans to go to Cluj-Napoca, a Romanian city near Ukraine to help in refugee camps. He wants to spend four or five days during his spring break in the region.

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.

Jill Cobb, who graduated in 1977 with a general studies degree, became a forensic pathologist. Cobb has pulled some dark truths from some dark places around the world, including Bosnia in the aftermath of the former Yugoslavia’s civil war. She monitored and assisted in the exhumation and identification of war casualties as a member of Physicians for Human Rights.

March 1, 2022 — From its early days as Fairmount College, Wichita State University has celebrated a rich history of women who have worked to build a better community and a better world. In commemoration of Women’s History Month, we’ve compiled a list of just a few of the women who have contributed to the greatness of Shocker Nation.

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.

Three winners of Wichita State's Gore scholarship, Caden Carlson, Brynna Mays, and Audrey Muma stand with Dr. Rick Muma, president of WSU..

Jan. 28, 2022 —Wichita State University has selected the 2022 recipients of the Harry Gore Memorial Scholarships. Each student will receive a $64,000 scholarship to attend WSU in fall 2022.

GoCreate student

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.

A Wichita State student welds as part of a class project at GoCreate located at the Innovation Campus.

Jan. 24, 2022 — Further expanding its presence as a diverse creative workspace at WSU, GoCreate recently began offering free memberships to Wichita State students.

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.

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.