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The ATLAS lab at NIAR

Aug. 18, 2021 — The Department of Defense (DoD) has designated South Kansas as a Defense Manufacturing Community (DCM), making the region eligible for $5 million through the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation’s Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program. The initiative is led by Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR).

The city of Wichita skyline

Aug. 13, 2021 — For the eighth consecutive year, Wichita State University will receive a $125,000 grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration for specialized training, mentoring, and technical assistance for research- and development-focused small businesses under the Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program.

Dr. Ajita Rattani, assistant professor in the College of Engineering's School of Computing, has been awarded $200,000 by the NSF to study fairness in facial recognition software.

Aug. 2, 2021 — The National Science Foundation has awarded a $200,000 grant to Dr. Ajita Rattani, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering’s School of Computing, that seeks to improve facial recognition technology, addressing civil liberties concerns that some demographic groups are more likely to be misidentified.

John Wise

July 9, 2021 - John Wise, Wichita State University assistant director of track and field, documents his love of history, travel and frozen soft drinks in “Travel With a Wiseguy” on YouTube. He posts a video weekly, many from trips around Kansas to visit small towns, ghost towns and places such as Old Oxford Mill and Little Jerusalem.

F16

June 30, 2021 -- The U.S. Air Force is launching a new program with Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) to make a digital replica of the F-16 Fighting Falcon in an effort to improve the sustainment and modernization of F-16s operating around the world.

Students in a classroom

June 29, 2021 -- An opening reception for "From Lima to Wichita: Intercultural Dialogues in Clothing & Paint" will take place from 6–9 p.m. July 2, at ShiftSpace, WSU’s student-run gallery, as part of Wichita’s First Friday gallery crawl.

Office of Diversity and Inclusion

June 21, 2021 — Adding to its myriad points of pride, Wichita State University has been named the most affordable, LGBTQ-friendly college in the state. 

B-1B arrives at Wichita State

June 7, 2021 — The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center B-1 Division is sponsoring a research project with Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research to study the effects of flight operations on aircraft structures.

FirePoint

May 20, 2021 — The FirePoint Innovations Center at Wichita State University has welcomed the first class of students into its Future Innovators Program, a new engineering internship opportunity aimed at introducing historically underrepresented students into the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) technical talent pipeline.

Abigail is one of more than 3,500 students eligible for spring 2021 graduation.

Abigail Hammack, a native Wichitan, came to Wichita State because of the great reputation of the public administration program with applied learning opportunities. During her time at WSU, she was able to work as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Public Policy & Management Center at WSU and a Management Intern at the City of Andover.

Lydia Melles and Lucy Hoang, Wichita State University computer science major students, work on an autonomous robot that uses ultraviolet C-lights (UVC) to fight COVID-19 at the McConnell Air Force Base Innovation Lab.  The two senior students partnered with the McConnell Innovation Lab as part of their is part of their senior design class.

May 12, 2021 — Two Wichita State University seniors have partnered with the McConnell Air Force Base Innovation Lab to help fight COVID-19 – by using robotics. Computer science majors Lucy Hoang and Lydia Melles are creating an autonomous robot that uses ultraviolet C-lights (UVC) to clean grocery stores.

Shirley Lefever, Rick Muma, Sheree Utash

May 6, 2020 - In a true testament to his love for Wichita State University, Rick Muma didn’t hesitate when he was asked to lead the university through a pandemic and an overall trying seven months as interim president. On May 6, the Kansas Board of Regents showed its appreciation and confidence in his leadership, giving Muma its nod of approval and making him the official 15th president of the university.

Dr. Richard Muma, the 15th president of Wichita State University

May 6, 2021 -- The Kansas Board of Regents has appointed Dr. Richard Muma as the 15th president of Wichita State University. Muma is currently interim president at Wichita State.

special anouncement

May 5, 2021 — The Kansas Board of Regents has announced a meeting of the board at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 6, in the Rhatigan Student Center’s Shirley Beggs Ballroom (third floor).

Tara Nolen

May 5, 2021 - Tara Nolen, a 2012 health services management and community development graduate of Wichita State, is community health manager at Hunter Health, which has three locations in Wichita. She oversees outreach programs and coordinates COVID-19 vaccines. “This is what we do in public health - when there’s a crisis we try to work to stop it,” she said.