WSU News - All Stories

Sept. 23, 2020 - Bill Burch played linebacker for the Shockers in 1970 as a senior. As fate would have it, a knee injury kept him from traveling to Utah State on Oct. 2. He had expected to travel with the team, but instead was forced to stay home and heal. On that day, the Martin 4-0-4 airliner that carried the Shocker starters crashed near Silver Plume, Colorado, killing 31 people – 14 student-athletes, 14 staff and boosters, and three crew members.

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. 18, 2020 - In July, Emily Christensen spent five days on Zoom participating in the National Critics Institute, a program of the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Conn. Christensen, coordinator of external affairs for Wichita State University’s School of Art, Design and Creative Industries, wrote about food, plays, movies and dance. She, and 16 others in her group, listened to and received critiques from people such as such as Chicago Tribune theater critic Chris Jones, who directs the program, and Helen Shaw of New York Magazine.

Sept. 3, 2020 — Emily Schlenker was born to study STEM. However, because she was born blind, her passion for organic chemistry and biology almost went by the wayside. That's when the folks at Wichita State's Media Resource Center stepped in to help Emily achieve her dreams.

More than 200 graduates received disposable stethoscopes as a gift from the College of Health Professions.

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.

August 28, 2020 - Growing and diversifying the regional economy is a primary goal for Wichita State University. To assist with those efforts, Wichita State University President Dr. Jay Golden has created the President’s Innovation and Business Advisory Council. A selection of area business leaders will be invited to attend monthly council meetings to advise and support Wichita State leadership on a number of critical areas.

Aug. 27, 2020 - Wichita State University graduate Sarahi Aguilera considered herself shy for most of her life. Her status as an undocumented immigrant limited what she thought herself capable of saying or doing. That perception changed in 2017 when she traveled to Washington, D.C. as part of delegation of college students who talked to politicians about their stories and DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). Aguilera started volunteering with Sunflower Community Action in 2018 while a student at Seward County Community College. Later that year, she transferred to Wichita State and took a job as an immigrant justice organizer at Sunflower Community Action. In May, she graduated with a major in criminal justice and a psychology minor. She wants to attend law school and work in immigration law.

Aug. 24, 2020 — ZipSip is an expandable, adjustable drink Koozie that was inspired by a disappointing beer. There's no part of its invention and innovation that isn't dripping with Shocker pride.

Aug. 10, 2020 — Dr. Cory Gibson, superintendent of the Valley Center School District and graduate of Wichita State University, has been named the Kansas Superintendent of the Year for 2019-20.

Aug. 5, 2020 - Wichita State Athletics will introduce mobile ticketing for the 2020-21 season for the sports of volleyball, men's and women's basketball, baseball and softball. The move to mobile ticketing will provide greater convenience and a safer environment for fans. It will offer a contactless entry into athletic venues and the ability to transfer tickets electronically, eliminating physical touching concerns prevalent during this time. Mobile ticketing will also provide an added layer of security, guarding against the production of fraudulent and counterfeit tickets.

August 4, 2020 - KSBDC helps entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. They are a federally funded organization that is located on the Wichita State campus.

July 27, 2020 - Wichita State University student Kristen Bruce works as a software tester for Flint Hills Group, founded by Shocker alum Dave Cunningham. Over the past year, Bruce played an important role in Flint Hills Group’s work with McAlister, a fuel distributor and wholesaler in Wellington. McAlister needed to replace its software used to monitor fuel flow for billing. Bruce helped Flint Hills Group beat coming issues and move to a new system, while some of McAlister’s competition encountered problems.

July 13, 2020 - Three Wichita State University alumni wrote, produced and organized "God Save the Wings," a documentary about the glory days of the Wichita Wings professional indoor soccer club from its founding in 1979 into the early 1980s. “God Save the Wings” debuted on February 22 at the Orpheum Theatre and it went so well that organizers planned to show it again on April 10. Then the COVID-19 pandemic changed their schedule and their hopes of entering it in film festivals around the world are largely on hold until the fall.

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.