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

WSU News Archive   Return to WSU News Home

GoCreate

March 18, 2026 - Make48 returns to Wichita State University to launch the 10th season of the invention competition and host teams from its first Classroom Innovation Experience on March 20-22.

Noah DeVault stands next to WuShock and holds and oversized check for $50,000.

March 18, 2026 — Wichita State University has awarded the 2026 Mike and Mary James Scholarship to Derby High School senior Noah DeVault, who plans to study communication at Wichita State beginning in fall 2026.

Ellery Prothro, photographer

Owen and Ellery Prothro are enjoying an up-close look at their favorite sport. They are charged with chronicling Wichita State University’s most successful men’s basketball season since 2021 for The Sunflower, WSU’s independent, student-run news source.

Wu, Natalia and Bhagat

March 6, 2026 — Wichita Southeast High School graduate Ronal Bhagat returned to his alma mater on March 6 with a surprise — and a $50,000 investment in a student’s future. Southeast senior Natalia Malcolm learned in front of her classmates that she will receive the four-year scholarship to attend Wichita State University beginning this fall.

Lauren Hughes

March 3, 2026 — Wichita State University student Lauren Hughes has been nominated for the 2026 Barry Goldwater Scholarship, one of the nation’s most prestigious honors for undergraduates pursuing research careers in science, engineering, mathematics and computer science.

Samara Langley

Feb. 16, 2026 — Samara Langley, a Colegio del Sol (Asunción Paraguay) graduate, is the winner of the 2026 Lenora N. McGregor Endowed Scholarship at Wichita State University.

2026 Clay Barton Scholarship finalists

Feb. 9, 2026 — The Barton School of Business at Wichita State University has announced eight exceptional high school seniors as finalists for the 2026 Clay Barton Scholarship, one of the largest and most prestigious business scholarships in the state of Kansas.

A graphic announcing the 2026 Gore Scholars from Wichita State University. Three portrait-style photos are displayed in a row against a yellow and black Wichita State background. Below each photo is a name: Mackenzie Bucl, Kayden Lankford, and Samantha McClintock. At the bottom of the graphic is an outdoor image of the large “Wichita State” campus sign under a blue sky.

Jan. 30, 2026 — Wichita State University has selected the 2026 recipients of the $64,000 Harry Gore Memorial Scholarships: Mackenzie Bucl, Kayden Lankford and Samantha McClintock.

Wichita State students pose and jump near a Wichita State sign.

Jan. 26, 2026 — Wichita State University is proud to announce a transformative $1 million gift from an anonymous 1958 graduate of the University of Wichita to support need-based scholarships in the W. Frank Barton School of Business.

Justin Neel holds a Pizza Shuttle box.

Jan. 22, 2026 — A staple of Kansas college towns is coming to Wichita State University. Pizza Shuttle — along with its signature flavors and lightning-quick speed — will open in Braeburn Square before the end of January.

Wichita State University campus

Jan. 16, 2026 — Wichita State University has selected the top 12 finalists in the annual Distinguished Scholarship Invitational.

Lisa Parcell and Blake Benson

Oct. 13, 2025 — Dr. Lisa Parcel, Kansas Health Foundation Director of the Elliott School of Communication and professor of communication, was named Kansas Board of Regents’ Tenured Faculty of the Year in September.

From left: Dr. Waruna Seneviratne, WSU President Rick Muma, Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran, Hexel CEO Tom Gentile, and Dr. John Tomblin

June 18, 2025 — Hexcel Corp., a global leader in advanced composites technology, is expanding its long-standing partnership with Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research by establishing a Hexcel Application Center inside NIAR’s Advanced Technologies Lab for Aerospace Systems.

VISION machine

June 12, 2025 — Wichita State’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) has received a patent for VISION, an AI-powered composite inspection robot designed to detect and repair damage on aircraft parts autonomously. Developed at NIAR’s Automation Research Center and recently installed at a U.S. Army facility, the system uses machine learning to analyze inspection images and speed up aircraft maintenance.

NIAR building at Wichita State

May 21, 2025 — Wichita State University and Dassault Systèmes have opened the Manufacturing Innovation Center, a cutting-edge research and design facility on WSU’s Innovation Campus. Developed in partnership with WSU’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), the center is now available to industry collaborators seeking to explore virtual twin technology, 3D design solutions and advanced automation in real-world environments.