WSU News - All Stories

Sept. 8, 2021 — WERX at Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) has received its first Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft. As part of its rapidly growing Maintenance Repair and Overhaul program, WSU-NIAR WERX, in conjunction with Kansas Modification Center, will convert the passenger aircraft into a freighter that will be transferred to an external client to meet the growing needs of the e-commerce and express cargo market.

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).

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.

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.

April 1, 2021 - In the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings of universities offering a Ph.D. in engineering, the College of Engineering at Wichita State University is again ranked in the top 100 engineering graduate programs, the only institution from the state of Kansas to make it in the top 100. Wichita State ranks No. 77 on the list, up from No. 94 a year ago.

March 26, 2021 — Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) announces the addition of two new technologies to its Automated Technologies Laboratory for Aerospace Systems (ATLAS): a fully integrated thermoplastic welding system and a prepreg tape slitting and tow-rewinding machine.

March 10, 2021 — Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research has received delivery of two Boeing 737 aircraft for modification. The aircraft are part of a year-long project with Virginia-based Dynamic Aviation to modify three 737 aircraft for a special-mission program.

Feb. 18, 2021 -- The National Science Foundation has released its latest comparison of research and development expenditures among the nation’s universities, and Wichita State University has risen in all categories, increasing expenditures by $47 million.

Jan. 22, 2021 — Wichita State University will receive $684,000 from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for three programs aimed at increasing safety measures for the use of unmanned aerial systems.

Jan. 5, 2021 - A Wichita State University-based program aimed at aiding frontline workers in the fight against COVID-19 has resulted in the formation of a new Wichita startup company and a premium disposable stethoscope. The Single Patient Stethoscope™ from Ad Astra Medical Devices, LLC, boasts a sturdy, lightweight design engineered for maximum performance in today’s demanding medical environments.

Nov. 12, 2020 — The National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) has received another $13.7 million contract from the United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to extend the Modeling for Affordable, Sustainable Composites (MASC) research program.

Oct. 28, 2020 -- The National Institute for Aviation Research at Wichita State University announces a new $13.5 million award from the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center for continued applied research on emerging materials for high-speed missile applications.

Oct. 20, 2020 — The Kansas Legislature in 2011 made a commitment to invest $105 million statewide over the next decade with the purpose of increasing the number of engineers available to industry. For its $35 million share of that money – granted under the University Engineering Initiative Act (UEIA) – Wichita State College of Engineering pledged to double the number of bachelor’s degrees it awarded annually. The aggressive goal was surpassed this past academic year as the college awarded 380 bachelor’s degrees.

Sept. 14, 2020 -- Wichita State University’s Advanced Center for Virtual Engineering and Testing will soon have a new name. The building’s renaming is a tribute to Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran’s commitment to provide vital resources and connections that help Wichita State offer impactful student experiences to drive prosperity for the city, region and state.

Aug. 26, 2020 — Wichita State University has been named a founding member of a newly formed AI Institute for Foundations of Machine Learning (IFML), established by a $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation.