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Vamsidhar Patlolla

June 9, 2025 — Shocker Composites, founded by Wichita State alum Vamsidhar Patlolla, transforms carbon fiber waste into high-performance, sustainable materials using a recycling method he developed during his graduate research. With support from Wichita State’s NIAR and Innovation Campus, the company is scaling up its impact and demonstrating how university-backed startups can drive real-world innovation and sustainability.

School of Performing Arts student

May 15, 2025 - Wichita State University students who work behind-the-scenes in the School of Performing Arts now earn money for their time and expertise, thanks to State of Kansas Applied Learning Funds. Twenty-three students work at jobs such as social media, costumes, fund-raising, lighting and scenes.

Hannah Copeland

May 5, 2025 — Hannah Copeland found her calling through years of involvement in WSU’s orchestra programs and youth music clinics. Her most rewarding experience has been student teaching in Wichita Public Schools, and she’s thrilled to continue that journey as the new orchestra teacher at Curtis Middle School.

Abigail Smith

April 30, 2025 — Abigail Smith, a music education and trumpet performance major, transferred from Coffeyville Community College to Wichita State, where she found a supportive community and hands-on experience in local classrooms. After graduation, she’ll attend the Aspen Music Festival and School before beginning her career as an elementary music teacher in the Wichita area.

Luke Parrett

April 30, 2025 — Luke Parrett, a filmmaking major from Oklahoma, chose Wichita State for its proximity to home and the hands-on learning offered at Shocker Studios. His time at WSU has been shaped by applied learning in nearly every class, preparing him to pursue gig work across the Midwest and build a career in the film industry.

Colby Hutson

April 30, 2025 — Colby Hutson came to Wichita State for engineering but found his true calling in music performance, thanks to small class sizes and supportive relationships with professors. After graduation, he’s headed to Colorado State University to pursue a master’s degree in French horn performance.

John Mark Koontz poses with his double bass outside Duerksen Fine Arts Center

April 23, 2025 — John Mark Koontz is graduating with a Bachelor of Music in double bass performance. He credits Wichita State’s faculty and ensembles for shaping his growth. His advice: stay consistent—progress takes time, but it adds up.

Lille Nightingale poses in front of her research poster at the Kansas state capitol

April 7, 2025 — Wichita State senior Lille Nightingale studied wildebeest migration and transformed their movements into a choreographed dance. Her research blends art and science, offering a creative look at the natural world.

2025 Wallace Scholarship winners: Emilia Bustamante, Tyllor Childers, Hudson Coffman, Lexi Grimm, Connor Maul, Sean McDermott, Luke Osburn, Molly Patterson, Madison Sohm, and John Vonder Bruegge

March 5, 2025 – Wichita State University’s College of Engineering has named the latest group of high school seniors to join the Wallace Scholar program.

Grant Adler

Feb. 13, 2025 - Shocker pitcher Grant Adler, who attended Derby High School, will graduate in May with a general studies - chemistry degree while continuing to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. He will intern at Spirit AeroSystems for a second summer.

Melissa Penkava Koza works on a costume for a show.

Jan. 31, 2025 What started as a work study position in the costume shop of her university’s theater department has propelled Melissa Penkava Koza’s sewing hobby into guiding the next generation of costume creators.

Javier Martinez in his graduation regalia

Dec. 16, 2024 Javier Martinez received the Mark and Stacy Parkinson Scholarship, which, alongside Wichita State University’s closeness to home and mechanical engineering program, made it a no-brainer for Javier to attend WSU. He used the opportunities available to him as a Shocker to stay up on his studies and now joins his peers in graduating with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering.

Diego Vargas-Ruiz

Dec. 10, 2024 For Diego Vargas-Ruiz, college life was trying to find a balance between academe, friends and personal health, but instead of trying to fight it, he took the challenge as an opportunity to optimize his responsibilities until he found his rhythm.

A line graph that shows Wichita State and WSU Tech's enrollment since 1895.

Oct. 2, 2024 — Combined enrollment by headcount across all Wichita State University locations for fall 2024 is 23,806, according to the annual data released today by the Kansas Board of Regents. This is the largest number of students ever choosing to enroll at Wichita State.

Filming at Synthetic Scenes

Sept. 25, 2024 Wichita State University students now have access to cutting-edge virtual production technology at Shocker Studios with the addition of Synthetic Scenes — a 35- by 11-foot digital wall that will give digital arts students and professionals more tools to create innovative productions.