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

WSU News Archive   Return to WSU News Home

Ulrich Art Museum

Feb. 6, 2024 - A grant from the National Endowment for the Arts will help the Ulrich Museum of Art celebrate the Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection as part of the Museum’s 50th Anniversary special programming.

Art and Betty Wood

Dec. 15, 2022 — Betty and Art Wood shared a passion for music throughout their lives, and their legacy of supporting the arts continues through their gift of $1 million from their estate to support the Music Associates Endowed Fund at Wichita State.

Group of individuals standing

Feb. 9, 2022 — A bequest from the estate of Richard "Dick" Smith will provide about $5.5 million each to Wichita State University and the University of Kansas to endow full-ride scholarships for students at those schools.

Valeria Paunetto is standing in front of the brick laid Morrison Hall and there is a tree in the background. The sun is shining. Paunetto is wearing her shocker gear with some yellow earrings and she is smiling.

Jan. 24, 2022 — Valeria Paunetto, originally from Puerto Rico, won the Adelante Scholarship in 2021, which has helped her pursue a degree in social work at Wichita State.

Darren DeFrain holding up phone with Vizling app

Jan. 20, 2022 — The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has awarded a grant of $243,922 to a Wichita State University researcher for his work on an app that will allow people who are visually impaired to read comic books, graphic novels and other digitized graphic materials on their devices.

Shock the World

Dec. 9, 2020 — The WSU Foundation's seven-year Shock the World campaign raised more than $300 million to fund scholarships and campus improvements at Wichita State University.

WuShock will be the readers tour guide through Wichita State's history.

November 23, 2020 - Jay Price, a history professor at Wichita State, is honoring Wichita State’s birthday by creating a graphic novel of Wichita State's history.

Adelante Scholarship

Nov. 10, 2020 — Incoming freshmen and transfer students have an opportunity to receive up to $20,000 as part of Wichita State University’s new Shocker Adelante Scholarship.

Mural at Riverfront Stadium

Oct. 28, 2020 -- There are several artists with Wichita State University connections involved in the public art projects in and around the Riverfront Stadium, home of the Wichita Wind Surge minor-league professional team. Several of the public art projects are visible outside the stadium and more are scheduled for installation in the coming months. All of the artists are local or regional.

Woolsey Hall Groundbreaking

Oct. 22, 2020 — Alumni, donors and officials from Wichita State University gathered Thursday, Oct. 22 for a groundbreaking ceremony at the future site of Wayne and Kay Woolsey Hall, the new home for the W. Frank Barton School of Business.

Darren Defrain

Sept. 23, 2020 - Darren Defrain is the social professor of English and director of the writing program at Wichita State. Defrain has written novels, memoirs and essays, created a graphic novel, teaches on graphic novels/storytelling and is actively working on a graphic novel app.

Peri Widener

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.

Yolanda and Gene Camarena

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.

Two students on the WSU campus

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.

Creators of

May 20, 2020 — Jay Price, director of the public history program at Wichita State University, decided to make a series of graphic novels to commemorate the trail."