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.
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.
Dec. 3, 2024 — Josie Sloan is a first-generation college student who worked as bus driver for Wichita Public Schools while earning her degree in communication science and disorders. She encourages students to connect with people on campus: "Engage with your classmates and professors and build relationships intentionally."
Nov. 20, 2024 – Wichita State University has launched the Institute for Rehabilitation Medicine and Assistive Technology (IRMAT), an innovative collaboration focused on addressing disease and disability through applied research and technology. IRMAT will serve as a hub for cutting-edge, patient-driven research and development of transformative technologies to improve the quality of life for individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities.
May 20, 2024 - Wichita State is one of 10 teams which advanced to the spring semester competition in the NASA SUITS challenge. The team travels to Test Week in Houston at the Johnson Space Center this week. The list of finalists includes the University of California Berkeley, University of Colorado, University of Michigan, Georgia Tech, Purdue University and others.
May 14, 2024 — Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research will receive more than $10 million from NASA for research related to the development and implementation of advanced materials for hypersonic applications.
Jan. 8, 2024 - Wichita State University moved to No. 2 on the national list of industry-funded engineering and research and development, according to the latest data compiled by the National Science Foundation’s Higher Education Research and Development Survey.
Feb. 25, 2022 — Wichita State’s Dorothy and Bill Cohen Honors College is proud to announce nine recipients of the Koch Scholars Program for the fall 2022 semester. These eight recipients will each be awarded $30,000 over the next four years.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Oct. 28, 2020 - Tyler Pennick, director of videography for Wichita State’s Office of Strategic Communications, created a documentary about WuShock in bronze. After two years of development, the documentary was accepted into the Tallgrass Film Festival and awarded for its success.
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.
