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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.

Wichita State University campus

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

WuShock and Xavier Westbrook

Dec. 10, 2025 — Xavier Westbrook came to Wichita State from Canton, Kansas, to pursue a degree in elementary education. He hopes that his student and substitute teaching experiences will turn into a full-time career with Wichita Public Schools.

Tayana Martin

Dec. 10, 2025 — Tayana Martin chose Wichita State for its proximity to home, reputation and the opportunities available to students. She encourages future Shockers to take advantage of all the university has to offer and take time to enjoy the college experience. 

Scholars Walk banner

Nov. 18, 2025 - The Scholars Walk at Wichita State University honors the achievements of faculty and their roles as scholars, mentors and innovators. Installed this month, Scholars Walk is a series of banners along the northeast walkway from the Plaza of Heroines highlighting faculty from the academic colleges.

An upward view of the spire on Wichita State's Corbin Education Center

Oct. 30, 2025 — Wichita State University’s Corbin Education Center, designed by the world-renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, a distinction reserved for America’s most significant architectural and cultural landmarks.

Wichita State University water tower and sunflowers

Oct. 1, 2025 — Wichita State University and the Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology (WSU Tech) are celebrating record-breaking enrollment this fall, continuing a decade of extraordinary growth. Over the past 10 years, WSU has grown 27.3% and WSU Tech 101.5%. That momentum is reflected in this fall’s historic headcount of 25,147 students — the highest in university history.

NIAR

Aug. 27, 2025 — Several groundbreaking manufacturing research programs from Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) have been named finalists for the industry’s top honors by the Composites and Advanced Materials Expo (CAMX) and the American Composites Manufacturers Association’s (ACMA) Awards for Composites Excellence (ACE).

Students collaborate on research

July 31, 2025 — Wichita State and Groover Labs received a state grant to boost student innovation and help bring Kansas ideas to market. The funding expands hands-on learning, prototyping and outreach across the state.

Overhead photo of campus with a flag pole with the United States, Kansas and Wichita flags in the foreground and the campus in the background

July 31, 2025 Wichita State University is one of the recipients of a renewed $20 million grant as part of the AI Institute for Foundations of Machine Learning (IFML), of which WSU is a founding member.

A student does research

July 14, 2025 — Wichita State University has been named a partner in the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps Great Plains Hub — a $14 million initiative that equips researchers, students and entrepreneurs with the tools to move ideas from the lab to the marketplace. The first WSU-led cohort begins Sept. 15 and will further strengthen the university’s innovation ecosystem.

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.