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John Tomblin stands between two men with an award.

Feb. 5, 2026 — At this week’s 10th annual Military Additive Manufacturing Summit & Technology Showcase (MILAM) in Tampa, Florida, John Tomblin was honored with the MILAM Lifetime Achievement Award. Tomblin is Wichita State University’s executive vice president for Research and Industry and Defense Programs and executive director of the WSU’s National Institute for Aviation Research.

Justin Neel holds a Pizza Shuttle box.

Jan. 22, 2026 — A staple of Kansas college towns is coming to Wichita State University. Pizza Shuttle — along with its signature flavors and lightning-quick speed — will open in Braeburn Square before the end of January.

A student dusts fingerprints look sat bullet casings under a microscope.

Jan. 13, 2026 — Wichita State University will launch two graduate programs in forensic firearms and forensic biology in fall 2026, expanding the pipeline of trained specialists prepared for careers in federal, state and local crime laboratories.

NSF ranks Wichita State No. 1 in aerospace engineering R&D and No. 9 in overall engineering R&D from all funding sources

Jan. 12, 2026 — Fueled by a boost in contracts from federal agencies and various military branches, Wichita State University continues to hold strong in its standings in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Higher Education Research and Development Survey, reporting $392 million in research expenditures in the latest survey.

Dr. Ali P. Gordon

Jan. 7, 2026 Dr. Ali P. Gordon has been named as the next dean of the Wichita State University College of Engineering, effective June 7.

Lisa Parcell and Blake Benson

Oct. 13, 2025 — Dr. Lisa Parcel, Kansas Health Foundation Director of the Elliott School of Communication and professor of communication, was named Kansas Board of Regents’ Tenured Faculty of the Year in September.

Christopher Leonard

Oct. 13. 2025 — Christopher Leonard, director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at Wichita State University, has been named Staff of the Year by the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) — an honor he says reflects the hard work and dedication of his entire team.

Marco Hernandez (left) stands with President Muma

Oct. 13, 2025 – Wichita State’s Marco Hernandez has been named 2025 Kansas Board of Regents Faculty of the Year. He was recognized during an event on Sept. 17 in Topeka.

From right to left: Dr. Christopher Leonard, Marco Hernandez, Dr. Erin O'Bryan, and Dr. Lisa Parcell

Oct. 13, 2025 — Four Wichita State University faculty and staff members have been named 2025 Faculty and Staff of the Year by the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR), recognizing their excellence in teaching, research, service and student support.

Erin O'Bryan and Harold Regier

Oct. 13. 2025 — Erin O’Bryan, assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders at Wichita State University, has been named Tenure-Track Faculty of the Year by the Kansas Board of Regents.

Adam Rutherford wears a geriatric-simulation suit

Oct. 6, 2025 — Wichita State University physical therapy students donned a homemade aging-simulation suit to experience impaired vision, hearing and mobility challenges, helping them better understand the daily struggles of older adults.

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).

The School of Music puts on a recital in Wiedemann Hall wit the text 'Mental Health Advocate' and

Aug. 5, 2025 The School of Music, in the College of Fine Arts, is being recognized as a Suspenders4Hope mental health advocate for its ongoing commitment to student well-being, its leadership in raising awareness and its creative use of music to express the importance of hope, healing and human connection.

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.