Barton In the News

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University has chosen two recipients to receive the 2023 Professor Fran Jabara Scholarship in Entrepreneurship. This year’s winners are Kayla Atkinson from Andover Central High School and Caleb Lowry from Eisenhower High School. They will each receive more than $32,500 spread over four years to attend WSU and major in entrepreneurship.

In just its first year, the Collegiate DECA chapter at Wichita State University is already making its mark nationwide. The WSU team competed in the statewide DECA competition at Tabor College on February 24. Two members, Jennifer Calvo and Nathan Holloway, placed in the top three in their events. As a result, they will represent Kansas at a national collegiate DECA competition happening April 15^th to 19^th in Orlando, Florida.

Earlier this Spring, Wichita State University announced seven high school students from Kansas and Oklahoma have become the newest recipients of the Koch Scholarship. These Koch Scholars have been awarded $30,000 (for in-state students) or $45,000 (for out-of-state students) each. The competitive program is based on high academic achievement, work, volunteer and leadership experiences, an essay and an interview process.

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University will host Erin Cummings as she begins to showcase her first published work, “The Possibility Project: A Guided Journal for Creating What’s Possible.” The kickoff event will be at Woolsey Hall on April 27 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. It will feature a presentation by Cummings titled “Moving With Purpose and Unlocking Possibilities” followed by a book signing opportunity for attendees along with a networking reception. Cummings is a Barton School graduate, president of the school’s Dean’s Alumni Advisory Board and owner of YESyoga.

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University is launching its Business Hall of Fame to recognize, honor and celebrate the industry executives and business leaders who have gone above and beyond in making a significant impact on their communities and advancement of the Barton School.

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University has announced Susan Thomas, founder and CEO of 10Fold, will serve as the college’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence for the Spring 2023 semester. Thomas is from Newton, KS and began her college education at Wichita State. She founded 10Fold in 1995 and the company is now ranked among the top eight percent of independently owned communications firms exclusively focused on business-to-business technology in the U.S. (IBISWorld, 2020).

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University has awarded Isabella (Bella) Kilman, a senior from Valley Center High School, the 2023 Clay Barton Scholarship. The $50,000 scholarship is one of the largest business scholarships in Kansas.

The Barton School recently talked with Maley Hansen, senior at Wichita North High School and future Barton School of Business student, who was named one of three 2023 Gore Scholars. More than 480 high school seniors from all over the country competed in this year’s Distinguished Scholarship Invitational to become Gore Scholars – participating in essays, a leadership competition and interviews. Maley will receive a $64,000 scholarship to attend Wichita State University in August 2023. She is only the fourth North High student to receive the scholarship, which was established in 1954.

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University has named Stephanie Cockrell as its new Director of Graduate Programs. In the role, Cockrell will work to define and execute strategies to increase enrollment and retention as well as deliver robust experiences for graduate students. This includes study-abroad programs as well as experiential education and applied leadership opportunities. Cockrell will also lead all recruiting marketing and communication activities for graduate degree programs. Her first day in her new position was January 23.

Dr. Usha Haley, W. Frank Barton Distinguished Chair in International Business and Kansas Faculty of Excellence, was recently featured in the Times Higher Education and also judged Financial Times Awards for impactful research. Read more about these stories.