Barton In the News

The Widener Global Leaders Program (WGLP)— recognized by the Wichita Business Journal with its Innovation Award—celebrated the launch of its fifth cohort during a dynamic welcome event at Wichita State University. The new class features 12 exceptional students representing the W. Frank Barton School of Business, the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the College of Fine Arts.

A team of five undergraduate students from the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University earned finalist recognition at the Cornhusker Business Case Competition, a prestigious national event hosted by the Nebraska Business Honors Academy at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Six student leaders from the Barton School of Business’s Cummings Student Managed Investment Fund (CSMIF) recently traveled to Chicago for the 2025 Student Managed Investment Fund Consortium (SMIFC) Conference, where they engaged with industry leaders, expanded their professional networks, and explored new strategies to strengthen the fund.

The Cummings Student-Managed Investment Fund (CSMIF) at Wichita State University’s W. Frank Barton School of Business opened the 2025-26 academic year with serious momentum, announcing a 20% portfolio increase over the previous year — one of the most successful periods in the fund’s history. The news was shared during CSMIF’s annual fall kick-off event, where students and mentors also introduced the fund’s dynamic new leadership team and outlined their vision for the year ahead.

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University today launches Barton Foresight: AI Outlook, a new publication exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping business, education, and society. As the first in a series of Barton Foresight initiatives, AI Outlook underscores the school’s commitment to equipping its community—and the wider region—with tools to anticipate change and act on it.

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University today launches Barton Foresight: AI Outlook, a new publication exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping business, education, and society. As the first in a series of Barton Foresight initiatives, AI Outlook underscores the school’s commitment to equipping its community—and the wider region—with tools to anticipate change and act on it.

After a successful inaugural year, Wichita State University’s Spero program is entering its second year. Spero—Latin for “hope”—helps individuals achieve lasting independence through skill-building and access to meaningful employment. Participants complete employer- and market-oriented training that leads to micro-credentials, making Spero the first micro-credential program in WSU’s history and the first 1EdTech TrustEd Micro-credential program in the world.