2024 Bender of Twigs

It is my honor to reflect on 25 years of service of my colleague, mentor, and friend Dr. Stan Longhofer. He has certainly done some amazing things on campus and influenced the lives of many students, faculty, and practitioners. His journey here is remarkable – a great researcher, a dedicated teacher, a community builder, and a mentor to many. The proof is the wall full of award plaques and recognitions.

After a career with the Federal Reserve in Cleveland, Stan came home to Wichita State to rebuild the real estate program, and he certainly did it. For most people in the flourishing Wichita community, the name Stan Longhofer is synonymous with Real Estate at WSU. He has assembled quite a village of practitioners and real estate moguls to wrap around the program. The network connects students, alumni, industry professionals, and faculty in a meaningful way. He hasn’t just developed a program—he has created a legacy of collaboration and engagement that differentiates the experiences of WSU students.

While Stan is a great researcher, he is very interested in the practical impact of his work, including the ongoing publishing of the Kansas Housing Forecast. A data-driven analysis for the real estate markets of large cities in Kansas. This product has been a welcome tool for practitioners for many years allowing the university research to shape business communities beyond the Wichita boundaries. He also travels across the state to educate and promote real estate education.

Dr. Longhofer is a passionate and dedicated teacher – he aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge to succeed on the market. He allocates time to hear each person and support their individual interests. He not only teaches but also opens doors to amazing career opportunities. His students get a chance to hang out with the CEOs and owners of companies with billions in assets. Seeing students succeed has always been Stan’s greatest joy, whether they were landing their first job or becoming leaders in the field. Many of his students have gone on to achieve great things and he loves sharing their stories as an inspiration for the next generations.

Over the years, Stan has guided many new colleagues through the challenges of academia, offering advice, encouragement, and unwavering support. His door is always open, and his genuine commitment to the success of other faculty has made a huge difference for many. Stan has been the person we can count on to listen, offer feedback, or simply provide reassurance. Stan is a mentor and a friend that shaped me, and numerous others, as the academic, teacher, and the mentor that I am today. He never spared an effort to share honest and compassionate advice. While the original Clinton Hall is now gone, I nostalgically remember our long hallway conversations into the late evenings after the last classes ended at 9:45 p.m. Stan is committed to service above self.

Following in the steps of his father, Stan is a lifelong Rotarian giving back to the community in ways that reflect the same care and generosity he brings to his academic life. Stan and his wife Julie share a not-so-secret passion for the theater which led to the creation of ICTRep Wichita Repertory Theater - a project that channels their love for the arts and desire to enrich the local community.

Whether he’s mentoring a new faculty member, cheering on a student’s success, or working with Julie on their latest project, Stan leads with purpose, passion, and heart. He is an exemplary Shocker who came back home to his alma mater and made the university and all of us better. What a privilege to have my career side by side with him and learn how to care for my students, how to build new programs, and how to be a citizen of the university, the community, and the broader academia.