Year: 2024

The Wichita State baseball team has earned the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Team Academic Excellence Award for the 2023-24 academic year.

The award honors high school and college programs coached by ABCA members that post a grade-point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the current academic year. It’s the seventh straight year the Shockers have earned the honor.

WSU tallied a 3.463 cumulative GPA in 2023-24, placing five student-athletes on the Academic All-District Team.

The WSU West building will be temporarily closed starting Friday, July 26 with issues related to humidity levels and will undergo air testing.

Due to repairs being made to the street and sidewalk, the east entrance of Jardine Hall will be temporarily closed.

We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.

Lots 2E and 2K, the parking lots near Koch Arena, will be closed Monday, July 29 through Friday, Aug. 2 for an event in the lots. Faculty and staff that typically park in this lot will need to park in other yellow lots during this time.

The purpose of lot reservations is to help accommodate large groups of guests visiting campus for events. Lot reservations are not to be used for WSU affiliates. Remember, visitors to campus can park without an ePermit up to three times each semester.

Red reserved and ADA stalls are not subject to lot closures and proper use is permitted during this time.

Mary Nelson, research and operations manager for Special Collections at University Libraries, passed away July 17.

Mary joined Wichita State in 1994 as a library assistant and was instrumental in digitizing materials from Special Collections to give broader access to its materials. She also often served as a liaison to researchers looking to use the vast archives of Special Collections in Ablah Library. Mary was inducted as a Bender of Twigs in 2019 after 25 years of service to the university.

Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes is excited to announce a new partnership with WSU Dining in overseeing the grill area of its operation. With this collaboration, a new menu will be offered starting Monday, Aug. 5. It is excited to offer new food and beverage options in one of WSU’s favorite spots.

In order to make the transition happen, the grill area of the Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes will be closed July 31-Aug. 3. You can still visit for some bowling or billiards during this time. Stay up-to-date on new offerings and promos on Facebook or Instagram.

Wichita State University is excited to announce a significant advancement in its journey towards excellence. This initiative strengthens the university’s ability to streamline various hiring processes and positions WSU at the forefront of talent market expectations with the implementation of the newly named talent management system, WuHire.

WSU is delighted to share that Julie Brin from KMUW 89.1 FM and Hollie Johnston from Human Resources are the winners of the naming contest with their creative submission, “WuHire.” Congratulations to Julie and Hollie for their innovative and memorable contribution, and a big thank you to everyone who participated.

The WuHire system will feature:

• Integration of multiple systems
• Updated career site with new mobile functionality
• Process automation and reduced user data entry
• Robust reporting and enhanced compliance capabilities

Stay informed on key milestones:

• July/August: WuHire Show and Tell events
• September: Training sessions (both in-person and virtual)
• October: WuHire goes live

Faculty and staff are invited to follow the WuHire SharePoint for additional information and ongoing updates.

Wichita State University is part of a collaborative effort to address the behavioral health care worker shortage across Kansas. With new funding, mental health care agencies in south-central Kansas will be better equipped to tackle this critical need.

In a recent report, Kansas was positioned among the states with the poorest access and availability of mental health treatment, largely due to a shortage of professionals to care for mental health patients. However, a committed cohort of mental and behavioral health professionals has successfully secured funding to address this deficiency by implementing educational initiatives aimed at bolstering the talent pool of behavioral health professionals within our state.

Backed by $5.7 million in funding from the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS), the newly established Kansas Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (KSBHCoE) is focusing on key areas to enhance opportunities and expand the mental health workforce. This effort involves strategic collaboration with several local agencies and institutions, including Wichita State.

What started out as an extracurricular activity at the Shocker Gaming Club has ballooned into a career leading students to success for Wichita State’s Joe Mazzara.

Mazzara, who was recently appointed to director of Wichita State University’s Esports program, began his tenure with the program as a volunteer assistant coach while he was an undergrad at WSU, before becoming the assistant director of Esports in 2019.

“During the infancy of the program, I felt I was learning quickly and excelling in areas like recruitment and team operations and always took a player-first approach to program leadership, which allowed me to connect with our players on a personal level,” Mazzara said. “My motivation to continue with the program has been fueled by my previous mentors/directors and the impact we have had on students’ lives as a result of the creation of the varsity esports program.”

Wichita State has been hosting 19 undergraduate students from Mexico on campus this summer. These students are doing research with various WSU faculty mentors through the Delfin Program; six additional students have participated virtually. The students are working hard and are very enthusiastic to be at WSU. Come help send off these undergraduate researchers from Mexico as they complete their seven-week research experience at Wichita State.

The Delfin Program poster session will be from noon to 2 p.m. Monday, July 29 in 142 Rhatigan Student Center, Harvest Room. Attend to view the outcome of a wide variety of research conducted and to show your enthusiasm for hosting the students at WSU. This session can also be a recruitment opportunity for graduate students.