Year: 2024

Are you a local business owner or startup looking to showcase your products or services this holiday season? Join the Kansas Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for its Last-Minute Holiday Market from noon to 6 p.m. Dec. 18 at the Hughes Metropolitan Complex.

Cost to register as a vendor is $20-30. Service providers are welcome if you sell gift certificates.

Learn more about a unique funding initiative designed to bridge the gap between groundbreaking research and real-world application at NSF/NIH SBIR Webinar from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 6.

The NSF and NIH SBIR/STTR programs are designed to empower small businesses in transforming innovative ideas into impactful solutions for society. If you have groundbreaking concepts grounded in rigorous science and engineering, poised to revolutionize existing solutions and grow into thriving ventures, this webinar is tailored for you.

You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions and, on a first-come, first-served basis, schedule a one-on-one meeting with two program directors overseeing the program’s portfolios.

Come out for the Destress Fest “Nightmare on Elm Street” movie night at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4 in the CAC Theater. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Students admission is free, $5 faculty and staff and $8 for general public. The event is organized by the Student Activities Council.

Nominations for Excellence Awards in Research, Creativity Activity and Community Research are now being accepted by the Office of Research.

All full-time faculty, including distinguished professors and endowed chairs, who have served at WSU for at least three years are eligible. Faculty who hold an administrative position above that of chair are not eligible.

Previous winners of the award are ineligible to be nominated for a period of five years following the award. See the Office of Research website for additional details and online nomination forms. Nominations must be received by Friday, Dec 6 to be considered.

Do finals have you stressed out? Join the Student Activities Council during Destress Fest week starting at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3 on the first floor of the Rhatigan Student Center and make some beautiful sand art by choosing variety of colors and jars to help relieve stress during finals week while supplies last.

The School of Music invites you to the 61st Annual Candlelight Concert, a cherished holiday tradition that brings the community together to celebrate the season through music.

This year’s performances will take place at Wiedemann Hall at:

• 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6
• 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7
• 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8

The concert will feature breathtaking performances by the Madrigal Singers, Concert Chorale, WuChoir and ShockerChoir, directed by Dr. Ryan Beeken and Dr. Tom Wine. These ensembles will present a diverse repertoire, blending traditional holiday favorites with captivating new works that highlight the beauty of the season.

Tickets are available through the Fine Arts Box Office or by calling 316-978-3233.

The College of Applied Studies is pleased to announce that Dr. Julie Thiele will serve as the new chair of the Teacher Apprenticeship Pathways, Literacy and Special Education (TALS) Department. Dr. Thiele brings experience in education and leadership, and successfully funded research initiatives, making her a valuable addition to the college.

As department chair, Dr. Thiele will focus on enhancing student success, fostering academic excellence and promoting faculty development and scholarship. She is committed to strengthening partnerships with educational organizations and ensuring that programs such as the Teacher Apprentice Program are aligned with the evolving needs of schools and communities. She also plans to focus on the enhancement of collaborations between faculty within TALS to create pathways from CAS undergraduate programs to TALS graduate programs including, ME.d in special education and literacy certificates.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Thiele to this important leadership role,” said Dr. Jennifer Friend, dean of the College of Applied Studies. “Her commitment to our students and her expertise in the field of educator preparation will help advance our mission and support our students, faculty and staff in achieving their goals.”

On the morning of Tuesday Dec. 3, a section of Innovation Boulevard will be closed to move construction equipment from one construction site to another. If driving on campus, make a plan to take an alternate route during this time.

As the holiday break nears, you will notice ongoing and new construction across Wichita State’s 330-acres and beyond. 

Main campus:

Public Policy and Management Center
The Public Policy and Management Center will move into Garvey International Center, 3203 E. 17th St., in early December.

Corbin Education Center
Corbin Education Center remains closed with repair work underway this fall to replace equipment in mechanical room damaged by a chilled water line break in March.
The College of Applied Studies will likely move back into Corbin at the end of the spring 2025 semester.

McKnight Art Center
Construction will begin soon on ventilation upgrades on the second floor of McKnight North. Work is scheduled to finish by the fall of 2025.

Duerksen Fine Arts Center
Construction will begin after the fall semester to add a single occupancy restroom and lounge area in the B wing.

Wichita Biomedical Campus:

Construction work on the Wichita Biomedical Campus site continues.
At the beginning of November, crews finished up the 270 auger cast piles that were drilled 65-feet deep. Shoring has been installed and now the elevator pits are being dug. They will begin pile caps, and perimeter foundations next.
Road closures around the site will begin in January along with the installation of a tower crane that will be built to begin placing structural steel in February 2025.
You can watch a live broadcast of the construction online at: bigview.ai/wichitabiomedicalcampusliveview.
Construction is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2026.

Innovation Campus:

NIAR Hub for Advanced Manufacturing Research
Construction on the NIAR HAMR building began in May. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2025.
The 170,000-square-foot building is partly funded by an EDA grant and will house advanced manufacturing research labs and associated offices. The building will be located on Innovation Boulevard between the Partnership Building 1 and The Suites. The first floor is primarily labs with offices on the second floor.

Partnership Building 3B
P3B, located between Partnership Building 3 and The Smart Factory @Wichita, is under construction. It will house the Forensic Crime Gun Intelligence Laboratory for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Athletics:

University Stadium Phase 1A
Construction is underway on Phase 1A on the east side of University Stadium (formerly Cessna Stadium).
Crews are moving dirt to prepare for construction that will include ticketing, restrooms, concessions and bleacher seating.
Phase 1A completion is scheduled for May 2025 before KSHSAA Track and Field State Championship on May 30-31.
Phase 1B will begin after KSHSAA Track and Field State Championship. Phase 1B will consist of widening the field and installing a nine-lane track.

Wilkins Stadium
Construction on the indoor practice facility next to Wilkins Stadium is underway. Steel will arrive on site in late November. The facility is scheduled to be complete in March 2025.

Pickleball courts
Construction will begin by the end of 2024 on three pickleball courts on the lawn area between Heskett Center, Hubbard Hall and Lindquist Hall.
The sculpture “Canto IV – A” will be relocated to the grass area west of McKnight Art Center.

Usha Haley, W. Frank Barton Distinguished Professor in International Business, was approached by Fortune magazine to shed light on how the escalating Russia-Ukraine conflict would affect U.S. businesses in the article, “Here’s how escalating Russia tensions could impact markets and supply chains, according to experts.”

Read the article in Fortune. The article is also hosted on Yahoo Finance.