Author: Caelin Bragg

Work has been progressing smoothly on construction of the upcoming Wichita Biomedical Campus, a $300 million, 471,000-square-foot joint health sciences center between Wichita State, WSU Tech and the University of Kansas.

Despite the rain, workers began installation of shoring around the elevator pits across the site to prevent from dirt caving in as they dig. The workers will begin forming and pouring concrete pile caps and elevator pit walls, which will continue throughout the week.

You can watch a live broadcast of the construction online at: bigview.ai/wichitabiomedicalcampusliveview.

The Department of Sport & Leadership Studies and the SMART Lab at Wichita State invite you to attend a complimentary speaker session, “Winning with Data: Leveraging Analytics in Sport” by Ed Chao at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20 in 265 Rhatigan Student Center, Lucas Room.

Chao is a co-founder and VP at Cerebro Sports, a leading data analytics company funded by Mark Cuban, as well as the GM of the Dallas Flash, a professional pickleball team on the Major League Pickleball Tour. He will share insight on how data analytics shapes and advances the decision-making process in the sport industry with practical cases. 

Reservations will be granted on a first-come, first-serve basis. RSVP by Tuesday, Nov. 19. For questions, contact Dr. Wonyoung Kim at wonyoung.kim@wichita.edu. 

Spero, a Barton School of Business startup aimed at unlocking the potential of Wichita and its citizens, hosted an event on Friday, Oct. 25 to celebrate the launch of its micro-credential programs in entrepreneurship and career readiness. The event brought together the inaugural class of Spero students, their families, Spero board members, employers, mentors and other supporters to commemorate the launch. Marquis Bradley, founder of Omnicut Fitness, delivered a rousing keynote speech that set the stage for a promising start. The keynote energized attendees and set an optimistic tone for Spero’s future impact.

“To have a celebration of Spero students with their families in attendance was special,” said Walter Berry, executive chairman, Berry Companies, board chair of Spero and a member of the Barton School’s Dean’s Advisory Board. “It really set the stage for the program and built excitement for the opportunities ahead.”

Spero, derived from the Latin word for “hope,” is dedicated to empowering individuals to achieve lasting independence by equipping them with essential skills and providing access to meaningful employment opportunities.

Dr. Scott Hill, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Philosophy of Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, recently published his article “Where Are the Generalists?” in the journal, Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective.

Dr. Hill argues in favor of the paper “Why We Should Stop Talking about Generalism and Particularism: Moving the Debate on Conspiracy Theories Forward” by Maarten Boudry and M. Giulia Napolitano, which makes the argument that the generalist/particularist distinction is not a fruitful one when used in the context of “conspiracy theories.” Dr. Hill offers counters to arguments made by M R.X Dentith and Melina Tsapos in their paper, “Why We Should Talk about Generalism and Particularism: A Reply to Boudry and Napolitano,” which offered critics of Boundy and Napolitano’s paper.

The Ulrich Museum of Art hosted Ghanaian-Moroccan multidisciplinary artist, David Alabo, to discuss his inspirations, creative process and deep connection to Afrofuturism and Afro-Surrealism.

Alabo’s work is currently on display at the Ulrich fall exhibition, “Dream Machine: Fantasy, Surreality, and Play,” through Dec. 7

Usha Haley, W. Frank Barton Distinguished Chair in International Business, was interviewed by the Business Journals on what small businesses can do in the face of impending tariffs. Usha’s advice comprises the lede of the article, “My advice is to buckle up.”

Dr. Chase Billingham, associate professor and graduate program coordinator in the Department of Sociology in the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, recently published the article, “‘Kansas Women Are Awake’: Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s Journeys in Kansas and the Origins of Women and Economics” in the journal, Great Plains Quarterly.

The article, published Nov. 5, detailed Dr. Billingham’s research on Charlotte Perkins Gilman, author of 1898’s influential “Women and Economics,” and the work she did in Kansas that led to her to publish her landmark book. Dr. Billingham’s research spans Gilman’s journey in Kansas in 1896 and 1897 by analyzing her letters, diaries and other archives to provide a detailed account of her ties to Kansas for the first time.

Support for teaching and research is critical to Wichita State University’s mission to be an essential educational, cultural and economic driver for Kansas and the greater public good. The establishment of an office dedicated to retaining, supporting and developing faculty talent is a significant step toward that.

The Office for Faculty Advancement, Retention and Excellence (FARE), funded in part by a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation, is opening this semester. Its goals include supporting student success, collaborative and externally funded research, and attracting and retaining a diverse faculty body. Success in meeting these goals will elevate Wichita State’s efforts to become an R1 research institution.

The FARE office will collaborate with several departments across campus to deliver programs and services to support faculty, including Office of the Provost, College of Applied Studies, Office of Instructional Resources, Media Resources Center, Office of Hispanic Serving Initiatives and Office of Research.

Wichita State University has named Dr. Monica Lounsbery as its next senior executive vice president and provost, effective Jan. 5, 2025.

“I am truly privileged to assume the vital role of senior executive vice president and provost at Wichita State University at such a crucial time in both the university’s transformational journey and the broader landscape of higher education,” says Lounsbery. “With WSU’s comprehensive enterprise — including WSU Tech, the Innovation Campus, the creation of the Wichita Biomedical Campus, the National Institute for Aviation Research, and the National Institute for Research and Digital Transformation — Wichita State University is driving a new model of higher education that effectively responds to the many challenges facing institutions across the country, including those associated with enrollment, value and cost. I am excited to work closely with President Muma and the WSU campus community — including deans, university leaders, faculty, staff and students — to continue WSU’s trend-bucking trajectory to forge the future of the academy while prioritizing educational access and affordability, meeting workforce talent pipeline needs, and increasing the economic prosperity for the communities we serve.”

Shocker women’s basketball hosts Missouri State at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13 in Charles Koch Arena, and the first 250 fans will receive a Wichita State Shocker city skyline flag for Wichita Proud Night.

Wichita State students can grab their tickets at the game at no additional charge, with their Shocker IDs, in the Shocker Ticket Office beginning when doors open at 5 p.m. Student ticket info is available at goshockers.com/studenttickets.