Author: Caelin Bragg

Wichita State’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), in collaboration with Hexcel Corporation, celebrated the groundbreaking of the new Hexcel Applications Center May 28. The center represents a significant milestone for Wichita State and further positions the university and Kansas as leaders in advanced aerospace research, manufacturing and workforce development.

The Hexcel Applications Center at NIAR’s Advanced Technologies Lab for Aerospace Systems (ATLAS) on South Oliver in Wichita further strengthens Kansas’ position as a global hub for aerospace research, design and manufacturing, while highlighting the importance of collaboration among industry, academia and government.

Wichita State University celebrates the following faculty members who were recognized at the Tenure and Promotion Awards ceremony April 21:

• W. Frank Barton School of Business:
  • Tenure awardees:
    • Abigail Devereaux, associate professor, economics
    • Ross Gruetzemacher, associate professor, FREDS
    • Andrea Lynn Matthews, associate professor, marketing
    • Smita Srivastava, associate professor, management
    • Xiaoyang Zhu, associate professor, economics
    • Alexander Ziegler, associate professor, marketing
  • Non-tenure track awardees:
    • Michael Flores, senior educator, accounting
    • Kate Kung‑McIntyre, senior educator, management

• College of Education:
  • Tenure awardees:
    • Jason Li, professor, CLES
    • Lindsay Luinstra, associate professor, HPS
  • Non-tenure track awardees:
    • Jill Wood, associate educator, TALS

• College of Engineering:
  • Tenure awardees:
    • Yanwu Ding, professor, electrical and computer engineering
    • Atri Dutta, professor, aerospace engineering
    • Deepak Gupta, professor, industrial, systems and manufacturing engineering
    • Hyuck Kwon, professor, electrical and computer engineering
    • Bayram Yildirim, professor, industrial, systems and manufacturing engineering
  • Non-tenure track awardees:
    • Gary Brooking, teaching professor, applied engineering

• College of Fine Arts:
  • Tenure awardees:
    • Timothy Jones, associate professor, music
    • Claudia Pederson, professor, art and design
    • Gerald “Jerry” Scholl, professor, music
    • Timothy Shade, professor, music
    • Leonid Shukaev, professor, music
  • Non-tenure track awardees:
    • Melissa Penkava Koza, associate teaching professor, performing arts
    • Robert Thomas, associate teaching professor, digital arts
    • Sabrina Vasquez, senior educator, performing arts

• College of Health Professions:
  • Tenure awardees:
    • Erin O’Bryan, associate professor, communication sciences and disorders
  • Non-tenure track awardees:
    • Laurie Alloway, teaching professor, medical laboratory sciences
    • Christopher Dudley, associate clinical professor, physician assistant
    • Candance Grant, associate educator, nursing
    • Melissa Vagts, clinical professor, communication sciences and disorders
    • Evan Ohlman, associate clinical professor, physician assistant
    • Donna Robinson, teaching professor, nursing
    • Elizabeth Tew, associate teaching professor, physical therapy

• Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences:
  • Tenure awardees:
    • Jim Bann, professor, chemistry
    • Chase Billingham, professor, sociology
    • William Groutas, professor, chemistry
    • Jodie Hertzog, professor, sociology
    • Twyla Hill, professor, sociology
    • Rannfrid Lasine-Thelle, professor, history
    • Quan Lei, associate professor, psychology
    • Mathew Muether, professor, physics
    • Mohamed Nasser, associate professor, mathematics
    • Brigitte Roussel, professor, modern and classical languages and literatures
    • Xiaoheng Wang, associate professor, public affairs
  • Non-tenure track awardees:
    • Rachel Heckman, senior educator, mathematics
    • Kerry Jones, teaching professor, English

Discounted season tickets are available to Wichita State faculty and staff for the 2026-27 men’s basketball season, starting as low as $350 per seat. Season tickets secure you a seat for all home games throughout the season, and payment plans are available.

The Shockers ended its previous season with its second post-season appearance in the row, making it to the quarterfinals of the National Invitational Tournament, and has improved its record every season under head coach Paul Mills, finishing tied for second at 13-5 in conference. Come be a part of something special this fall at Charles Koch Arena as the Shockers begin its season at home Nov. 4 against Cal State Northridge.

For more information, call 316-978-3267 or email Cole Chisholm at cchisholm@goshockers.com.

Wichita State student-athletes set a new school record for cumulative grade-point average in an academic year (3.507 GPA) for the 2025-26 season, while posting the third highest semester GPA with a 3.504 during the spring 2026 semester. It was also the 42nd-consecutive semester of earning higher than a 3.00 cumulative grade-point average department wide.

In August 2022, Shocker Athletics established a bold and aggressive set of five-year strategic objectives pertaining to academics, community service and competitive excellence.

Of the 220 student-athletes on the honor roll (above a 3.0), 55 earned a perfect 4.0 GPA, while 163 were named to the Dean’s List (3.5 GPA) and 206 were named Shocker Scholars (3.2 GPA). Eighty-three percent of student-athletes were above a 3.0 GPA. Women’s basketball, women’s golf and softball all recorded their highest ever semester GPA in spring 2026.

Stop by the Food Truck Plaza on campus to enjoy cuisines from local food truck vendors.

Wednesday:

• OurFolk Coffee: 7 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Schedule is subject to change. Visit the Food Truck Plaza website for the most up-to-date information.

Stop by the Food Truck Plaza on campus to enjoy cuisines from local food truck vendors.

Wednesday:

• OurFolk Coffee: 7 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Schedule is subject to change. Visit the Food Truck Plaza website for the most up-to-date information.

Wichita State University has received approval to rename University Stadium to Crossland Stadium in recognition of Crossland Construction’s significant contributions and longstanding connections to the university. 

In addition to its transformational philanthropic support, Crossland has played a significant role in bringing WSU’s Innovation Campus to life by developing and constructing many of the facilities that have helped transform the university and strengthen connections among education, research and industry.

The table below is to assist instructors with certain dates regarding CES. These dates are for the summer 2026 semester.

• The first column includes the various start/end (part-of-term) dates for summer semester courses that start in June.
• The second column includes dates meant for instructors. This is the timeframe when instructors will receive emails about the CES process and procedures that they should complete. Instructors will receive additional emails during and after the student CES access dates.
• The last column includes the dates that CES will be available for the students to complete course evaluations.

The full CES administration schedule is always accessible online.

CES summer 2026 – Courses with June start dates

Anyone on campus this week will notice a large influx of visitors for 5A and 6A state baseball and softball and state track meet May 27-30 at Eck Stadium, Wilkins Stadium and University Stadium

These events are expected to bring a combined total of over 30,000 visitors to campus. State track events May 29-30 will have volunteers helping visitors around campus, but anyone who sees someone looking lost or needing directions can use the campus map to help guide visitors to their destinations or direct people to wichita.edu/state for questions.

Faculty, staff, students and campus partners are encouraged to plan accordingly and arrive early if they come to campus during these events.

Anyone on campus this week will notice a large influx of visitors for 5A and 6A state baseball and softball and state track meet May 27-30 at Eck Stadium, Wilkins Stadium and University Stadium (volunteer opportunities are still open, with a limited number of T-shirt sizes still available).

These events are expected to bring a combined total of over 30,000 visitors to campus. State track events May 29-30 will have volunteers helping visitors around campus, but anyone who sees someone looking lost or needing directions can use the campus map to help guide visitors to their destinations or direct people to wichita.edu/state for questions.

Faculty, staff, students and campus partners are encouraged to plan accordingly and arrive early if they come to campus during these events.