Author: Caelin Bragg

The prominence of the Wichita Biomedical Campus on the downtown skyline will grow in the coming weeks as workers install the exterior’s finished look.

Terracotta cladding, metal panels and ultra-high performance concrete panels will soon cover the orange backup wall panels now visible on much of the nine-story building’s exterior. With the building around 85% enclosed, interior work is beginning with drywall, painting and tile.

“They’re working hard right now to get the building enclosed, especially because it’s winter,” said Stacy Christie, director of special projects and facilities planning for the Wichita Biomedical Campus. “They’re doing a great job.”

Meet Vivian Salazar, a mechanical engineering student who turned her passion for problem-solving into a meaningful internship at Amazon Robotics. In this student spotlight, Vivian discusses her work with Amazon’s fulfillment systems, her role at The Smart Factory by Deloitte and how hands-on experiences like GoBabyGo shaped her engineering career.

Explore how Wichita State’s applied learning approach helps students bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world innovation in manufacturing, robotics and sustainability.

Join Wichita State and individual teams/departments as they prepare future Shockers for a lifetime of success. The university is raising money for the United Way’s Champions for Literacy initiative, which puts books and supplies into the hands of students in the Shocker Neighborhood.

Reading helps children build cognitive skills, gain a deeper understanding of the world, improve their concentration and fuel their imagination. As an educational driver for the state of Kansas, Wichita State is committed to helping students of all ages achieve success and become the leaders of tomorrow.

Students not reading proficiently by the fourth grade are four times more likely to drop out, and illiteracy often continues into adulthood. Donations to the campaign stay local to the Shocker Neighborhood through United Way of the Plains to alleviate illiteracy in the community.

Join the next meeting of the WSU Faculty/Staff Club from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18 at Club 95 in Partnership Building 11. The event will feature the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, College of Applied Studies, College of Innovation and Design, and Cohen Honors College with a rotating slide presentation.

There will also be three live presentations starting at 4:30 p.m. from:

• Joe Mazzara, director of Wichita State Esports, providing an overview of esports at Wichita State, including the teams’ accomplishments and the impact they’ve had on campus
• Francis Connor, associate professor and chair of the Department of English, and Darren DeFrain, professor of English, will discuss their upcoming book, “No Choice but Action: The Kansas Postpunk Revolution”
• Troy Tabor, director of innovation intelligence in the College of Innovation and Design, will host “A conversation with AI” with faculty and staff

Come have fun and enjoy the company of your colleagues as well as some good music, food and drink.

The annual Strategic Communications Seminar was held Jan. 29 in the Rhatigan Student Center. Attendees were able to choose to attend two of five sessions to gain additional insights, tools and tips to help improve marketing and communication efforts in their university departments.

Materials from the seminar are now available to view.

The University Police Department encourages all students, faculty, staff and visitors to remain safe while driving and walking across campus.

WSUPD offers the following safety tips to both drivers and pedestrians:

For drivers:

• Follow all traffic laws, including driving at or under speed limits and coming to a full stop at stop signs.
• Stop for all pedestrians and offer proper clearance for them to cross the road.
• Be vigilant when approaching intersections. Even if you have a green light, pedestrians may still be crossing.
• Be prepared for pedestrians to suddenly cross the road if you see them approaching a crosswalk. They may not give you adequate signals they will cross before doing so.
• Make sure to use your blinkers when making turns, and check that you don’t accidently have your blinker on when you don’t intend to turn.
• When making turns, make sure to check for pedestrians in front of you as well as where you are turning into.
• If you see a yellow light, slow down and proceed with caution when it is safe to do so. Pedestrians may start crossing as you pass through.
• Be extra vigilant when visibility is low, such as at night or in heavy rain, snow or fog.
• Consider using the Wichita State Transit buses when traffic is high or visibility is low, or when you have to drive a considerable distance across campus.

For pedestrians:

• Follow all traffic laws and traffic signals that tell you when and when not to cross.
• Always use marked crosswalks. Many drivers are not expecting pedestrians crossing elsewhere.
• Check for cars coming from both directions before you begin to cross the road.
• Remain vigilant for cars when crossing the road. Pedestrians have the right of way on roads, but drivers may not see you crossing in time to slow down.
• Make sure drivers coming from both directions have clear sight of you before you cross the road.
• When using a crosswalk, make it clear that you are about to cross before doing so to give drivers enough time to see you, slow down and let you through.
• If a driver has their car blinker on, make sure they are slowing down and completing the turn before crossing the road. They may have a malfunction or left it on by mistake and may not be turning.
• Be extra vigilant when visibility is low, such as at night or in heavy rain, snow or fog.
• Consider using the Wichita State Transit buses when traffic is high or visibility is low, or when you have to walk a considerable distance across campus.

Are you feeling overwhelmed prioritizing, studying and juggling multiple roles while trying to meet your academic deadlines? Time management will always be one of the biggest challenges for college life, but students can find resources for improving their time management skills from Student Success at wsu.news/SuccessTip3.

Looking for lunch options on campus? Head over to the Rhatigan Student Center for your choice of Starbucks, Panda Express, Chick-fil-A, Freddy’s or Sushi-Do. Get the essentials from Starbucks; put together your own sides and entrees for a meal at Panda Express; use the kiosks at Chick-fil-A and get a text when your food’s ready; order ice cream and fries for a sweet treat from Freddy’s; or get fresh sushi at Sushi-Do.

Wichita State University has selected the 2026 recipients of the Harry Gore Memorial Scholarships. Each student will receive a $64,000 scholarship to attend Wichita State starting in fall 2026.   

• Mackenzie Bucl, McKinney Boyd High School (Texas)
• Kayden Lankford, Valley Center High School (Kansas)
• Samantha McClintock, Central Christian Academy (Wichita)

A total of 528 students competed in the Distinguished Scholarship Invitational (DSI) in November. To be invited to compete, students had to have a 27 or higher ACT score, or a 3.5 or higher GPA, or rank in the top 10% of their class. Once invited, students completed an application, essays and competed in an on-campus leadership competition. On Jan. 22, 11 finalists came back to campus for final interviews.  

As with all the Gore Scholars since 1954, the three recipients this year are involved in their schools and communities and plan to do the same at WSU. 

Let’s build a high-energy Shocker Zone designed to spark curiosity, celebrate innovation and connect thousands of visitors with the incredible people and programs across WSU at this year’s FutureFest. All colleges, departments and divisions are invited to host an engagement footprint in the Shocker Zone.

For questions or more information, you are invited to attend one two virtual information meetings:

• 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 4
• 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 6