Author: Caelin Bragg

Dr. Jason Li, associate professor, and Dr. Philip Mullins, associate professor and chair, in the Department of Counseling, Educational Leadership, Educational and School Psychology, published “Revisiting factors influencing career development of international students” in the International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance on Oct. 10, 2025.

Postseason basketball is coming back to Wichita State, as the Shocker men’s basketball team earned a bid to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and will host Wyoming in a first round matchup at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 17 in Charles Koch Arena.

Wichita State (22-11) will be a No. 3 seed in the 32-team field with the winner to face either No. 2 seed Oklahoma State or Davidson. Wichita State last hosted an NIT game in 2011 when the Shockers rattled off five wins to win the NIT championship.

The Shockers are making its second straight appearance in the NIT and 15th in program history. Wichita State is 11-13 all time in the NIT with a 2011 championship. Out of the Mountain West Conference, Wyoming is 18-14 this season. Wichita State is 10-3 all time against Wyoming, with the most recent matchup coming in 2007.

Dr. Rachel Showstack, associate professor of Spanish in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures, presented “Improving Healthcare Language Access Through Cross Disciplinary University-Community Partnerships” at Middlebury College on Jan. 13, 2026.

Dr. Jens Kreinath, associate professor and cultural anthropologist in the Department of Anthropology, was featured in “Cooperation Is No Longer Optional — An Unprecedented Coalition Confronts Syria’s Crisis” in Capitol Hill Media.

Dr. Jessica Provines, assistant vice president for wellness, chief psychologist with Counseling and Psychological Services, was featured in “Colleges confront a big mental health challenge: Phone use” in University Business.

The College of Education, in partnership with Wichita Public Schools, was recognized with the 2026 Exemplary School-University Partnership Award from the National Association for School-University Partnerships.

The NASUP Exemplary School-University Partnership Award honors distinctive school-university partnerships that demonstrate sustained impact and ongoing contributions to educator preparation. The WSU-WPS partnership, established in 1995, is one of the longest continuously operating school-university collaborations in the region.

The W. Frank Barton School of Business was recognized by the State of Kansas and Gov. Laura Kelly with a proclamation honoring the Barton School’s centennial year.

The proclamation honors the Barton School’s enduring impact on the economic and social vitality of Wichita and its role in preparing generations of business leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals.

Faculty and staff: Save the date for the spring 2026 town hall, returning to an in-person format, at 2 p.m. Monday, March 30 in 110 Woolsey Hall, Frank A. Boettger Auditorium. A livestream option will be available on the Wichita State YouTube channel.

Wichita State’s Public Policy and Management Center (PPMC) announced today the launch of the Kansas Data Trust, a new statewide, university-based initiative designed to bring data together from multiple sources to better understand issues, understand impact and strengthen evidence to inform decisions to improve the health of communities across the state.

Led by the PPMC, the Kansas Data Trust serves as a trusted platform for responsibly bringing information together across public agencies, nonprofit organizations and researchers to help paint a more complete picture of the challenges facing Kansans and the progress that’s being made.

Owen and Ellery Prothro consider sports a bond. Older brother Owen roots for the Kansas City Chiefs. Ellery, the younger sister, is a fan of the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Nuggets. They talk about the NFL, the NBA and, above all, college basketball and their jobs covering Wichita State.

The Prothro siblings, from Wichita, are enjoying an up-close look at their favorite sport and working together in a different setting from the usual brother-sister relationship. They are charged with chronicling Wichita State University’s most successful men’s basketball season since 2021 for The Sunflower, WSU’s independent, student-run news source.

“It’s fun, and (Owen) knows a lot about it and will answer any questions I have,” Ellery said. “We could talk about it for a long time, all the technicalities and what makes it so awesome. There are times I can say that Owen is my best friend.”