Author: Caelin Bragg

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.”

Faculty, staff, students and campus partners at Wichita State can visit NetApp on the Innovation Campus for its semesterly campus e-waste and shredding event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 17 in the NetApp parking lot, Lot 44S. This event is exclusive to WSU faculty, staff, students and campus partners and not open to the public.

The following are items that can be disposed of during the event:

• Personal documents accepted for secure shredding
• Personal electronics accepted, including appliances. No TVs accepted
  • Note: For recycling old TVs, refer to Sedgwick County’s recycling guide
• Secure data destruction for e-waste (hard drive shredder)
• On-site assistance available for larger loads

The event is sponsored by the NetApp Green Team.

While many factors help student retention, Samantha Corcoran’s favorite is fostering curiosity. She likes to ask her students: “Do you love learning? Do you love going new places?”

“We’ve chosen to focus on increasing student curiosity in everything that we do,” says Corcoran, associate engineering educator in the College of Engineering.

Wichita State University’s First-Year Seminar “Introduction to Technology and Innovation” and Shocker Design Experience are producing impressive retention increases. Freshman persistence has increased to 80% from fall 2024 to fall 2025. That’s a 14% increase since the program was updated in 2021.

As we cross the midpoint of the 16-week semester, instructors are reviewing student progress using the Student Early Alert System (SEAS). This system helps identify students who may benefit from additional support.

If you receive a SEAS alert email, it’s an opportunity to reflect, connect with resources and take steps toward improvement. 

Don’t hesitate to reach out to your instructor, academic advisor or a Success Coach if you have questions or need assistance. They’re here to support your success.

Need help setting up your online professional footprint? The Shocker Career Accelerator has a number of resources that can get you started:

The Career Closet in the lower level of the Shocker Success Center has free professional attire available for students. After you have your career fit, come get a free professional photo any time from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Marcus Welcome Center, when the university is open.

From there, you can start setting up your LinkedIn profile using this helpful guide from SCA, which goes over the things you need for your profile, how to start networking with others and posting regular content. Additionally, you can start putting together your resume and cover letter using these templates developed by SCA.

Want to walk through creating your profile or resume with someone more experienced? You can schedule an appointment with an SCA career coach through Shocker Central, emailing sca@wichita.edu or calling the office at 316-978-3688.