Author: Caelin Bragg

Dr. Benjamin Kirby, associate professor, and Alaina Cunningham, second year audiology student, in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, published “Psychoacoustic assessment of misophonia” in JASA Express Letters on Sept. 9, 2025.

Abstract: Misophonia is a condition characterized by intense negative emotional reactions to trigger sounds and related stimuli. In this study, adult listeners (N = 15) with a self-reported history of misophonia symptoms and a control group without misophonia (N = 15) completed listening judgements of recorded misophonia trigger stimuli using a standard scale. Participants also completed an established questionnaire of misophonia symptoms, the Misophonia Questionnaire (MQ). Summed scores of the listening task were significantly correlated with overall MQ score. The misophonia group had significantly higher listening scores and MQ scores compared to controls. These findings indicate applications for psychoacoustic methods in the assessment of misophonia.

Four Wichita State faculty and staff members have been named 2025 Faculty and Staff of the Year by the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR), recognizing their excellence in teaching, research, service and student support.

The KBOR awards recognize outstanding contributions by faculty and staff across the state’s universities. 

Wichita State’s 2025 KBOR awardees:

• Dr. Lisa Parcell, Kansas Health Foundation Director of the Elliott School of Communication and professor of communication, Tenured Faculty of the Year. Read more about Parcell.
• Dr. Erin O’Bryan, assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders, Tenure-Track Faculty of the Year. Read more about O’Bryan.
• Marco Hernandez, assistant teaching professor of print media and foundations coordinator in the School of Art, Design and Creative Industries, Faculty of the Year. Read more about Hernandez.
• Dr. Christopher Leonard, director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Staff of the Year. Read more about Leonard.

Shocker men’s tennis sophomore Zaid Al Mashni’s run to the singles round of 16 highlighted the week for the Shockers at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Central Region Championships in Oklahoma.

Al Mashni, the top seed in singles qualifying at regionals, dispatched Oral Roberts’ Lucas Couy 6-2, 6-4 Oct. 8 to reach the main draw. In the main draw, the sophomore defeated Memphis’ Marcos Castro Fabra 6-4, 7-6 (8) in the round of 64, and followed it with a win over six-seed Jakub Vrba from Arkansas 6-3, 6-4 to move into the round of 16. In the round of 16, Al Mashni fell to Arkansas’ Ben Weintraub 5-7, 6-0, 6-0, ending his run.

Shocker men’s basketball senior guard Kenyon Giles was named to the American Preseason All-Conference First Team, as selected by the league’s coaches.

The Chesapeake, Virginia native is a UNC Greensboro transfer who averaged better than 15 points per game on 40% shooting from beyond the arc last season for the Spartans.

Giles is just the fourth Shocker to earn American Preseason All-Conference honors, and first since Tyson Etienne in 2021. Three of the four Shockers who have collected preseason American honors have been named to the first team (Giles, Etienne and Landry Shamet). Markis McDuffie was a second team pick in 2018.

Emilio Arellano Lamas earned his third consecutive top 10 individual finish as Shocker men’s golf took third in the Grier Jones Shocker Invitational Oct. 7.

The Shockers posted rounds of 292, 281, 292 for an 865 (+1) team score. Kansas City and St. Thomas both edged the Shockers with matching 862 (-2) performances to split the team title. The Shockers’ third-place finish is their third consecutive tournament finish in the top five, the first time Wichita State has posted three successive top-five finishes since the 2020-21 season.

Wichita State unveiled the newly named Kiah Duggins Shocker Support Locker during its annual Heritage Gala on Oct. 9, hosted by the WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement in celebration of the 2025 alumni award recipients.

The support locker honors the legacy of Kiah Duggins ’17, who died earlier this year aboard American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita to Washington, D.C. At the gala, Duggins was also posthumously awarded the 2025 Young Alumni Award.

As a student leader and co-founder of the original Shocker Food Locker, now located in the basement of the Shocker Success Center, Duggins was a passionate advocate for student support services during her time as chief of staff in student government. She went on to graduate from Harvard Law School in 2021 before beginning her career as a civil rights attorney in Washington, D.C.

To commemorate her legacy of promoting social justice, the 2024-25 administration of the WSU Student Government Association requested the university name the Shocker Support Locker in her honor. The naming was approved as of Oct. 8.

“Kiah was a remarkable Shocker whose passion for justice and care for others left a lasting mark on this university,” said Wichita State President Rick Muma. “She helped create the Shocker Support Locker because she believed every student deserved the resources to thrive. Naming it in her honor is a powerful reminder of her legacy, and it ensures her impact will continue to be felt by students for years to come.”

“Plugged In @ WSU” is the podcast that connects you to the tools, tips and support systems that power your success at Wichita State. Each episode features conversations with campus experts, faculty and students to highlight resources that help you stay on track, stay connected and make the most of your Shocker experience.

Learn about Success Coaching at WSU:

• Meet the success coaches
• What students say about Success Coaching

Remember, while Success Coaches are assigned to specific programs, you can meet with any of them. Find the coach who works best for you.

Shocktoberfest is Wichita State’s largest tradition held every year and features events for Shockers both current and former. Relive the best moments of this year’s Shocktoberfest, which culminated in a concert by Lupe Fiasco in Charles Koch Arena, and stay tuned for next year and keep up to date for other events happening year round by checking out the ShockerSync event calendar.

Wichita State’s Academe newsletter, highlighting faculty and staff achievements, is back after a five-year hiatus. The first edition published Oct. 9 and features faculty and staff from across the university over the last year, with a message from Dr. Monica Lounsbery, senior executive vice president and provost.

Academe is published four times a year, and submissions from faculty and staff are always open. Visit wichita.edu/academesubmission and follow the instructions to submit items for Academe. The deadline for submissions to the next edition of Academe will be shared in a future edition of WSU Today.

If you have questions regarding submissions to Academe, reach out to Caelin Bragg, newsletter editor, at caelin.bragg@wichita.edu or 316-978-3013.

Whether you need to take in some breathtaking views or want a variety of food options to choose from, head on over to Woolsey Hall to find the Food Truck Plaza and Promise Bridge.

Every day, find new food trucks to choose from and find a place anywhere on the Promise Bridge to enjoy a relaxing break from classes and studying.