Author: Caelin Bragg

Wichita State University will continue with the plan to return to normal operations Tuesday, Jan. 7.

We understand that there are extenuating circumstances for some individuals, so employees with questions or concerns are encouraged to reach out to their supervisors. In addition, students taking pre-session classes can reach out to their instructors.

Facilities Services personnel are working hard to clear roadways and sidewalks on campus, but using caution and allowing for extra travel time is always advised when driving and walking on snow and ice.

In response to the current inclement weather, Wichita State University will move to remote operations Monday, Jan. 6. Critical campus operations will remain open, and employees who support these operations are expected to report to campus. All other employees should work remotely when possible. Pre-session classes will be moved to remote delivery.

The university will resume normal operations as soon as possible, and additional updates will be shared as they become available.

Students with questions can reach out to their instructors.

Critical campus operations that will remain open include student housing, dining options (which may reduce business hours as needed), campus police, facilities services, research laboratories (at faculty discretion) and operations otherwise designated by the president, athletic director or any vice president.

Wichita State University will be closed Thursday, Jan. 9 in observance of the National Day of Mourning for President Jimmy Carter.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly issued an executive order closing state offices to honor the former U.S. president, who died Dec. 29. At 100, President Carter was the longest-lived president in U.S. history.

Gov. Kelly has designated Jan. 9 as a paid legal holiday for state employees. In addition, all pre-session classes will be canceled for the day.

WSU previously observed the legal holidays for deceased Presidents Ronald Reagan in 2004, Gerald Ford in 2007 and George H.W. Bush in 2018.

Wichita State student-athletes recorded the highest semester cumulative grade-point average in school history with a 3.53 for the Fall 2024 semester. It was also the 39th-consecutive semester of earning higher than a 3.00 cumulative grade-point average department wide.

In August of 2022, Wichita State Athletics established a bold and aggressive set of five-year strategic objectives. Academically – beginning the Fall of 2022 semester and concluding the Spring of 2027 semester – Wichita State Athletics aspires to achieve a department-wide 3.0 GPA all 10 semesters, a department-wide 3.30 GPA five out of the10 semesters – five of which have already been accomplished – and a department-wide 3.40 GPA once in the same 10 semesters, a goal that has already been accomplished three times. The Fall of 2024 accomplished all three of these objectives.

Dear Shocker family:

Welcome back to Wichita State! I hope you had a restful and rejuvenating winter break. As we step into a new year filled with opportunities, I want to take a moment to thank you for the passion and dedication you bring to our students and our university. Together, we continue to make Wichita State a place where innovation and excellence thrive.

I’m also excited to introduce Dr. Monica Lounsbery as our new provost and executive vice president. Dr. Lounsbery brings a wealth of experience and a strong vision for academic excellence. You’ll be able to find her in 109 Morrison Hall, and she can be reached at monica.lounsbery@wichita.edu or 316-978-3010. I encourage you to stop by, send her a note or say hello if you see her around campus once we’re back.

To formally welcome Dr. Lounsbery, we will be hosting a meet-and-greet event at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23 in 233 Rhatigan Student Center, Santa Fe Trail Room. I hope you’ll join us!

Thank you for all you do to support our students and community. Let’s make this semester one to remember.

Go Shockers!
President Rick Muma

Phase I of the Wichita Biomedical Campus — a collaboration between Wichita State University, University of Kansas and WSU Tech — is making steady progress as it prepares to transform and redefine health care education and research in Kansas. 

“The Wichita Biomedical Campus is a tangible expression of our dedication to advancing health care through collaboration and innovation,” WSU President Rick Muma said. “By bringing together researchers, health care professionals and industry leaders, we’re creating an environment where groundbreaking discoveries can thrive and collaboration sparks innovation. This campus will be at the forefront of transforming health care, ultimately improving the lives of countless individuals.”  

On Feb. 6, 2023, two massive earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria, followed by more than 30,000 aftershocks in the subsequent three months. The epicenter of the 7.7- and 7.8-magnitude quakes were near Antakya (Antioch), Turkey — a city near the Syrian border, known for its rich history and celebration of Islamic, Christian and Judaic religions.

Antakya has been the focus of decades’ worth of Dr. Jens Kreinath’s research, giving him a scholarly perspective of the region’s cultural and political landscapes before and after the 2023 disaster.

The College of Engineering at Wichita State University has partnered with Groover Labs, a nonprofit collaborative workspace, technology hub and rapid prototyping lab in Wichita, to support the regional business community. The collaboration aims to assist businesses in designing and building prototypes, testing proof-of-concept ideas and engaging in low-volume manufacturing.

As part of the initiative, the college’s Project Innovation Hub is expanding its scope to accept projects from companies and community organizations. The projects – which include design and machining of parts, analyzing manufacturing processes, engaging in product development with entrepreneurs and supporting research – are executed by Wichita State students under the guidance of Project Innovation Hub staff and college faculty. A notable example of their work includes more than 400 handrails designed, manufactured and installed in Charles Koch Arena on the Wichita State campus.

Dr. Zelalem Demissie, assistant professor in the Department of Geology in the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, was recently interviewed by Kansas National Science Foundation Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NSF EPSCoR), discussing his research on droughts.

Dr. Demissie received the Kansas NSF EPSCoR First Award in fall 2023 for his research in using radar imaging from satellites and AI to detect early warning signs of drought in Kansas. The First Awards recipients receive up to $50,000 to support their research.

More than 1,200 Shockers were eligible for graduation in fall 2024. As they graduate from Wichita State University, they will share the story of Shocker Nation through their work.

Learn more about some of the graduates and their time at Wichita State and what they are looking forward to in their futures.