Author: Caelin Bragg

Wichita State has released the list of all 2,384 Shockers who graduated in spring 2024.

Overall, graduates completed a total of 2,645 degrees — 1,495 undergraduate degrees and certificates and 1,150 graduate degrees and certificates — with 301 honored as cum laude, 428 honored as magna cum laude and 136 honored as summa cum laude.

The arrival of a nanosatellite — referred to as a CubeSat — on campus signals significant progress in Wichita State’s NASA project to design a solar probe to investigate neutrinos. 

“This is the first major spacecraft to be at Wichita State,” said Dr. Nickolas Solomey, a professor of mathematics, statistics and physics. “That’s a great step.” 

A team of researchers, led by Solomey, has worked on the development of a CubeSat, a kind of nanosatellite, since 2021. The CubeSat, built by NanoAvionics of Lithuania, will carry and test a WSU-designed prototype neutrino detector in low Earth orbit to prove the detector can operate in space and measure the rate of cosmic and gamma rays.  

Aaron Mitchell, associate vice president for financial services at Montana State University, is the third candidate for the senior vice president for administration, finance and operations position. He will be on campus for a public forum from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Friday, July 12 in 261 Rhatigan Student Center, Olive Room.

Wichita State University has announce the receipt of a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for its ADVANCE project, “REACH for Excellence: WSU’s ADVANCE Adaptation Initiative for Equity in STEM Faculty.” Leading this initiative are principal investigator Jan Twomey and co-principal investigators Linnea GlenMaye, Rhonda Lewis, Moriah Beck, David Eichhorn and Tiffany Franks.

This important ADVANCE award is a direct response to the challenges highlighted in WSU’s previous institutional assessment, focusing on increasing the representation of female and underrepresented faculty. With proven strategies, REACH aims to break down barriers and create a more inclusive academic environment.

The REACH project is driven by three ambitious objectives:

1. Revolutionize recruitment and hiring practices to ensure equity.
2. Establish robust support systems for faculty success and career progression at all levels.
3. Foster a culture of equity, with clear expectations and accountability for deans and department chairs.

Although the initiative is centered on STEM faculty, all faculty members at WSU will have the opportunity to benefit from the REACH programming. This is more than a grant; it’s a commitment to shaping a diverse and equitable future for Wichita State University. More details will be shared in the fall. 

Jackson Caldwell was named the American Athletic Conference Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the Men’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the conference announced Wednesday afternoon.

Caldwell is the second-straight Shocker to be named the AAC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, after Brock Rodden (baseball) claimed the honor last year, and is the Shockers’ first Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year since Wichita State joined The American in 2017.

Addison Barnard can add another “first” to her resume. Barnard has been named the 2023-24 American Athletic Conference Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. It was announced by the league July 10.

She is the first Shocker softball student-athlete to earn scholar-athlete of the year honors since Wichita State joined The American in 2017. The Faculty Athletic Representatives (FARs) annually select 22 student-athletes (10 males, 12 females), one from each American sponsored sport, who will receive a post-graduate, post-eligibility financial scholarship of $2,000 and a trophy.

Paul Edwards, vice president of finance and administration at Western Illinois University, is the second candidate for the senior vice president for administration, finance and operations position. He will be on campus for a public forum from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, July 11 in 261 Rhatigan Student Center, Olive Room.

In an alternate universe, Tom Luhring’s interest in biology might have led him to a career in medicine, where he would be working indoors at a medical office or hospital.

“I am a first-gen student, so I thought if you liked biology, you have to be a medical doctor,” Luhring said. “It wasn’t until I started to take some classes that I saw that there were other career paths. When I took herpetology, I realized that I could work with frogs, salamanders, snakes and turtles — and actually do that for a living. That was the moment for me when I was finally passionate about doing something as opposed to just feeling like I have to make a living.”

That passion helped Luhring, assistant professor of biology, secure nearly $1 million from the National Science Foundation to study the effects of drying and warming on aquatic systems, such as lakes, rivers and streams, and how these changes impact the waterbodies themselves and the organisms that dwell within them.

You’re reading Shocker Blast, Wichita State’s newsletter made just for students. Shocker Blast gives you regular updates about Shocker Nation every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning, sent directly to your official student email.

We know no one likes to read emails — but there’s a lot of information in Shocker Blast that’s useful to you as a student.

On the first Monday of every month, expect to find a Special Edition of Shocker Blast just like this one, focused on a topic we think you’ll find interesting.

In this month’s edition is everything you need to know about campus so you can succeed from orientation to graduation. If you keep the email or web version of this newsletter saved, it can be a handy reference throughout the semester.

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