Author: Abigail Klein

Get lunch or coffee at the Food Truck Plaza today, Sept. 30. The following trucks will be available at:

• Sunflower Espresso Coffee 9 a.m.-nooon
• Brazita Bites 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
• Wheat Street Dogs, The Flying Stove 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
  

Combined enrollment by headcount across all Wichita State University locations for fall 2022 is 21,942, according to the annual data released today by the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR). 

For the Wichita State main campus, the numbers represent an increase of 5.1% in fall student headcount from 16,097 in 2021 to 16,921 in 2022. That’s the largest number of students choosing to enroll at Wichita State since 1989. 

At WSU Tech, student headcount increased 3.9% from 4,834 last year to 5,021 this year — WSU Tech’s highest fall semester headcount ever. 

Congratulations to University Libraries, this month’s recipient of President Muma’s Rick Rewards. University Libraries was recognized for it’s services to students.

Rick Rewards is a program by President Muma that launched in December 2021, which allows the presdient to show his appreciation for the efforts of a member, or members, of the campus community.

At 9 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, Wichita State will host the 52nd observance of Memorial ’70, the annual ceremony that honors the 31 WSU football players, administrators and supporters who died in a 1970 plane crash in the Rocky Mountains. It will take place at the Memorial near 18th and Hillside.

Members of the public are invited to attend.

A wreath will be placed at the base of Memorial ’70, and there will be a time of remembrance to acknowledge the changes that the plane crash made in the lives of the victims, their families, their friends and the university.

Josh Oeding, president and CEO of NXTUS, and founder and general partner of Tenzing Capital, is joining as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board of the W. Frank Barton School of Business. Oeding is an alumnus of the Barton School and will begin his term on the board in fall 2022.

“The Barton School of Business is where I got my start and it greatly affected the person I am today,” said Oeding. “It’s an honor to become a member and I’m excited to play my part in making the Barton School a premier business school in the country.”

Oeding looks to utilize his experiences in the industries of venture capital, entrepreneurship and private equity to provide insights for the Dean’s Advisory Board. As president and CEO of NXTUS, he has led the re-visioning of the organization, the launch of Accelerate Venture Partners and the launch of NXTSTAGE.

He founded Tenzing Capital with a vision to build a generational Venture Capital investment firm. He is helping to chart the course for the Wichita Startup Ecosystem and spends most of his time as with early-stage growth companies in the region. Prior to NXTUS and Tenzing, Oeding worked at Koch Industries and held various innovation and leadership roles during that time including vice president of Marketing and Strategy for EFT Analytics, a SaaS advanced analytics platform.

“Josh has truly separated himself as a forward thinker and innovator in the community,” said Margaret Dechant, chair of the Dean Advisory Board. “Having him on our board will provide a unique and lively voice to our work.”

The Dean’s Advisory Board, which consists of 50 diverse industry leaders from around the world, works to advance the mission and strategic priorities of the Barton School through strengthening, enriching, and enhancing the student experience.

More than 50 years after a plane crash killed 31 people on the way to a Wichita State football game, there are still more stories to tell from that tragic day. Diana Krestel – whose husband was a member of WSU’s football team in 1970 — recently compiled and designed three scrapbooks that tell the story of college, loss of life and living with the aftermath of the Oct. 2, 1970 crash.

“It was a very traumatic experience for a bunch of 18-, 19-, and 20- year-olds who thought everything was hunky dory, and then all of a sudden, tragedy strikes,” she said. “We all grew up and we really bonded together.”

Join the Student Government Association (SGA) Student Senate for the next meeting of the 65th session at 6:30 p.m. today at the Rhatigan Student Center 233. There will also be a livestream available on the SGA YouTube.

Join the Student Government Association (SGA) Student Senate for the next meeting of the 65th session at 6:30 p.m. today at the Rhatigan Student Center 233. There will also be a livestream available on the SGA YouTube.

Tune in to KMUW 89.1 from 7:15-8 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, to hear President Rick Muma and EVP/Provost Shirley Lefever as they take part in the radio station’s fall fundraiser. During the show, Muma and Lefever will issue a matching-funds challenge, which will be funded by them personally.

Catch the action on 89.1 FM or online at www.kmuw.org.

Scott Redler, co-founder of Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers, is the newest member of the Dean’s Advisory Board for the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University.

“Wichita has been my home for decades and I’ve seen the amazing opportunities this city and its commitment to entrepreneurship has provided,” said Redler. “The Barton School is key to fostering that entrepreneurial spirit.”

“Redler’s acumen for business, entrepreneurship and hospitality is unparalleled,” said Dr. Larisa Genin, Dean of the W. Frank Barton School of Business. “Over his career, he has been instrumental in the creation of 19 different restaurant concepts. That level of creativity and tenacity will prove to be invaluable to the Barton School.”

He is a restaurant operator to his core – starting at the age of 15 in St. Louis. He earned a degree in restaurant and hotel management. After graduation, he managed many restaurants, including a five-star restaurant, and started numerous concepts of his own. With a majority sale of Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers (400 locations) in early 2021, Redler sits on the board of Freddy’s and has formed Redler Hospitality, and is assisting other companies around the country.

In 2002, Redler launched Freddy’s along with his business partners Bill, Randy and Freddy Simon. After franchising in 2004, Freddy’s has grown to nearly 450 locations serving 36 states across the nation. Redler also has other restaurant ownership stakes in restaurants including a BBQ Concept in Kansas City.

He also serves on the Board of the National Restaurant Association and has served for multiple years for the Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association. He is currently vice chair of the National Restaurant Association and is in line for chair in 2023.

“Scott has been extremely successful in entrepreneurship and in building something great from the ground up,” said Margaret Dechant, chair of the Dean Advisory Board. “I look forward to Scott joining our Board.”

The Dean’s Advisory Board, which consists of 50 diverse industry leaders from around the world, works to advance the mission and strategic priorities of the Barton School through strengthening, enriching, and enhancing the student experience.