Author: Sara Ornelas

Dr. Steven Skinner, interim dean of the College of Engineering and professor of electrical engineering, is retiring after 35 years with Wichita State. Help celebrate his service to the university and his next adventure at a reception from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday, June 18 in 305/306 Rhatigan Student Center, Beggs Ballroom.

Following a national search, Denning Gerig has been named director of broadcasting for Wichita State Athletics. In his role, Gerig will serve as the next Voice of the Shockers, assuming play-by-play responsibilities for men’s basketball and baseball beginning with the 2026-27 season.

In addition to his broadcasting duties, Gerig will help lead the development of original content, storytelling initiatives and coaches’ programming in partnership with Shocker Sports Properties and Wichita State Athletics, creating new opportunities for fans to connect with Shocker student-athletes, coaches and programs throughout the year.

Gerig succeeds Mike Kennedy, whose 46-year broadcasting career made him one of the most recognizable and respected voices in collegiate athletics and synonymous with Wichita State Athletics.

“Growing up in Wichita and listening to Mike Kennedy broadcast Shocker Athletics, I knew from a very young age what I wanted to do in life,” Gerig said. “I’m deeply honored to follow in Mike’s footsteps and promise to bring Shocker fans the same level of commitment, preparation, and love for this university with every broadcast. I know from experience how powerful the connection is between Wichita State and this community. There is no place I would rather be and no job I would rather have.”

A Wichita State alumnus, Gerig has been a familiar voice to Shocker fans for more than a decade. He first began broadcasting Wichita State events in 2015 as part of the university’s initial Valley on ESPN3 productions and has since called baseball, volleyball, men’s basketball and women’s basketball contests on ESPN+, in addition to serving as color commentator with Kennedy on the road for Wichita State baseball.

In addition to his collegiate experience, he spent five total years in professional minor league baseball with the Wichita Wingnuts and Cleburne Railroaders, earning American Association Broadcaster of the Year honors in 2021.

To celebrate this transition, there will be a public reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, June 12 at Social Tap in Braeburn Square. Fans will have the opportunity to meet Gerig and join the Wichita State community in honoring Kennedy as he concludes his historic broadcasting career.

MAIN CAMPUS

• CAC Theater: Construction is almost complete in the first phase of the accessibility upgrades to the theater. Improvements include an exterior wheelchair lift, widened entry doors, the addition of an accessible restroom and ticket booth, and an accessible seating platform within the theater area. Construction is anticipated to be completed this month.
• Wilkins Stadium: Construction is underway on the softball team and operations building (Phase 1B) to the south of the new indoor practice facility at Wilkins Stadium. The project is anticipated to be completed in early 2027.
• Crossland Stadium: Construction is underway on Phase 2 of the stadium replacement project, recently named Crossland Stadium. Demolition of the west grandstand will begin in early June. Construction of the new west stadium will be phased to ensure that seating is available for the 2027 KSHSAA State Track and Field Championships. Construction is scheduled to be complete before the 2028 KSHSAA State Track and Field Championships.
• Ablah Library / Geology Building Renovation: Construction is almost complete on the second floor of the library for a project to relocate the Lowell D. Holmes Anthropology Museum from the current location in Neff Hall. The project is anticipated to be completed in early summer 2026 with a grand opening later this year. The museum relocation is the first step to vacate the building in preparation for the demolition of Neff Hall. The anthropology department will relocate to the Geology Building in early 2027 following a renovation in the Geology Building beginning this month. The first phase of the Geology Building renovation this summer will close the main floor lobby and lecture theater – classes will resume as scheduled for the fall semester.
• Henrion Hall HVAC Improvements Phase 3 and 4: Construction continues in Henrion Hall for a project to provide air conditioning to the remainder of the building following recent projects in the sculpture and ceramics classroom areas as well as relocating and expanding the wood shop. The project will be phased to allow the building to remain occupied, but will affect building entrances and classroom/studio spaces throughout the year. Construction is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2026.
• Internet Exchange Point: Construction is underway on the new IXP facility on the north side of 21st Street across from Eck Stadium. The building will be the first internet exchange port in the state of Kansas. Construction is anticipated to be completed this summer.

INNOVATION CAMPUS

• NIAR Hub for Advanced Manufacturing and Research (HAMR): Construction is complete on the new 170,000 square foot Hub for Advanced Manufacturing and Research (HAMR) building – a research, development and training facility powering the next wave of innovation in emerging technology, advanced materials, digital twin, advanced machining, additive manufacturing, automated fiber placement, and factory automation.
• Partnership Building 3B: Construction is complete on P3B, located between Partnership Building 3 and The Smart Factory by Deloitte @ Wichita. It will house the Forensic Crime Gun Intelligence Laboratory for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Wichita State University and McPherson College have established a new academic partnership that creates an accelerated pathway into the Master of Business Administration program offered through Wichita State’s W. Frank Barton School of Business.

Beginning with the fall 2026 semester, eligible McPherson undergraduates will be able to earn up to nine graduate credit hours toward the Barton School’s MBA while completing their bachelor’s degrees.

The agreement, which is anticipated to be the first of many between McPherson and Wichita State, establishes a streamlined academic pathway enabling qualifying students to begin graduate-level coursework while completing their undergraduate degrees. Through this partnership, students may enroll in up to three MBA courses through the Barton School of Business — reducing the time and cost required to complete the degree.

Wichita State University’s W. Frank Barton School of Business has awarded the 2026 Professor Fran Jabara Endowed Scholarship to two Wichita-area students: Adeline Lank from Kapaun Mount Carmel Catholic High School and Gabriel Shaffer from Valley Center High School. Each will receive $36,400 spread over four years to attend WSU and study entrepreneurship.

The Jabara Scholarship is one of the largest of its kind nationally for entrepreneurs. To qualify, students have to complete essay questions about the importance of education in entrepreneurship and ideas that they find intellectually interesting as well as score at least a 27 on their ACT, 1260 on their SAT or achieve a 3.5 high school GPA. The selection process culminated in the AGH Scholarship Competition, when they were interviewed by a panel of judges.

“During the scholarship interview process, applicants were presented with a startup scenario and asked to discuss how they would navigate challenges related to growth,” said Chris Broberg, interim director of the Center for Entrepreneurship. “Adeline stood out for her mature business thinking and practical problem-solving approach. The judges appreciated her ability to think ahead about real operational challenges while maintaining a strong commitment to product quality. The judges were impressed by how Gabe connected his ideas to real action in his own life. He shared specific examples of motivating classmates to join leadership organizations, participate in drug awareness initiatives, and become more engaged in academic activities.”

Open Streets ICT returns to Wichita State University’s campus for a fourth spring featuring community events, resources for families, art and food in Shocker Neighborhood.
“This year highlights PreK–12 engagement, connecting families to summer resources that support learning, growth, and opportunity,” said Naquela Pack, director of K-12 connections and special projects for Wichita State Connect.

Open Streets ICT is a community-building event on a closed street, intended to promote healthy active living and social engagement. From noon to 4 p.m. April 19, Open Streets ICT – WSU & Shocker Neighborhood will take place on 17th Street from Oliver to Volutsia.

The event is free and open to the public. 

An author event and book signing with Wichita State President Rick Muma is set for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26 in the Shocker Store at the Rhatigan Student Center. Muma’s new book, “Student Centered, Innovation Driven: A Guide to Transforming Higher Education,” tells the story of Wichita State’s transformation into a national model of innovation, applied learning and student success. Copies will be available for purchase at the Shocker Store.

The Wichita State University Board of Trustees has approved up to $750,000 to fund a comprehensive feasibility study exploring the creation of Kansas’ first dental school. This is inclusive of support from Fort Hays State University, a partner in the project, which aims to address the state’s shortage of dentists, particularly in rural communities. 

The study, to be completed by fall 2026, will evaluate the scope, scale and structure of a potential dental school based in Wichita, with a presence in rural Kansas through Fort Hays State. Key areas of focus include cohort size, faculty and staff needs, accreditation requirements, facility planning and potential partnerships with Federally Qualified Health Centers to expand clinical access. 

Thousands of students, alumni, families and community members filled campus with excitement and Shocker Pride during last week’s Shocktoberfest, which welcomed new traditions like the bonfire and Entrepreneur Market, as well as continued traditions like the parade and Shocker Madness.

Shocker royalty: Two students were named as Shocker royalty from a court of 12 candidates: Riley McMillan — junior biological sciences with a pre-dental track from Concordia, Kansas — said “I am forever grateful for my choice to be a part of Shocker Nation, and will cherish my time here for the rest of my life.” And Matthew Phan — a senior in mechanical engineering from Wichita — said “Community service is incredibly important for me, and I have done my best to advocate for students and people within the local community through volunteering and outreach events.”

Spirit awards: Teams competed throughout the week for points and a chance at $1,000. Our spirit competition winners:

• First place: WSU Cheer
• Second place: Sigma Alpha Epsilon
• Third place: Sigma Phi Epsilon

Among the many events were individual and group competitions.

Individual and department award recipients

• Banner competition: WSU Cheer
• Departmental door decorating competition: Office of Instructional Resources
• Pickleball tournament: men’s tennis coaches
• RSO Attendance Competition: Life of Christ student organization

Parade winners

• Wu’s Winner – Sigma Phi Epsilon
• Most Creative – Ulrich Museum of Art
• People’s Choice – WSU Tennis Teams

Thank you to everyone who made this year’s Shocktoberfest a success. We can’t wait to do it again next year.

Dear faculty, staff and students –  

Today, a media article raised misrepresentations about the academic integrity of my 2004 dissertation, alleging that certain portions were plagiarized. These allegations are not only deeply personal, but also quite serious, and I want to address them with you directly. To be clear, I attributed and cited all sources in my dissertation, and I have complete confidence in the integrity and originality of my research. These are technical oversights where text was reused, and those attributions did not have quotation marks, and I am taking steps to make corrections.   

Four weeks ago, I became aware that there was a general concern surrounding my dissertation from two decades ago. The reporter refused to share specific allegations until publishing his article today. Given the seriousness of the allegations, I requested that the university conduct an inquiry to determine if a violation of policy had occurred.  

As required by policy, this inquiry was conducted by the Executive Vice President and Provost, in consultation with the university’s Research Officer. The inquiry was comprehensive and included both an internal review and an external independent review of my dissertation by a leading expert in plagiarism, who is unaffiliated with the university.  While all sources referenced in my dissertation were attributed and cited, there were instances, primarily in the literature review section, where this attribution should have included the use of quotation marks around reuse of text. I was advised that the amount of affected text consists of less than 5% of my entire dissertation. The facts led to a determination that these were technical omissions that did not rise to the level of misconduct, and the matter was closed. 

Again, I am taking steps to make these corrections. These technical oversights do not change the outcome or validity of my research.  

As I have shared with others in recent days, it is important to me to be transparent, open and honest, which is why I am sharing this message with you today. I trust that the entirety of my work and my words and actions over the years remain the true measure of my integrity.    

Sincerely, 

President Rick Muma