Author: Sara Ornelas

In recognition of its strong commitment to economic engagement, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) has designated Wichita State University as an Innovation & Economic Prosperity (IEP) University. The national designation acknowledges public research universities working with public and private sector partners in their states and regions to support economic development through a variety of activities, including innovation and entrepreneurship, technology transfer, talent and workforce development, and community development.

“On behalf of Shocker Nation, we are honored that the APLU has confirmed Wichita State as a driver for innovation and economic development in Kansas,” said Dr. Rick Muma, president of Wichita State. “Since 2013, our mission is to be an essential educational, cultural and economic driver for Kansas and the greater public good, as well as many of our research initiatives and programs directly support the needs of the people and businesses in our state. This designation recognizes those efforts and affirms what we’ve known all along as Kansas’ premier urban public research university.”

Harriet Hamilton expected to live in London by now, her college tennis career finished and her career in business beginning.

When the COVID-19 pandemic put global supply chains in the spotlight, Hamilton paid attention as the production and movement of items fluctuated. She watched the business world change and decided to study the new landscape, aided by an extra year of eligibility granted to all student-athletes by the NCAA due to the pandemic.

“The world was facing a global crisis and supply chains were affected so much,” she said. “Six months before starting my graduate degree, I really started researching. Of course, at this time, we were in an intense, COVID pandemic phase.”

What does a 1970s Houston choir teacher have to do with the $300 million health science center proposed for downtown Wichita?

Quite a bit, as it turns out.

Wichita State University President Rick Muma was in eighth grade, sitting in choir class in the Houston public schools, when his teacher announced he would be leaving to become a physician assistant — a relatively new career at that time.

Muma went on to become a PA himself. He eventually earned a master’s degree in public health from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston — located at the Texas Medical Center, which serves as a kind of a model for the proposed center he’s championing here.

The Wichita Arts Council has announced that Andrea Banke, Wichita State associate professor of music, has been chosen to receive the Burton Pell Award. The award is given annually to an outstanding musician from the Wichita area. Banke will be honored at the 52nd annual Art Awards dinner on Nov. 3 at Wichita Art Museum.

Andrew Stockmann grew up with parents who loved sports and history. They created the environment for him to combine those influences into a podcast that focuses on athletic halls of fame and museums.

“A lot of our vacations growing up were around baseball,” he said. “I get a lot of my fandom from my dad (Joe). My mom (Julie) studied history in school. I want to say both of them are a little jealous of some of the stuff I’m doing, because we all have the same interests.”

Stockmann, a 2020 Wichita State University graduate and sport management major, is in his second year hosting “Hallowed Ground: The Sports Museum Podcast.”

McKnight North, McKnight West and the Ulrich Museum will be without water this week due to a water main break. Water services are expected to resume Monday, Oct. 24.

The NetApp Cafe on Wichita State’s Innovation Campus will be open to the public for breakfast and lunch beginning Monday, Oct. 17.

Enjoy burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, salads, desserts and breakfast delights every Monday through Friday in the NetApp building, 1850 N. Innovation Blvd. The cafe is open for breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. and for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A weekend of ample research and little sleep at Wichita State’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) resulted in the selection of three NASA Space Apps Hackathon winners. 

One-man team Just Jacob, led by Jacob Workentine, a Wichita State senior in communication, took first place for his submission to the On the Way to the Sun challenge. 

Workentine developed an illustrated children’s book and accompanying video inspired by PBS’s Reading Rainbow program. The book and video focused on the story of the Parker Solar Probe’s record-breaking mission from Earth through the Sun’s upper atmosphere to sample particles and magnetic fields. 

Wichita State President Rick Muma was the keynote speaker at the University of Texas Medical Branch’s physician assistant commencement ceremony on Aug. 20 in Galveston, Texas.

Muma earned a Bachelor of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from UTMB in 1986. It was soon after graduating that he began teaching, becoming associate faculty at UTMB in 1987.

To watch Dr. Muma’s commencement address at his alma mater, click on the button below.

The Kansas Board of Regents met on Thursday, Sept. 15 in Topeka for its monthly meeting. Among the issues discussed were the following items:

• Wichita Biomedical Campus: KBOR approved a proposal from Wichita State and the University of Kansas to develop a $302 million, 470,000-square-foot facility that will consolidate and align the two universities’ health- and biomedical-related education and research.
• New NIAR building: The board approved WSU’s proposal to construct a Technology and Innovation Building on the Innovation Campus. The $36.5 million project will be financed through a combination of EDA funds that were recently awarded to the university, NIAR funds, and revenue bonds.
• University Stadium: The board approved a plan to replace Cessna Stadium with a new facility that will accommodate about 10,000 spectators. The project will be completed in two phases, with the first phase beginning in August 2023. Funding is yet to be identified for this project.
• Woodman Alumni Center: A $1.7 million proposal to renovate WSU’s alumni building was approved. The 18,718-square-foot project is driven by the merger of the Alumni Association and the WSU Foundation. The renovation aims to unify the WSU Foundation staff on the upper level and refresh the building finishes to be in line with the current modern university aesthetic. WSU Foundation will be funding the renovations.
• City-County Mill Levy: The board approved the university’s proposal to spend mill levy funds from Sedgwick County and the city of Wichita. The proposal included more than $3 million for capital improvements, $5.2 million for student services, $495,720 for economic and community development, and $422,444 for university research and support services.
• Peer institutions: KBOR approved an updated list of peer institutions for Wichita State University to include Cleveland State University, Portland State University, University of Memphis, University of Nebraska at Omaha, and University of Texas at San Antonio.
• Regents Distinguished Professor of Public Finance: President Muma nominated and the board approved Dr. Hai (David) Guo as the fourth Regents Distinguished Professor of Public Finance. The purpose of the Regents Distinguished Professorship is to attract and retain established scholars whose research projects augment the state’s economic and industrial development. Guo, who previously served as an associate professor at Florida International University, has published in the most prestigious journals in the field of public administration and public finance.
• Honorary doctorate: The board approved Dr. Mona Nemer to be awarded an honorary doctorate from Wichita State during commencement ceremonies in December 2022. A 1977 WSU graduate, Nemer holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry with minors in French and mathematics from Wichita State. She is currently serving as the chief science advisor to Canada’s Prime Minister, Minister of Innovation, Science Industry and Cabinet.