Category: Accolades

Wichita State has been recognized by the U.S. News & World Report rankings for Best Graduate Schools in the following categories:

• #58 in Engineering
• #67 in Speech Language Pathology
• #92 in Public Affairs
• #97 in Physical Therapy

Shocker Printing Solutions received the Gold Award for Canvas Printing at the 2026 Association of College and University Printers (ACUP+) in Dallas.

Leah Lipke and Bethany Hearn represented Wichita State at the event, accepting the award on behalf of the team. This recognition highlights the quality and creativity of the work from Shocker Printing Solutions.

John Hammond, senior educator and director of GTA instruction in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, received the 2026 Sunflower Award for Corequisite Innovation from the Kansas Board of Regents.

The Sunflower Award for Corequisite Innovation recognizes Kansas faculty leaders who are advancing student access and success through the implementation of corequisite reform. Rooted in the priorities of the Building a Future strategic plan, this award highlights faculty whose work is helping remove barriers to gateway course completion and strengthening student momentum toward degree attainment.

Dr. Phillip Samuels, assistant professor in the Elliott School of Communication and director of WSU Debate, awarded the Dr. George W. Ziegelmueller Award for Excellence in Education from the National Debate Tournament.

Erin O’Bryan, CCC-SLP and associate professor in the Department Communication Sciences and Disorders, was:

• Invited to be on the 2026 editorial boards for two academic journals, Seminars in Speech and Language, and Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups
• Awarded the University Research and Creative Activity Award (URCA) in 2025 to support her research on communication partner training for adults with aphasia

Dr. Amy Chesser, professor and director of graduate programs in the Department of Public Health Sciences, was appointed as the 2026 Region 7 Coordinator for the U.S. Health Literacy Association.

Dr. Nikki Keene Woods, department chair and professor of the Department of Public Health Sciences, was recognized with the 2025-2026 Innovative Teaching Award from the Association of Teachers of Maternal and Child Health.

Woods, alongside Master of Health Administration student Umma Ali, received the award for their project “Choose Your Own Adventure: Visualizing Maternal Health Challenges Using Digital Storytelling.”

The College of Education Teacher Apprenticeship Program (TAP) was recognized at the Kansas State Board of Education meeting March 10.

Jill Wood, TAP coordinator, and Dr. Julie Thiele, chair of the Department of Teacher Apprenticeship Pathways, Literacy, and Special Education (TALS), participated in a presentation alongside Shane Carter, Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) director of licensure, Shonda Anderson, director of the Kansas Office of Registered Apprenticeships, and faculty from the Tonganoxie School District. The group presented on the KSDE Registered Teacher Apprentice Program and its partnership with Wichita State’s TAP.

Wood and Thiele were recognized by the Kansas State Board of Education and participated in the presentation with KSDE regarding the Registered Teacher Apprentice Program.

During the presentation, Megan Alexander, a Wichita State TAP graduate, was recognized as the first registered teacher apprentice to complete the collaborative program. She was awarded her teaching license by Kansas Commissioner of Education Randy Watson.

Dr. Philip Mullins, associate professor and chair in the Department of Counseling, Educational Leadership, Educational and School Psychology, was recognized as one of the Wichita Business Journal’s Young Professionals in Professional Services.

Dr. Sun Young Lee, associate professor in the School of Teaching and Learning, was elected as program chair of the Decolonial, Postcolonial, and Anti-Colonial Studies in Education Special Interest Group in the American Educational Research Association, starting in April 2026.