Category: Featured Stories

On Feb. 6, 2023, two massive earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria, followed by more than 30,000 aftershocks in the subsequent three months. The epicenter of the 7.7- and 7.8-magnitude quakes were near Antakya (Antioch), Turkey — a city near the Syrian border, known for its rich history and celebration of Islamic, Christian and Judaic religions.

Antakya has been the focus of decades’ worth of Dr. Jens Kreinath’s research, giving him a scholarly perspective of the region’s cultural and political landscapes before and after the 2023 disaster.

The College of Engineering at Wichita State University has partnered with Groover Labs, a nonprofit collaborative workspace, technology hub and rapid prototyping lab in Wichita, to support the regional business community. The collaboration aims to assist businesses in designing and building prototypes, testing proof-of-concept ideas and engaging in low-volume manufacturing.

As part of the initiative, the college’s Project Innovation Hub is expanding its scope to accept projects from companies and community organizations. The projects – which include design and machining of parts, analyzing manufacturing processes, engaging in product development with entrepreneurs and supporting research – are executed by Wichita State students under the guidance of Project Innovation Hub staff and college faculty. A notable example of their work includes more than 400 handrails designed, manufactured and installed in Charles Koch Arena on the Wichita State campus.

As part of the U.S. Air Force’s Survivable Airborne Operations Center contract, Wichita State University is partnering with SNC to modernize and deliver a new fleet of “Nightwatch” aircraft — the airborne command center for the president of the United States, secretary of defense and chairs of the joint chiefs of staff, ensuring continued critical command, control and communication during national emergencies.

It is a critical program that will ensure that the United States is adequately prepared for unfaltering communication during a national emergency.

The contract between WSU’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) and SNC, a global aerospace and national security company, is the most significant industry contract in the history of the university.

Approximately 400 Wichita State students and staff are expected to work on this project, which will be conducted at NIAR’s Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility and the Partnership 2 building on WSU’s Innovation Campus.

NIAR’s global experience in composites and advanced materials, digital twin, advanced manufacturing technologies and certification are uniquely positioned to meet the goals of this project to enhance SNC’s ability to deliver a cutting-edge, innovative solution to the USAF. The fleet of aircraft being modernized first entered service in 1974.

One of two 747-8i aircraft recently arrived in Wichita from SNC’s Aviation Innovation and Technology Center in Dayton, Ohio.

For the first time, Wichita State University has entered the top 10 in the country in engineering research and development (R&D) expenditures, according to data announced this week by the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Higher Education Research and Development Survey.

Wichita State is also ranked No. 1 for aerospace engineering R&D expenditures for the first time in its history.

For fiscal year 2023, Wichita State’s total of $327 million from all funding sources for aerospace ranks ahead of Georgia Institute of Technology ($294 million), Utah State University ($271 million), Johns Hopkins University ($196 million) and the University of Colorado ($90 million).

These rankings put Wichita State among other prestigious engineering universities such as the Georgia Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins, Notre Dame, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Texas at Austin, Purdue and Stanford.

As the holiday break nears, you will notice ongoing and new construction across Wichita State’s 330-acres and beyond. 

Main campus:

Public Policy and Management Center
The Public Policy and Management Center will move into Garvey International Center, 3203 E. 17th St., in early December.

Corbin Education Center
Corbin Education Center remains closed with repair work underway this fall to replace equipment in mechanical room damaged by a chilled water line break in March.
The College of Applied Studies will likely move back into Corbin at the end of the spring 2025 semester.

McKnight Art Center
Construction will begin soon on ventilation upgrades on the second floor of McKnight North. Work is scheduled to finish by the fall of 2025.

Duerksen Fine Arts Center
Construction will begin after the fall semester to add a single occupancy restroom and lounge area in the B wing.

Wichita Biomedical Campus:

Construction work on the Wichita Biomedical Campus site continues.
At the beginning of November, crews finished up the 270 auger cast piles that were drilled 65-feet deep. Shoring has been installed and now the elevator pits are being dug. They will begin pile caps, and perimeter foundations next.
Road closures around the site will begin in January along with the installation of a tower crane that will be built to begin placing structural steel in February 2025.
You can watch a live broadcast of the construction online at: bigview.ai/wichitabiomedicalcampusliveview.
Construction is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2026.

Innovation Campus:

NIAR Hub for Advanced Manufacturing Research
Construction on the NIAR HAMR building began in May. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2025.
The 170,000-square-foot building is partly funded by an EDA grant and will house advanced manufacturing research labs and associated offices. The building will be located on Innovation Boulevard between the Partnership Building 1 and The Suites. The first floor is primarily labs with offices on the second floor.

Partnership Building 3B
P3B, located between Partnership Building 3 and The Smart Factory @Wichita, is under construction. It will house the Forensic Crime Gun Intelligence Laboratory for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Athletics:

University Stadium Phase 1A
Construction is underway on Phase 1A on the east side of University Stadium (formerly Cessna Stadium).
Crews are moving dirt to prepare for construction that will include ticketing, restrooms, concessions and bleacher seating.
Phase 1A completion is scheduled for May 2025 before KSHSAA Track and Field State Championship on May 30-31.
Phase 1B will begin after KSHSAA Track and Field State Championship. Phase 1B will consist of widening the field and installing a nine-lane track.

Wilkins Stadium
Construction on the indoor practice facility next to Wilkins Stadium is underway. Steel will arrive on site in late November. The facility is scheduled to be complete in March 2025.

Pickleball courts
Construction will begin by the end of 2024 on three pickleball courts on the lawn area between Heskett Center, Hubbard Hall and Lindquist Hall.
The sculpture “Canto IV – A” will be relocated to the grass area west of McKnight Art Center.

Wichita State University has launched the Institute for Rehabilitation Medicine and Assistive Technology (IRMAT), an innovative collaboration focused on addressing disease and disability through applied research and technology. IRMAT will serve as a hub for cutting-edge, patient-driven research and development of transformative technologies to improve the quality of life for individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities.

The groundbreaking collaboration brings together Wichita State’s College of Health Professions, College of Engineering, and Industry and Defense Programs, along with inaugural clinical partners Ascension Via Christi’s Rehabilitation Hospital, Heartspring’s Outpatient Services and the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center, to accelerate scientific advancements and develop assistive technologies.

Support for teaching and research is critical to Wichita State University’s mission to be an essential educational, cultural and economic driver for Kansas and the greater public good. The establishment of an office dedicated to retaining, supporting and developing faculty talent is a significant step toward that.

The Office for Faculty Advancement, Retention and Excellence (FARE), funded in part by a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation, is opening this semester. Its goals include supporting student success, collaborative and externally funded research, and attracting and retaining a diverse faculty body. Success in meeting these goals will elevate Wichita State’s efforts to become an R1 research institution.

The FARE office will collaborate with several departments across campus to deliver programs and services to support faculty, including Office of the Provost, College of Applied Studies, Office of Instructional Resources, Media Resources Center, Office of Hispanic Serving Initiatives and Office of Research.

Wichita State University has named Dr. Monica Lounsbery as its next senior executive vice president and provost, effective Jan. 5, 2025.

“I am truly privileged to assume the vital role of senior executive vice president and provost at Wichita State University at such a crucial time in both the university’s transformational journey and the broader landscape of higher education,” says Lounsbery. “With WSU’s comprehensive enterprise — including WSU Tech, the Innovation Campus, the creation of the Wichita Biomedical Campus, the National Institute for Aviation Research, and the National Institute for Research and Digital Transformation — Wichita State University is driving a new model of higher education that effectively responds to the many challenges facing institutions across the country, including those associated with enrollment, value and cost. I am excited to work closely with President Muma and the WSU campus community — including deans, university leaders, faculty, staff and students — to continue WSU’s trend-bucking trajectory to forge the future of the academy while prioritizing educational access and affordability, meeting workforce talent pipeline needs, and increasing the economic prosperity for the communities we serve.”

People with disabilities are frequently the subjects of research, with much of that focus on their health challenges and the obstacles they face in navigating society.

PhotoVoice changes those dynamics by offering adults with disabilities a chance to show what makes their life enjoyable.

Wichita State University’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders is partnering on the PhotoVoice research project with AbilityPoint, an organization focused on the needs of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Participants are given a digital camera and memory card to take 50 (or more) pictures of the people, places, things and activities that bring them joy.

The Dorothy and Bill Cohen Honors College has been named a Partners in Peace institution, a new distinction awarded in partnership with the Nobel Peace Center in Norway and the National Collegiate Honors Council. This recognition highlights the college’s commitment to fostering global citizenship, peaceful dialogue and leadership among its students, and it places Wichita State among a select group of institutions that champion peace-focused education.

The Partners in Peace initiative celebrates honors programs and colleges that illuminate the work of Nobel Peace Prize laureates through dedicated curricula and hands-on learning experiences. By examining the lives and accomplishments of individuals and organizations that have promoted peace since the Nobel Peace Prize was first awarded in 1901, students are encouraged to engage with both historical and contemporary issues impacting peace.