Category: Featured Stories

Hannah Bui is now prepared to work with French-speaking colleagues at Airbus, thanks to “Business French for Beginners” taught by Wichita State lecturer Rachelle Swilley.

Bui, a static stress engineer at Airbus, was one of about 15 employees who took the six-week course, taught for two hours each Friday, this summer at Airbus on WSU’s Innovation Campus.

Airbus, headquartered in France, also has nine locations in seven Canadian cities, most notably Mirabel in French-speaking Quebec. The course focuses on phrases and vocabulary that will help Airbus employees with travel and basic work interactions.

Wichita State Dining is going high tech with the rollout of robotic food delivery on campus, thanks to a partnership with Starship Technologies.

Starting today (Aug. 14), Starship’s fleet of autonomous, on-demand robots are available to deliver food from the following campus restaurants:

• RSC Starbucks
• Panda Express
• Freddy’s Frozen Custard
• Tu Taco
• Market at Groundhouse
• Cargill Cafe
• Black & Gold Grill: A Delivery Ghost Kitchen

Wichita State University and WSU Tech are key drivers of economic growth, fueling job creation, fostering industry partnerships, and supporting local businesses — and the numbers prove it. According to the 2022 Economic Impact Study, WSU and WSU Tech’s total economic impact in Kansas in 2021 was $1.3 billion.

The study, published recently by WSU’s Center for Economic Development and Business Research, used best practices laid out by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and Association of American Universities.

WSU and WSU Tech’s impact on the Kansas economy is substantial and can be seen through a variety of metrics.

The office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Logistics and Product Support has sponsored a contract through the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) to award Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) a five-year $100 million cooperative agreement for digital engineering and technologies to support sustainment of legacy U.S. Air Force platforms.

This cooperative agreement provides for an indefinite quantity of supplies or services during a fixed period of time. Initially, it will be used to develop digital engineering solutions to support the sustainment and modifications of the B-52 Stratofortress and the C-130 Hercules aircraft; as well as complete the development of the F-16 Fighting Falcon and B-1 Lancer digital twins.

The Wichita City Council approved a plan today that will move forward a project between Wichita State University and the University of Kansas to build a 471,000-square-foot health sciences center in the heart of downtown Wichita. 

Council members agreed to sell or lease two tracts of land – at 214 S. Topeka (where the Wichita Transit Center, set to move to Delano, is currently located) and a parking lot at the southeast corner of Broadway and William.

Wichita State junior Adam Key is certain that leadership can be taught. The best way is by example and application in real-world settings.

Key is one of eight students representing six WSU colleges who recently participated in the Lead for Tomorrow Leadership Academy in the Cohen Honors College. Five faculty members led the interdisciplinary course presenting content from their field focused on the theme “Connected Leadership: Creating a Community of Leaders.” Students then were tasked to apply course content to challenges presented by local community partners.

As Wichita State’s Innovation Campus approaches its 10th anniversary, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities is recognizing the Innovation Campus’ role in cultivating research and innovation. 

The APLU named Wichita State as one of five finalists for its 11th annual Innovation & Economic Prosperity (IEP) University Awards. 

The College of Engineering has updated one of its programs to create a more strategic career pathway for its graduates and meet the needs of business and industry. Effective fall 2023, the new applied engineering program — formerly engineering technology — has been adapted based on feedback from employers and alumni.  

Applied engineering will be classified by the accreditation authority, ABET, in the general engineering category and move to the new 14.0103 Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code, making graduates eligible to pursue their Professional Engineer (PE) licenses in Kansas and elsewhere.

The Accessible Design course concerned Wichita State University junior Reagan Kelley at first. She wasn’t an engineering major and wasn’t sure what she could contribute. 

Conversations with Samantha Corcoran, associate engineering coordinator in the College of Engineering, answered her questions. The payoff at the end of the project made it worthwhile. Kelley, an exercise science major, and three other students modified an all-terrain wheelchair for Sutton, a 9-year-old boy who outgrew the chair’s previous dimensions. 

A new Jersey Mike’s Subs is set to open Wednesday, July 12 in Wichita State University’s Braeburn Square on the Innovation Campus. 

Wichita’s newest Jersey Mike’s franchise location is one of seven dining establishments in the lakeside retail plaza, including Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, Sesame Mediterranean Kitchen, Social Tap, Sungrano Pizza, Wheatly’s Burgers and Two Hands Corn Dogs (opening later this summer).  

The sub shop offers a variety of hot and cold sandwiches, kids’ meals and catering services. The Wichita State franchise location is owned by Annette Hennes and will feature a patio and garage door — a design Hennes says aims to create a comfortable and welcoming space for patrons.