Category: Featured Stories

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Director Steven Dettelbach and Senator Jerry Moran recently visited Wichita State University to announce plans for a unique new National Forensic Laboratory at WSU.

The forensic laboratory is a new $75 million facility that will complement the Gun Crime Intelligence Center of Excellence (GCIC) and National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) Correlation and Training Center (NNCTC II), which were announced last summer.

Ayshea Banes took a passion for astronomy and ran with it, taking any opportunity to immerse herself in her newly chosen field. One of those opportunities occurred this past January, when Banes was chosen to present at the American Astronomical Society’s annual meeting in Seattle.

Banes’ presentation focused on neutrinos, which are particles that rarely interact with any other matter in the universe — specifically her research on the neutrinos coming from the galactic core of the Milky Way galaxy.

Kyan Caudillo is a biology major at Wichita State University and minoring in chemistry. His experience working at WSU’s Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory will help him as he studies and prepares to work in the medical field.

More than 5,000 Shockers each year take what they’ve learned in the classroom and transfer that knowledge into real-world environments. Applied learning — which is required for every Wichita State student — happens in offices, factories, laboratories, nonprofits, industries and companies across the globe. Students work side-by-side with seasoned professionals to ensure that they’re fully prepared to make meaningful contributions to their employers and their communities when they graduate.

WSU Tech President and Vice President of Workforce Development at Wichita State University Dr. Sheree Utash testified before the U.S. Senate’s Commerce Committee on Aviation on Thursday about the growth of the aviation industry and the increasing demand for highly skilled aviation workers. 

The committee, which includes U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran from Kansas, held a hearing titled “Strengthening the Aviation Workforce” to “examine challenges facing the aviation workforce and identify solutions for improving the education, recruitment, hiring, training and retention of workers in the aviation industry and at the Federal Aviation Administration.” The hearing also examined “opportunities to increase representation in and promote awareness of aviation careers,” according to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation website. 

The U.S. Army has awarded Wichita State’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) a $100 million contract to advance and modernize the army’s ground transportation fleet.

The five-year Modernization of Integrated Technology for Ground Systems (MINT-GS) award comes from the Materials Division, Advanced Manufacturing of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) at Detroit Arsenal, Michigan.

The mission of the MINT-GS program is to develop innovative tools, methodologies and qualification framework for advanced manufacturing processes and materials, allowing for the modernization and sustainment of ground vehicle and ground vehicle components. It supports GVSC’s mission to provide the warfighter with enhanced capabilities and to ensure readiness.

Wichita State will show off its unique cultural and educational assets while welcoming the community to campus during Open Streets ICT at WSU and Shocker Neighborhood on Sunday, April 16.

Open Streets ICT, sponsored by Wichita Park and Recreation, is a community-building event, on a closed street, intended to promote healthy active living and social engagement. The event is free to the public and to groups, businesses, organizations and vendors.

From noon to 4 p.m., Open Streets ICT at WSU and Shocker Neighborhood will take place on 17th Street from Oliver to Volutsia. The two-mile stretch is open for biking, walking and running. 17th Street will be closed from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The sixth cohort of Rudd Scholars includes 18 Kansas high school seniors who have chosen to attend Wichita State University.

Each Rudd Scholar will receive a full-ride scholarship, which includes tuition, fees, on-campus housing, and considerable networking and coaching support along the way.

The following are the students who were awarded the Rudd scholarships:

• Ashlyn Armstrong — Central Plains High School in Claflin, Kansas
• Natalee Delgado — Valley Center High School
• Alejandra Facio — Garden City High School
• Kylie Flaming — Inman High School
• Liberty Gilkey — Kiowa County High School
• Hayden Hartung — Hesston High School
• Jackson Haslett — Clearwater High School
• Elias Iseman — Bishop Carroll Catholic School in Wichita
• Riley Jaske — Sterling High School
• Isabella Kilman — Valley Center High School
• Zain Maknojia — Halstead High School
• Katherin Mayer — Bishop Carroll High School
• Erik Moreno — Wichita High School South
• Chinonye Otuonye — Wichita Northwest High School
• Katie Rempel — Hillsboro High School
• Ryan Richardson — Sumner Academy of Arts and Science in Kansas City, Kansas
• Jade Simeona — Goddard High School
• Ashlee Villarreal — Garden City High School

Wichita State University has selected the 2023 recipient of the Linwood Sexton Scholarship: Grecia Esparza from Wichita East High School. Esparza will receive a full-ride scholarship to attend Wichita State this fall.

Esparza is planning to study secondary education for mathematics at Wichita State. As a student at East High School, she is highly involved in a variety of activities — including the Latino Club, French Club, Students Against Prejudice, National Honors Society and AVID. She also volunteers for a summer camp, where she oversees activities and leads a group of 6- and 7-year-olds.

Lauren Hughes — senior at Owasso High School (Owasso, Oklahoma) — is the winner of the 2023 Lenora N. McGregor Endowed Scholarship at Wichita State.

The Lenora N. McGregor Endowed Scholarship awards up to $26,000 over four years to an incoming freshman student who has demonstrated academic excellence, has an academic vision for the future and who expresses an interest in advancing knowledge through individual learning. The McGregor Scholar agrees to maintain active membership in WSU’s Dorothy and Bill Cohen Honors College.

Hughes is the daughter of Karri Lynn Hughes and Joseph Bradshaw Hughes. She was the senior class representative of National Honors Society and captain and coach of the Varsity Mock Trial team. She also designed and built sets for her high school’s stagecraft program; tutored middle school students in English, math and science; and has been a part of the concurrent student program at Tulsa Community College since 2019.

Lara Uyar, a native of Turkey, discusses how she is affected by the current crisis in her country caused by an earthquake near the border with Syria in the newest Roundhouse podcast.

Uyar, a sophomore on Wichita State’s volleyball team majoring in international business, talks about how she is handling the emotions of being far away from family and friends during the difficult time and how her teammates offer support. We also talk about sports in Turkey, her adjustment to the United States and spring volleyball practices at Wichita State.