Category: Featured Stories

Shielding the Earth from the sun seems like a good idea, in theory, to fight climate change, Wichita State’s Dr. Nickolas Solomey and graduate student Kelly Kabler agree. 

Good ideas, they also agree, must be grounded in science.    

In early February, the New York Times reported that Asher Space Research Institute Physics Professor Yoram Rozen was working on a prototype for a sunshade in space. Other scientists have proposed using dust as a shield. And Amazon has even teamed with researchers to run models on the possibilities for blocking the sun.

Solomey and Kabler, though, aren’t so sure that the popular idea of protecting the planet with a sunshade is as simple as some propose. 

Wichita State University is not just reshaping downtown Wichita with the Wichita Biomedical Campus; it’s redefining health care education by harnessing the dynamic interplay between health care and the humanities.

WSU’s new Academic Center for Biomedical and Health Humanities, or HealthHum as it’s been monikered, aims to increase the visibility of a wide range of research and teaching in areas related to health care and humanities beyond the traditional health professions.

Dr. Susan Castro, director of HealthHum, said putting a sociologist or a philosopher in the room when big decisions are being made can change the trajectory of care and improve the outcomes of medical research.  

A new space is now open on the Wichita State campus called Wichita State Connect. Dr. Alicia Thompson, former superintendent of USD 259, will lead Wichita State Connect.

Wichita State Connect is in the former Wonder School, next to the National Institute for Aviation Research. It will serve as a hub for preK-12 field trips, mixers and professional development opportunities for educators and to provide WSU academic colleges and programs chances to engage with schools, industry and community partners.

Wichita State University is home to nearly 5,000 first-generation students, individuals whose caregivers weren’t able to complete a college degree and who lack the firsthand experience to tackle college life. To help with their transition, Wichita State offers a number of resources to first-gen students to support them during their time in college, including F1RST GEN SHOCKERS.

Hear from Brittany Hopkins, graduate student success specialist in the Graduate School and a current employee at Wichita State who went to college as a first-gen student, about the first-gen experience.

For a second year, Wichita State will show off its unique cultural and educational assets while welcoming the community to campus during Open Streets ICT – WSU and Shocker Neighborhood on April 14. 

Open Streets ICT is a community-building event on a closed street, intended to promote healthy active living and social engagement. The event is free and open to the public. 

Ava Wilkie, senior at Wichita East High School, is the winner of the 2024 Lenora N. McGregor Endowed Scholarship at Wichita State University.

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.

Suspenders4Hope, a program developed at Wichita State University, is highlighting different departments and individuals on campus who are advocates for mental health in hopes that their stories will inspire others to continue supporting one another in the community.

The WSU School of Social Work (SSW) is being recognized for its support of the mental health of students, faculty, staff and health care professionals.

Four undergraduate students from Wichita State University were among the 18 students recognized at the 22nd annual Kansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (K-INBRE) Symposium in Manhattan, Kansas.

The WSU students who were recognized:

• Yousaf Khan, senior in chemistry
• Alia Michaelis, senior in biochemistry
• Bao Nhu To, junior in biology and health science
• Julie Tran, junior in chemistry

Dr. Valerie J. Thompson is an assistant professor Wichita State’s College of Applied Studies. Her experiences as a practitioner in higher education — and her lens as a Black woman scholar — help inform how she sees the world.

Black History Month provides an opportunity for contemplation, learning and raising awareness about the extensive and varied history of the Black community. Wichita State is embracing the rich tapestry of history and heritage by highlighting some of the amazing Black educators who make a difference in students’ lives every day.

Robert E. Weems Jr. is a faculty member in WSU’s History Department and is the Willard W. Garvey Distinguished Professor of Business History. Weems says African American history is troubling but also demonstrates the resilience of Black Americans.

“As someone who came of age during the late 1960s, over the years as a history professor, I have sought to contribute to the knowledge base associated with the African American experience” Weems said.

Black History Month provides an opportunity for contemplation, learning and raising awareness about the extensive and varied history of the Black community. Wichita State is embracing the rich tapestry of history and heritage by highlighting some of the amazing Black educators who make a difference in students’ lives every day.