Category: Featured Stories

Wichita State is participating in the VOLARÉ Institute as part of a project to build research capabilities and expand STEM initiatives for Hispanic-Serving Institutions. 

VOLARÉ Institute participants, chosen from an application process, will engage in a series of activities designed to enhance skills and boost the ability to compete for funding while elevating the research enterprise.  

“We are grateful to have been chosen by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities to participate in the first cohort of the VOLARÉ Institute,” said Coleen Pugh, vice provost for research. “We consider this an important step to attaining our HSI goals, while also contributing WSU’s expertise to the program.” 

Justin DeSanto met Casey Ratzlaff in 2017 at Wichita State University and agreed to coach him when it became obvious tennis mattered to Ratzlaff.

“Working with someone who was chasing a professional career and wanting to do this for a living was very appealing,” said DeSanto, now men’s coach at Dartmouth College. “You knew you were going to get that buy-in at every practice, and that’s what I got with Casey.”

The team that started at WSU’s Coleman Tennis Complex grew into one of the most successful in wheelchair tennis. Ratzlaff, a sport management major at Wichita State, will play in the men’s open division in the Paris Paralympics Games starting Friday. He is the top-ranked American and seeded No. 13 in the 64-man field.

The Kansas Hospital Association (KHA) has awarded Wichita State University President Rick Muma the 2024 Donald A. Wilson Visionary Award. The award, which was based on a nomination by leadership at Ascension Via Christi, recognizes Muma’s efforts in developing the Wichita Biomedical Campus, building partnerships and advancing Wichita’s health education infrastructure. 

KHA’s Visionary Award “recognizes hospital-related individuals who have made an outstanding, innovative contribution to health care delivery, health care financing or initiatives that improve the health and clinical outcomes of their community. The award recognizes a hospital-related individual who has been a change agent in the hospital industry,” according to its website.  

Muma has been a significant driver behind the vision and development of the Wichita Biomedical Campus, a collaboration with the University of Kansas and WSU Tech. Phase 1 of the biomedical campus broke ground in downtown Wichita in May, and the first building is expected to open in 2026.

Since 2005, Wichita State’s Marcus Welcome Center has served as the gateway to campus, welcoming prospective students and their families. It showcases the university’s commitment to excellence and guides visitors through the application and admissions process.

Thanks to another generous gift from the Marcus family, the center now features a new addition that underscores Wichita State’s dedication to students’ applied learning and career development.

The Milly Marcus Annex is now the permanent home for the Shocker Career Accelerator, a multidimensional career-readiness experience that helps students build resumes and LinkedIn profiles, practice and prepare for interviews, meet with prospective employers, and find applied learning and post-graduation full-time employment opportunities.

In March 2020, Ryan Barnes considered himself a high school basketball player, a 5-foot-10 point guard who wanted to play like NBA star Chris Paul. He wore his hair like former Shockers star Ron Baker and made himself valuable on a team loaded with talent.

Within a few months, Ryan considered himself a collegiate bowler, even though he barely qualified as a recreational bowler. Four years later, he appears on a path to be the next PBA Tour great and, along with his parents, heirs to a family bowling legacy the tour last experienced with Dick and Pete Weber.

“(Ryan) has all the makings of a superstar,” PBA Tour Commissioner Tom Clark said. “He’s clearly obsessed with being the best he can be. That something that’s rare in athletes. He’s got it.”

As the fall semester begins, you will notice ongoing and new construction across Wichita State’s 330-acres and beyond.

The difficulties of the past year are behind former Wichita State University sprinter Paula Garcia. She can enjoy her spot on Spain’s 2024 Olympic team. 

“It’s a little bit hard for me to believe I did it,” said Garcia, who dealt with multiple injuries recently. “I’m really excited to see what it looks like and to live the Olympic Games.” 

Garcia, who ran for the Shockers from 2017-2022, is a member of Spain’s six-person 400-meter relay team. The relay is Aug. 8, and coaches will select four athletes to run in the days leading up to the race. The final is Aug. 9. 

As August approaches, it’s a great time for students to consider investing in a successful school year. Shocker Pre-Season programs are a proven way to get connected to campus and start the academic year with a good vibe.

“The data shows Shocker Pre-Season programs make a significant impact on student success,” said Brett Bruner, assistant vice president student success and persistence at Wichita State. “Our Shocker Pre-Season programs are events that prepare new Shockers for the academic year. We focus on building social and academic connections and building resource awareness.”

The programs give students an opportunity to work on skills such as college-level writing, presentations and research. They also help familiarize students with the campus and the people and offices available for information and guidance.

Full list of Shocker Pre-Season programs

• Shocker Promise Academy
• Passage 2 Success
• Shocker Engineering Academy (full)
• Pre-Nursing Success Academy
• Immersive Leadership Institute
• First-Steps
• “When Everyone Leads…in sport!”
• Shocker Rowing
• Math Launch
• School of Performing Arts

Wichita State University is part of a collaborative effort to address the behavioral health care worker shortage across Kansas. With new funding, mental health care agencies in south-central Kansas will be better equipped to tackle this critical need.

In a recent report, Kansas was positioned among the states with the poorest access and availability of mental health treatment, largely due to a shortage of professionals to care for mental health patients. However, a committed cohort of mental and behavioral health professionals has successfully secured funding to address this deficiency by implementing educational initiatives aimed at bolstering the talent pool of behavioral health professionals within our state.

Backed by $5.7 million in funding from the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS), the newly established Kansas Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (KSBHCoE) is focusing on key areas to enhance opportunities and expand the mental health workforce. This effort involves strategic collaboration with several local agencies and institutions, including Wichita State.

What started out as an extracurricular activity at the Shocker Gaming Club has ballooned into a career leading students to success for Wichita State’s Joe Mazzara.

Mazzara, who was recently appointed to director of Wichita State University’s Esports program, began his tenure with the program as a volunteer assistant coach while he was an undergrad at WSU, before becoming the assistant director of Esports in 2019.

“During the infancy of the program, I felt I was learning quickly and excelling in areas like recruitment and team operations and always took a player-first approach to program leadership, which allowed me to connect with our players on a personal level,” Mazzara said. “My motivation to continue with the program has been fueled by my previous mentors/directors and the impact we have had on students’ lives as a result of the creation of the varsity esports program.”