Category: News

Are you ready to improve digital course accessibility and make a real impact? Join Faculty Advancement, Retention, and Excellence (FARE) and the Office of Instructional Resources (OIR) for Blackboard Anthology’s Fix Your Content Day — a worldwide event where instructors work together to enhance course materials using Anthology Ally’s color-coded dials. Every improvement made on Nov. 17 and 18 counts toward Wichita State’s goal to climb the leaderboard. Last year, WSU finished second in the world, and with your help, WSU can reach the top.

OIR’s Ally experts will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 17 in 142 Rhatigan Student Center, Harvest Room. Instructors are welcome to drop in at any time for personalized support. Don’t forget to register for a free boxed lunch.

Let’s make the digital learning environment more inclusive for everyone. Watch Wichita State soar on the FYCD leaderboard and be part of the change.

Wichita State is proud to celebrate National Student Transfer Week (Oct. 20-24) by recognizing the diverse journeys of all Shocker transfer students. WSU is kicking off the week by sharing the story of Kristen Knott, a health management online student who’s living out the very lesson she’s always taught her children: there’s no single timeline for success, and there’s more than one way to reach your goals.

Campus is invited to celebrate with the week from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23 at the Shocker Success Center. Explore the building and connect with campus offices stationed across the lower level, first, second and third floors. Just like Kristen, WSU wants you to discover that you have a team of Shockers rooting for you to succeed.

Check out the new issue of the myShockerhealth newsletter. Monthly, the Student Health newsletter provides relevant health information and wellness tips for WSU students and staff. Opportunities to engage in healthy activities, events and volunteer service are also highlighted:

• Flu vaccines at Student Health
• October is ADHD Awareness Month – Download an ADHD calendar
• How to tell if your ADHD medication is working
• Student Health prescribes ADHD medication 
• Pimples. What are the six types of acne? 
• Employee Corner: Health insurance enrollment period starts now and how to retire before the age of 65 and still maintain health insurance

If you missed the September issue, you can find all previous issues on the website.

The College of Health Professions at Wichita State is continuing to revolutionize its classroom and lab experience with the installation of new microscopes in the Medical Laboratory Sciences and Scientific Foundations Division facilities.

The new microscopes are a major upgrade, replacing dozens of older units with new equipment as part of a strategic investment to ensure that students are trained on the current tools they will use in clinical practice and biomedical research. The investment comes as the college prepares to relocate to the Wichita Biomedical Campus in 2027, positioning its programs for a new level of education, research and innovation.

The Office of Instructional Resources’ (OIR) newsletter is back with a new name: Teaching Tomorrow. Last spring, OIR took a step back and reevaluated what it wanted the newsletter to accomplish. OIR is finally back with a renewed focus on the constantly changing landscape of higher education and technology. The first issue of Teaching Tomorrow is out now.

Ablah Library’s lower level will reopen to the public Monday, Oct. 20 following a six-month closure.

On the morning of March 16, it was discovered that a broken pipe was flooding the lower level of the Ablah Library. By the time the water was shut off, four inches of water covered about 50,000 square feet. Approximately one third of the Library’s print collection was located on the lower level, but quick work by library personnel prevented the water from damaging materials. Contractors quickly removed the water and began drying out the space. The collections were boxed up and relocated to a warehouse off campus.

The shelving, flooring and drywall were removed. For several weeks, dehumidifying equipment was used to remove all moisture from the lower level. The drywall was replaced and painted, new flooring installed and shelving from the library’s second floor was disassembled and installed on the lower level.

During August and September, contractors returned the books from the R-Z range of the collection and reshelved them. In coming weeks, the Q range will also be integrated into the stacks of the lower level. In the meantime, continue to request materials from the Q-range at the Circulation Desk on the first floor.

Wichita State’s Shocker Rowing program has been celebrating its 50th Anniversary, and PBS Positively Kansas featured a special story to honor this milestone.

This segment highlights the team’s history, achievements and impact on the community. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate the legacy of Shocker Rowing and share in their success.

The Cummings Student-Managed Investment Fund (CSMIF) at the Barton School of Business opened the 2025-26 academic year with serious momentum, announcing a 20% portfolio increase over the previous year — one of the most successful periods in the fund’s history. The news was shared during CSMIF’s annual fall kick-off event, where students and mentors also introduced the fund’s dynamic new leadership team and outlined their vision for the year ahead.

Housed within the Barton School, CSMIF provides students with real-time experience managing an investment portfolio backed by actual capital. The fund is designed to offer practical, real-world learning that supports a variety of career paths while fostering both personal and professional growth.

Four Wichita State faculty and staff members have been named 2025 Faculty and Staff of the Year by the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR), recognizing their excellence in teaching, research, service and student support.

The KBOR awards recognize outstanding contributions by faculty and staff across the state’s universities. 

Wichita State’s 2025 KBOR awardees:

• Dr. Lisa Parcell, Kansas Health Foundation Director of the Elliott School of Communication and professor of communication, Tenured Faculty of the Year. Read more about Parcell.
• Dr. Erin O’Bryan, assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders, Tenure-Track Faculty of the Year. Read more about O’Bryan.
• Marco Hernandez, assistant teaching professor of print media and foundations coordinator in the School of Art, Design and Creative Industries, Faculty of the Year. Read more about Hernandez.
• Dr. Christopher Leonard, director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Staff of the Year. Read more about Leonard.

Wichita State unveiled the newly named Kiah Duggins Shocker Support Locker during its annual Heritage Gala on Oct. 9, hosted by the WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement in celebration of the 2025 alumni award recipients.

The support locker honors the legacy of Kiah Duggins ’17, who died earlier this year aboard American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita to Washington, D.C. At the gala, Duggins was also posthumously awarded the 2025 Young Alumni Award.

As a student leader and co-founder of the original Shocker Food Locker, now located in the basement of the Shocker Success Center, Duggins was a passionate advocate for student support services during her time as chief of staff in student government. She went on to graduate from Harvard Law School in 2021 before beginning her career as a civil rights attorney in Washington, D.C.

To commemorate her legacy of promoting social justice, the 2024-25 administration of the WSU Student Government Association requested the university name the Shocker Support Locker in her honor. The naming was approved as of Oct. 8.

“Kiah was a remarkable Shocker whose passion for justice and care for others left a lasting mark on this university,” said Wichita State President Rick Muma. “She helped create the Shocker Support Locker because she believed every student deserved the resources to thrive. Naming it in her honor is a powerful reminder of her legacy, and it ensures her impact will continue to be felt by students for years to come.”