Shocker Studios signage

It has been a busy summer at WSU South, and Shocker Studios is nearly done with its expansion and will move its entrance Friday, Aug. 1.

The new entrance and parking area for Shocker Studios is located on the west end of the facility. The new address for Shocker Studios is 3803 E. Harry St., Suite 121. The location features new classrooms, lecture hall, student study area and offices. Stay tuned for more information about an open house this fall.

Picture of Access Advisory Board and City Council Members

Dr. Mia Ocean, associate professor in the School of Social Work, was recently elected chair of the Wichita/Sedgwick County Access Advisory Board. The board collaborates with city and county officials to implement the Americans with Disabilities Act and address community barriers to accessibility.

Ocean spoke during the Wichita City Council meeting to honor the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“It is our sincere hope that disabled people may fully participate in the great opportunities that Wichita offers and that the city may also benefit from the contributions of people with disabilities,” Ocean said at the meeting. “Thank you again for honoring the anniversary of what has truly been life-changing legislation, and we look forward to collaborating in the coming year.”

The College of Health Professions (CHP) recently hosted its fourth annual Kansas High School Health Science Teacher’s Workshop, providing valuable teaching strategies and professional development for high school educators across the state.

This year’s workshop featured presentations from Dr. Stephen Lewia, assistant professor in the Department of Physician Associate; Dr. Douglas Parham, chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders; and Lisa Garcia, associate educator in the Scientific Foundations Division. Topics included interpreting EKGs, screening for speech and hearing disorders, and encouraging critical thinking in the classroom. A student panel, led by Mandy Konecny, director of the CHP Advising Center, offered valuable insights into the student experience at Wichita State and the variety of pathways into healthcare careers. Participants also toured the college’s cutting-edge laboratories, including the Gross Anatomy, Human Simulation and School of Nursing simulation labs.

The teachers received valuable resources and information to bring back to their classrooms, with the goal of inspiring high school students to pursue careers in healthcare. In addition to hands-on learning, the workshop provided a unique opportunity for health science teachers to network with WSU faculty and fellow health science educators from across Kansas. A special thank you to Ascension Via Christi for their generous support of the event and providing gifts for attendees.

Deltha Colvin poses in front of a gray background

Wichita State is hosting a card shower to honor Deltha Colvin, associate vice president of college readiness/retention programs at TRIO Student Support Services, who is retiring after 55 years of service to the university.

Since Colvin is not currently in Wichita, in lieu of an in-person celebration, the campus community can send cards to the Office of Academic Affairs, who will route them to Colvin, care of Laura Manning, executive assistant to the provost. No postage is necessary. Please send your cards to Academic Affairs by Wednesday, Aug. 13.

Colvin, a nationally recognized leader in student support and access programs, has been a driving force behind TRIO initiatives at WSU, including Upward Bound, Student Support Services, Veterans Upward Bound, McNair Scholars and GEAR UP. She was also among the first graduates of TRIO Upward Bound when it launched in 1965.

Wichita State University’s Teacher Apprentice Program (TAP) will welcome 24 new Kansas registered teacher apprentices for the 2025-26 academic year. These paraeducators, who are employed across 14 Kansas school districts, will begin the next step in their journey toward becoming licensed teachers while continuing to serve in their local schools.

Districts represented in this growth span from northeast Kansas districts like De Soto, Lansing, Eudora and Riverside, to central districts such as Salina and Lyons, and all the way to Liberal in the southwest.

The WSU TAP program partnered with the Kansas State Department of Education to pilot the Kansas Registered Teacher Apprentice initiative, which aims to address teacher shortages by supporting paraeducators in earning their teaching credentials through a registered apprenticeship model.

The expansion reflects the continued success and impact of this innovative approach to teacher education.

Writing for Social Media badge

Professionals can learn new skills or enhance what they already know with Badges at Wichita State, such as with the Professional Writing series, which covers a breadth of topics to bring your writing to a higher level.

Badges are bite-sized, one credit hour or less courses that can be taken at your own pace using Open Educational Resources. Registering in the Professional Writing series can help you gain skills in areas such as creating your resume and cover letter or writing and editing for social media. Or you can learn more about presenting online, writing professional correspondence or developing researching grants.

To learn more about Badges, including how to enroll for the fall 2025 semester, visit wichita.edu/badges.

Wichita State has been a national leader in creating a standard for microcredentials, allowing employers to be confident that meaningful learning has occurred, so you can confidently list a badge from WSU on your resume.

The award-winning Widener Global Leaders Program is proud to announce an exciting expansion as it enters its fifth year, welcoming Wichita State University students in business, communication, music or fine arts. This strategic growth reflects our continued commitment to developing the next generation of global leaders.

This milestone follows the recent graduation of WGLP’s 2024–2025 cohort, celebrated in a special ceremony this past May. Program highlights included immersive sessions on strengths discovery, strategic communication, business acumen, global mindset, financial literacy, the intersection of music and leadership, along with a private jet experience at Textron Aviation and a wide range of impactful networking opportunities.

“One of my favorite activities was the vision board session, where we got to be creative and reflect on our goals,” said Olivia Wessley, WGLP participant and economics major. “WGLP was an amazing experience. It made me a better leader and opened my eyes to what’s possible for my future.”

100 Years of Excellence: Barton School Centennial Mark

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University is set to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2026. In honor of this momentous occasion, a dedicated committee of industry leaders, alumni, faculty and staff has been formed to commemorate the school’s rich legacy through a series of events and special recognitions. Esteemed alumni Rachel Douglass, senior manager of communications and external affairs at Textron eAviation, is serving as the committee chair, and Ashtyn Rottinghaus-Schrag, senior consultant at Deloitte, is fulfilling the role of committee vice chair.

“I am deeply honored to collaborate with an outstanding group of industry leaders, alumni, faculty and staff to transform this monumental milestone into a series of impactful, celebratory engagements that will cultivate a profound sense of pride and belonging for all those connected to the Barton School.” shared Douglass. “I’m confident that the milestone will celebrate 100 years of profound impact, but also illuminate a future of possibilities and promise for the next century.”

“This is more than a celebration of our proud history; it marks an energizing new chapter that unites the people who have shaped the Barton School’s story and reaffirms our role as a leader in business education. Together, we’re building upon a legacy that will inspire and empower future generations.” added Rottinghaus-Schrag.

As part of the fiscal year-end process improvements, Cash Carryforward Budgets were not loaded for Fiscal Year 2026, except for funds that are not a part of the TM1 budgeting process (SRO and Safekeeping funds). This change was made to streamline budgeting practices and encourage timely budget entry by departments.

What this means: Some financial reports that departments commonly use rely on the cash carryforward budget to reflect beginning cash balances. As a result, these reports may currently display inaccurate information.

What you should do:

  • Your cash as of June 30 is still available as of July 1.
  • As long as departments have budgets in place, they will be able to continue spending.
  • If you receive an NSF (Non-Sufficient Funds) error, work with your budget analyst to process a budget adjustment.
  • In the meantime, use the FOBT00088 – Organization Financial Report for RU Funds for accurate beginning cash balances.

For more details, visit the Budget Transfers and Adjustments section on the Budget Maintenance Post Adoption website or contact the Budget Office directly.

Stephen Lewia

Dr. Stephen Lewia, assistant professor and director of Clinical Education for the Physician Associate (PA) program, has been appointed as the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) liaison to the American Medical Association (AMA), one of the largest organizations representing physicians in the United States. In this role, he will advocate for PAs and their patients while working to strengthen relationships with physician colleagues. Having PAs represented within the AMA helps ensure that policies and discussions reflect the realities of team-based care and the essential role PAs play in meeting patient needs.

Dr. Lewia brings years of national leadership experience, having served as director at Large on the AAPA Board of Directors and as chair of AAPA’s Government Relations and Practice Advancement Commission. Drawing on this experience and his strong commitment to advancing the PA profession, Dr. Lewia aims to foster understanding, build collaborative partnerships, and help shape the profession’s future. This appointment is for a two-year term, with the possibility of extension to four years.