Category: News

Effective July 1, 2025, Richard Dinkel, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Koch, Inc., will assume the role of chair of the Dean’s Advisory Board for the Barton School of Business. Dinkel has served as chair-elect since August 2024 and member at-large since 2022.

He will succeed Margaret Dechant, CEO and partner at 6 Meridian, who is completing a successful three-year term as chair. Dechant will continue her involvement as an active member of the board.

“I would first like to thank Margaret for her leadership and guidance to me and the rest of the board,” said Dinkel. “I hope to continue her work as we look to position the Barton School as one of the top business schools in the nation.”

Free 2024-25 Wichita State visitor guides are available upon request. They are particularly helpful if you’d like a stack of guides to share with students, visitors to campus or to Wichita, or with prospective students. These guides are updated once a year and include information on nearly every aspect of Wichita State.

These guides can be delivered via campus mail or be delivered to your office.

Reach out to Garrett Rupp in the Office of Admissions to request how many guides you need and a campus box number or office number for delivery. Contact Garrett at garrett.rupp@wichita.edu or call 316-978-6293.

Have leftover Dining Dollars? Get the most out of your meal plan and spend before the end. Get your Dining Dollar balance under $1 before May 14 and fill out this form from Shocker Dining for a chance to win a bonus $50 Shocker Dollars for next fall.

Have a lot to spend? You can spend those Dining Dollars on Starbucks cups or bulk items at Groundhouse.

The Barton School of Business has named Tina Khan as the new executive director of the college’s Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD). Khan most recently served as a faculty member at the Kansas Leadership Center (KLC) and is also the founder and CEO of Launch, LLC.

“Creating spaces where young adults are seen and belong are core values connected to my purpose,” said Khan. “There’s a great opportunity to influence and partner with college students in their lives beyond the degree. Working alongside students as they think about their careers and next steps is what drew me to this position.”

At KLC, Khan was a member of both the core pathway and field teams, delivering leadership development programs across three communities. Through Launch, she leads strategic initiatives for organizations, including multiple county nonprofits involved in rural food systems.

This week, hear from Jisu Bae’s about her time as a Shocker and what her favorite experience has been at Wichita State.

Read more about WSU’s exchange students and their experiences here at Wichita State, including Jisu’s, on the Study Abroad website.

The College of Engineering has named Dr. Shuang Gu, associate professor and forthcoming professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, as the Sam Bloomfield Chair in Engineering for the next five years, effective May 11. The endowed position, funded by the Sam and Rie Bloomfield Foundation, is designed to support engineering education and research initiatives.

“Dr. Gu has demonstrated exceptional accomplishments in securing extramural funding from competitive federal agencies, as well as mentoring and graduating both master’s degree and doctoral students,” said Dr. Anthony Muscat, dean of the college. “His research has been published in high-impact journals, significantly enhancing the visibility of his laboratory, the college and the university, earning both national and international recognition.”

Within the role, Gu will continue to pursue externally funded research that supports doctoral students, publish research findings with co-authorship from doctoral students, provide ongoing mentorship to these students and travel to conferences with doctoral students to present the results of their work.

Gu joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering as an assistant professor in 2015 and became an associate professor with tenure in 2020. In Fall 2025, he will be promoted to professor. Prior to WSU, he was a research assistant professor at the University of Delaware.

According to Muscat, Gu’s expertise in polymer electrolytes, fuel cells and energy process assessment for sustainability has positioned him as a leading authority in these areas of research. Additionally, he established a state-of-the-art laboratory for energy engineering, which is fully equipped to train students, advance knowledge and foster academic growth while mentoring the next generation of scholars and professionals.

In the past five years, Gu has been awarded six research grants with more than $3.2 Million in funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy. During the same period, he has published nine peer-reviewed journal articles and delivered nine awardee/conference presentations. As of January 10, 2025, his Google Scholar profile reflects 10,152 total citations, an H-index of 40 and an average of more than 800 citations annually.

The College of Health Professions is pleased to announce Jason Ladner as the new chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council, effective April 25. The college extends its heartfelt gratitude to Pamela Clancy Ammar for her leadership as chair over the past four years. Her vision, dedication and unwavering support have made a lasting impact on the college, and her service is deeply appreciated.

Ladner is a Wichita State and College of Health Professions alumnus, graduating in 2001 with his degree in healthcare services and organizations and policies. He has worked in several high-profile roles and businesses throughout his career, including medical sales for Covidien, Johnson & Johnson and other top medical device companies. He later joined IMA Wealth as vice president of customer relationships. His work in business development, strategy and relationship building brought him to his current role as a business development executive at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas.

A proud Shocker, Ladner has remained actively involved with his alma mater. He continues to advocate for Wichita State and the College of Health Professions through ongoing projects focused on philanthropy, workforce development and strategic partnerships.

Read the May 1 issue of the myShockerhealth newsletter, which focuses on finals and handling stress, working parents, taking care of your vision and more.

In this issue:

• Time management and exam studying tips
• Breathing techniques for stress management
• Off-campus housing options
• Job hunting at Shocker Central
• SHS end-of-year reminders
• Employee Corner: Retirement planning
• Weight loss medication injections: Is it worth it?

The Elliott School of Communication is honoring 1984 graduate, Carla Eckels, as the Outstanding Alumna for the 2024-25 school year.

Eckels, the director of organizational culture and host of “Soulsations” at KMUW, the NPR affiliate for Wichita, has spent her career serving the community through programming focused on race and culture.

“Carla goes well out of her way to mentor young journalists and interns,” Debra Fraser, the KMUW general manager said, “introducing them to contacts that are hard to reach and sharing some of the challenges ahead that they can prepare for today — especially minority students.”

Two graduate students from Wichita State’s Department of Human Performance Studies took first and second place at the 2025 GRASP (Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects) symposium.

Charvi Sharma, a master’s student in exercise science, earned first place for her research on the usability of neurocognitive mobile apps among adults with and without Parkinson’s disease. Toomaj Amiri, a master’s student in innovation and design, received second place for his interdisciplinary project introducing PARROT, a wearable device for assessing and improving tongue function.

Both projects were developed in the Human Performance Laboratory with support from department faculty.