Category: News

The Barton School of Business has announced eight exceptional high school seniors as finalists for the 2026 Clay Barton Scholarship, one of the most prestigious business scholarships in the state of Kansas. Valued at $50,000, the scholarship is awarded annually to one student who demonstrates academic excellence, leadership and a passion for business.

The eight finalists emerged from a competitive pool of students who participated in the Allen, Gibbs and Houlik (AGH) Scholarship Competition, held on Nov. 21, 2025. This rigorous event tests candidates on their communication skills, critical thinking and problem-solving through a series of group exercises, presentations and interviews.

Finalists for the 2026 Clay Barton Scholarship are:

• Luke Fouts, Bishop Carroll Catholic High School (Goddard, KS) – Entrepreneurship
• Gabriel Howland, Campus High School (Wichita, KS) – Entrepreneurship
• Adeline Lank, Kapaun Mount Carmel Catholic High School (Wichita, KS) – Entrepreneurship
• Samantha Owens, Bluestem High School (Leon, KS) – Business Administration
• Alyssa Pace, Belle Plaine Senior High School (Belle Plaine, KS) – Marketing
• Gabriel Shaffer, Valley Center High School (Valley Center, KS) – Business-Undecided
• Nathan Stigers, Shawnee Mission North High School (Shawnee, KS) – Accounting
• Zach Tschauder, Atchison High School (Atchison, KS) – Accounting

The Wichita State University Police Department, and the Faculty Senate and Staff Senate, are calling on Shocker Nation to help spread the love for Valentine’s Day this year by stocking the Kiah Duggins Shocker Support Locker.

Now through Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, UPD is stuffing a squad car at the University Police Department building at Mid Campus Drive and Research Place, where you can drop off your donations for the locker.

Additionally, faculty and staff can drop donations off as part of the Faculty Senate and Staff Senate Love on the Locker initiative at the University Police Department or at any of the following collection locations, or they can make a monetary donation to the locker:

• Student Engagement & Belonging in 216 Rhatigan Student Center
• Business Student Success Center in 129 Woolsey Hall
• Financial Aid or OneStop in Jardine Hall
• College of Health Professions Dean’s Office on the fourth floor of Ahlberg Hall
• Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office on the second floor of Lindquist Hall
• College of Applied Studies Deans Office in Corbin Education Center
• College of Engineering Dean’s Office in Partnership Building 2
• Fine Arts Advising Center on the third floor of the McKnight Arts Center
• Ablah Library Circulation Desk
• Student Government Association in 219 RSC
• Hughes Metropolitan Complex
• First floor of Wallace Hall
• WSU Old Town

Don’t know what to donate? The following are common, in-demand items at the locker:

• Canned foods and other easy instant meals
• Fruit products like applesauce and juice, vegetables, and cooking sauces like spaghetti and tomato sauce
• Grains and pasta, such as granola bars, rice, macaroni and bread
• Health and hygiene products such as bandages, deodorant, soaps, toothpaste, tampons and pads
• Baby products like wipes, diapers and formula

Come by the Book Technologies Lab during its open hours this week to print your own letterpress Valentine. Choose from several different setups and papers to make a one-of-a-kind card. Free and open to everybody while supplies last.

The Robert L. Cattoi Book Technologies Lab is located in the Department of English, 601 Lindquist Hall. Its open hours this semester are 2-5 p.m. Wednesdays and 1-4 p.m. Fridays.

Student Engagement & Belonging is happy to announce that nominations for 14th annual Shocker Leadership Awards are now open. The award recognizes student organizations, student leaders, faculty and staff for their contributions to student engagement and belonging on campus. The awards ceremony will take place at 5 p.m. May 6.

Nominate an organization and be sure to RSVP for the event. The deadline for nominations is by 11:59 p.m. Monday, March 2.

All registered student organizations and university affiliated groups are eligible to be nominated.

The award categories are as follows:

Organization awards:

• Outstanding Program of the Year
• Outstanding Educational Program
• Excellence in Collaboration
• Outstanding Organization of the Year
• Outstanding New Student Organization of the Year

Individual awards:

• President of the Year
• Advisor of the Year

For more information or questions, email Lauren Madison with SEB at lauren.madison@wichita.edu.

The Office of Strategic Communications and Marketing is seeking students who are comfortable on camera to be featured in an upcoming series of Student Stories videos for Wichita State’s social media. If you know of a student who would like to share their story, encourage them to submit an audition.

Students can submit their two minute audition videos through the online Student Stories form, which should briefly showcase their stories and personalities. If a student is selected, Wichita State will produce a short feature video to be posted on WSU’s social media.

The following are a few examples of similar features created by WSU:

• From Wichita to Amazon Robotics: A Mechanical Engineering Journey
• From WSU to NASA: My Journey Into Space Innovation
• This Shocker Followed His Passion at Shocker Studios

For questions, contact Marcus Wright, director of videography in the Office of Strategic Communications and Marketing, at marcus.wright@wichita.edu.

The Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes has added another new fun option for play, in partnership with Crossover ICT. Come check out the brand new PlayStation 4 arcade station available for rent by the hour. It is loaded with dozens of games that can be played with one or two players.

Check it out during a much needed break or add it on to your group reservation or kid’s birthday party.

GoCreate, a Koch Collaborative, at Wichita State University was recently honored by the Kansas Department of Commerce with a Merit Award in the nonprofit category of the To The Stars: Kansas Business Awards.

“This award represents the collective effort of the entrepreneurs, mentors, and partners who believe in our work,” said Kimberly McCollum, associate director of GoCreate. “Being recognized shows that creating access to innovation and opportunity across Kansas, especially in rural and underserved communities, is having real impact.”

Nominees were reviewed and scored for various criteria, including training and educational programs, which is where GoCreate excels. The makerspace has helped more than 100 innovation-driven projects move from idea to commercialization through prototyping, applied R&D and mentorship programs, while simultaneously expanding access for rural and underserved communities across the state.

“We’re always striving to enhance the human potential within our community, which includes students, members and even ourselves,” said Ken Wiseman, GoCreate operations and facility manager. “The future is always changing, but this award is proof that the team and the community will always rise to the challenge.”

GoCreate’s mission mimics the university’s mission: to be an essential educational, cultural and economic driver for Kansas and the greater public good.

“This award is a great reminder that our mission matters,” said McCollum. “GoCreate has always been about creating a welcoming, supportive space where people feel empowered to take ideas further. Being recognized for that tells us we’re on the right path. It gives us momentum to keep growing, expanding access, strengthening the state’s entrepreneurial pipeline and supporting entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of our state.”

Housed within the John Bardo Center at Wichita State, GoCreate is a premier workspace open to creators of all ages and experience levels to bring their ideas and projects to life. The 18,000-square-foot space features studios for 3D printing, design, electronics, woodworking, finishing, metals, welding and textiles with an evolving inventory of sophisticated tools, machinery and equipment. Members and receive the expert training can take advantage of all the materials and equipment GoCreate has to offer.

Join Shocker women’s and men’s basketball and be a champion for literacy. Grab the official shirt and wear it Feb. 10 or 11 at the teams’ Champions for Literacy games in Charles Koch Arena. For every T-shirt sold, $1 will be donated to the Champions for Literacy program. Shirts are available at the Charles Koch Arena Shocker Store or online at shockerstore.com.

Join Wichita State and individual teams/departments as they prepare future Shockers for a lifetime of success. The university is raising money for the United Way’s Champions for Literacy initiative, which puts books and supplies into the hands of students in the Shocker Neighborhood.

Reading helps children build cognitive skills, gain a deeper understanding of the world, improve their concentration and fuel their imagination. As an educational driver for the state of Kansas, Wichita State is committed to helping students of all ages achieve success and become the leaders of tomorrow.

Students not reading proficiently by the fourth grade are four times more likely to drop out, and illiteracy often continues into adulthood. Donations to the campaign stay local to the Shocker Neighborhood through United Way of the Plains to alleviate illiteracy in the community.

From Feb. 2 through Feb. 6, Wichita State is hosting Food for Fines, a program that allows students to have parking or traffic citations forgiven by donating items to support the Kiah Duggins Shocker Support Locker.

If you have a citation, you can participate by donating nonperishable food or hygiene items instead of paying your fine. Citation forgiveness is based on donation level:

• For citations between $0 and $50, donate 10 to 15 nonperishable food or hygiene items.
• For $45 tickets, donate two household or hygiene items.
• For $75 tickets, donate one baby item.

Drop off your donations at 216 Rhatigan Student Center, Student Engagement & Belonging office, or at Parking Services.