Category: News

In December of 2020, Wichita State class of 2017 graduate Max Runyon created Literal Larry, a viral parody account on Twitter (@ImLiteralLarry1), which led him to land a remote role as a creative strategist with 180 New York.

It is with great sadness that we announce the loss of Distinguished Professor Victor Isakov, Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Physics, who passed away May 14 at the age of 73 after a battle with cancer.

In 1988, Professor Isakov joined Wichita State University as a professor of Mathematics specializing in partial differential equations and inverse problems. In 2000, he went on to become the Emylou Keith and Betty Dutcher Faculty of Distinction Endowed Professor due to his outstanding contributions to research in the area of inverse problems. Professor Isakov was recognized as a world-class authority in inverse problems, and he produced many original and breakthrough results for linear and nonlinear inverse boundary value problems. He authored 140 papers in mathematical journals and three books on the subject of inverse problems and mathematical physics. He also organized several conferences around the world and advised many graduate students. His research has continuously been supported by National Science Foundation since 1990. His passing is a huge loss to both Wichita State University and the inverse problem community.

Professor Isakov was an accomplished and dedicated mathematician who provided many years of distinguished service to the department, the university and the mathematical community. He was well liked by students, faculty and researchers around the world. We shall miss him greatly.

A memorial service will be announced at a later date.

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University has partnered with WSU Tech to create a pathway program for WSU Tech students committed to continuing their education with a business degree. The Barton School and WSU Tech have also collectively committed to $35,000 in scholarships for students participating in this program.

Whether their goal is to be Gollum in “Lord of the Rings” or a character in the next version of “Call of Duty,” Wichita State University students now have the option to specialize in motion-capture acting through a new concentration within the School of Digital Arts.

The School of Digital Arts (SODA) was founded in 2019 and is the fourth school within Wichita State’s College of Fine Arts program, which encompasses the Bachelor of Applied Arts (BAA) in Media Arts program. The BAA program already includes concentrations in animation, audio production, filmmaking, game design and collaborative design. 

This semester, students enrolled in Integrated Marketing Communication Campaigns with Dr. Lisa Parcell have been working with Alce Su Voz, Riverfest and the Kansas Nonprofit Chamber to develop full marketing communication campaigns. Every semester, this applied-learning experience is offered to students with the opportunity to develop campaigns for three new clients. 

This experience gave students the opportunity to network, discover their individual talents and develop their portfolios.Read more about

What is a first-gen student?

A first-generation college student is defined as a student whose parents or legal guardians have not completed a bachelor’s degree. A student who is the first person in their immediate family to attend a four-year college or university to attain a bachelor’s degree.

• FORM-A-LINE: Become a subcommittee member of First-Generation Coordinating Council (FGCC). FGCC is looking for individuals to join. Currently seeking subcommittee members for the following:
  • Marketing
  • Faculty and Staff Engagement
  • Data and Assessment
  • Graduate School
• FOCUS ON FIRST-GEN: This week we highlight Bobby Berry, Ed.D., assistant professor, Department of Sport Management assistant professor, and The Fuse director.
• F1RST-GEN T-Shirts are available in the Rhatigan Student Center Shocker Store for $12.
• If you’re interested in being featured as a first-generation profile, contact Lydia Santiago.

Both the Shocker Women’s and Men’s Bowling Teams became the 2021 National Champions at the Intercollegiate Championships in Wyoming, Mich., last week.

The win marked the tenth national title for the women’s team and the twelfth for the men’s team. This was the fifth time in the history of college bowling that both the men’s and women’s titles were claimed by the same school in the same year.  Wichita State University has accomplished this feat twice before, in 1994 and 2009. 

Two Wichita State University seniors have partnered with the McConnell Air Force Base Innovation Lab to help fight COVID-19 – by using robotics. Computer science majors Lucy Hoang and Lydia Melles are creating an autonomous robot that uses ultraviolet C-lights (UVC) to clean grocery stores.

The project is part of a senior design class taught by Andy Stallard, WSU College of Engineering Senior Design Experience lecturer and director. 

The Office of Engagement partnered with Common Ground Producers and Growers last December to provide food to those in need. The partnership also included Student Government Outreach and the Shocker Support Locker. Since December 2020, 4,250 to 5,400 pounds of food have been distributed on campus.

The groups hope in the future to donate to other Shocker neighbors through their neighborhood associations.

As part of the Strategic Planning process, Wichita State University has launched a revamped University Dashboards feature. The dashboards feature public-facing metrics that are aligned with the university’s updated strategic goals. You can see the dashboards on the WSU Strategic Plan website wichita.edu/wsustrategy.