Category: News

The hospitality management program is pleased to welcome three new members to its advisory board: Wynn Hukle, Matt Lokay and Scott Redler. Bringing extensive industry experience and leadership expertise, they will help guide the program’s continued growth and strengthen connections between students and the hospitality industry.

To learn more about the hospitality program or explore opportunities to get involved, visit wichita.edu/hospitality.

Check out what’s currently growing at the Community Garden for the week of June 15, 2026. The garden now has signage to let you know what is ready to be picked and what is still in the process of growing. Make sure to wash what you pick thoroughly before enjoying:

• Cilantro – Ready to be harvested. To pick, use clean scissors or gently pinch with your fingers and cut stems about one to two inches above the soil. Be sure to take the outer stems first to allow the inner leaves to keep growing. Gardeners also ask that you avoid pulling the entire plant or more than one-third of the plant at a time. Watch a video guide to harvesting cilantro.
• Peppermint – Some are ready to be harvested. Use clean scissors to cut or pinch at the stem just above a leaf node (the spot where two leaves grow from the stem). Gardeners ask that you avoid pulling off individual leaves, because cutting the stems encourages the plant to become bushier and produce more growth. For uses of peppermint, try blending it with basil for a basil-mint pesto; chopping and adding it to a summer salad; or muddling the leaves for a summer beverage.
• Potatoes – Ready to be harvested. To pick, locate the base of the potato plant and dig down until you spot a potato. The leafy part of the plant can be thrown away or placed in the compost bin to the right of the shed. 
• Green peppers – Some of the green peppers have begun producing, so keep an eye on their size and harvest them once they reach your preference.
• Basil – Not ready to be picked.
• Chili peppers – Not ready to be picked.
• Cucumbers – Not ready to be picked.
• Squash – Not ready to be picked.
• Tomatoes – Not ready to be picked.

The Community Garden is a project of the Student Government Association, the President’s Office and Student Engagement & Belonging.

For questions, concerns or requests to plant your own produce in the garden, reach out to Lauren Madison, student governance coordinator for SEB, at lauren.madison@wichita.edu.

Encourage former Shockers who have been away from WSU for a year or more to return and complete their degree. The Shocker Comeback program is designed to support re-enrolling students with resources and guidance to make the transition back to campus as smooth as possible.

The program helps students get back on track and move closer to achieving their educational goals. Eligible students may also receive a $900 scholarship to help ease their return.

If you know a former student that is interested in coming back and finishing what they started. Those interested can sign up to attend the Shocker Comeback open house hosted both in person and online.

For more information about Shocker Comeback, contact Pamela O’Neal at 316-978-8315 or pamela.oneal@wichita.edu.

The parking garage add-on ePermit for the second half of the year will go on sale at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 1. Any current ePermit holder is eligible to purchase this add-on for $50. The add-on will allow ePermit holders to park on floor two, the ramp to three, floor three and the ramp to four without having to pay the hourly rate through Dec. 31.

This ePermit is for sale in person at the Parking Services building lobby or in the drive through on the north side of the building. Payment is to be with cash or check only and a limited amount of these ePermits will be made available. You must have a current ePermit on file or you will be required to buy one at the time of the add-on purchase.

For questions on the add-on or parking in general, email wsuparking@wichita.edu or call 316-978-5526.

Wichita State University is expanding its Teacher Apprentice Program™ (TAP) to include new middle-school-level math and science pathways to address critical teacher shortages across Kansas.

The expanded program will prepare paraprofessionals to become licensed teachers for grades 5-8, helping school districts keep educators in communities that have struggled to recruit and retain qualified candidates.

Enrollment is now open, and the first cohort — limited to 30 middle-level science and 30 math candidates — will begin this fall.

AI, accessibility and student success are all connected and intermingled in the most recent issue of Teaching Tomorrow. This issue acts as reflection of the recent Academic Resources Conference and explores the tensions shaping higher education and what they mean for how to teach, learn and support students. You will also find sessions and links to the May Academic Resources Conference.

Located right in front of the Rhatigan Student Center and Shocker Success Center is the Community Garden, open to the community to harvest a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Check out what’s currently growing for the week of June 8, 2026. Make sure to wash what you pick thoroughly before enjoying:

• Onions – Ready for picking now in the northernmost beds. To pick, pull on the stems sticking up until the onion releases from the ground. Be sure to keep the stems as those are green onions and can be used to garnish your dishes.
• Potatoes – Ready to be harvested at the end of June and will be replaced with sweet potatoes
• Garlic – The stems should turn brown when they are ready to pick, which will be late June/early July
• Squash – Not ready to be picked
• Tomatoes – Not ready to be picked

The Community Garden is a project of the Student Government Association, the President’s Office and Student Engagement & Belonging.

Wichita State is pleased to introduce Jason Ladner, director of industry engagement in health innovation, to the university. In this role, Ladner supports the development and advancement of initiatives connected to the Wichita Biomedical Campus, helping strengthen WSU’s impact at the intersection of education, research and community health.

Ladner brings a strong focus on supply chain challenges within healthcare systems. His work centers on identifying gaps and uncovering opportunities that can drive innovation, improve efficiencies and better position WSU to contribute meaningful solutions in a rapidly evolving industry.

As part of his role, Ladner engages with healthcare organizations and systems to better understand their needs while exploring how WSU’s capabilities — from applied learning to interdisciplinary collaboration — can support real-world outcomes. He also works to build partnerships that foster health solutions and innovation.

Ladner reports to Dr. Monica Lounsbery, senior executive vice president and provost, and plays a key role in advancing strategic priorities tied to community impact.

Recent graduate and Shocker scholar Hashim Syed reflects on how scholarship support helped shape his Wichita State experience. From advocating for disability rights to creating spaces where students feel a sense of belonging, Syed has made a lasting impact in the community while pursuing his passion for communication.

Watch his highlight video now out on YouTube to learn how scholarships empowered him to build confidence, find community and take the first steps toward his dreams.

In the latest Shock Doc from Undergraduate Admissions, Julius Thomas III returns to the Wichita State University stage where his journey first began. Julius opens up about what it takes to make it in showbiz — from auditioning for Hamilton to the unexpected childhood hobby that booked him a role in Broadway’s Xanadu. Now, more than 20 years into a thriving career, Julius came back on campus to mentor the next generation of Shocker artists and look back on a career that far exceeded his wildest dreams.