Category: News

President Rick Muma and First Gentleman Rick Case will join KMUW on air at 7 a.m. Wednesday, March 25 for its pledge drive, where they are matching donations dollar for dollar. Tune in to KMUW 89.1 FM or listen at kmuw.org.

Others at Wichita State will join KMUW throughout the week, including Telly McGaha, president and CEO of the WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement, and his partner Justin Brown at 7 a.m. Thursday, March 26.

Claire Staggs, a senior psychology major graduating in May 2026, is gaining hands-on experience at Wichita East High School, part of Wichita Public Schools (USD 259), where she supports students as they plan their next steps after graduation. She began the role during the fall semester and continues her work this spring.

“My applied learning role at Wichita East High School consists of assisting Ms. Kennedy with helping students prepare for their futures after high school graduation,” Claire said. “As a student, I meet students where they are at and help them find scholarships, coach them through their applications, and help them take advantage of every opportunity presented.” 

Wichita State Military and Veteran Services is pleased to welcome Marcus Hill to the team as the new VA school certifying official (SCO).

Marcus is an Air Force veteran who brings valuable military experience and a strong commitment to serving fellow veterans and military-connected students. In his role as school certifying official, Marcus will assist students with the certification of their VA education benefits, help ensure compliance with VA policies and support student veterans as they navigate their educational journey while attending Wichita State.

As you come back from spring break, you will notice ongoing and new construction across Wichita State University’s 330 acres and beyond.

CAC Theatre

Construction is underway in the first phase of the accessibility upgrades to the CAC Theatre.

Improvements will include an exterior wheelchair lift, new widened entry doors, the addition of an accessible restroom and ticket booth, and a new accessible seating platform within the theater area. Construction is anticipated to be complete in June.

Wilkins Stadium

Construction is complete on the indoor softball practice facility adjacent to Wilkins Stadium. Inside the building is a netted softball infield that is divisible into batting and pitching practice areas.

Construction of the softball team and operations building to the south of the new indoor facility is anticipated to start this month. Construction staging is underway in the north section of Lot 15. The project is anticipated to be completed in early 2027.

University Stadium Phase 1A/1B

The renovation of Wichita State’s University Stadium (formerly Cessna Stadium) took a big step forward Jan. 8 when the WSU Board of Trustees voted unanimously to invest $38 million into Phase 2 of the project.

Phase 2 will begin after the KSHSAA State Track and Field Championships May 29-30 with demolition of the west grandstand in June. Construction of the new west stadium will be phased to ensure that seating is available for the 2027 KSHSAA State Track and Field Championships. Construction is scheduled to be complete before the 2028 KSHSAA State Track and Field Championships.

Construction continues for Phase 1B. This phase of construction consists of widening the field to hold a regulation-sized artificial turf soccer field and installing a nine-lane track and internal stadium sidewalks that will connect the east and west sides of the facility inside of the fence.

Improvements to the throwing area south of Charles Koch Arena are also underway. A storage building is under construction. Additions also include a longer javelin runway and warmup lanes. Shot put competition will move to this area from inside the stadium.

Construction is anticipated to be completed in April ahead of the KSHSAA State Track and Field Meet on May 29-30.

Ablah Library

Construction is underway on the second floor of the library for a project to relocate the Lowell D. Holmes Anthropology Museum from the current location in Neff Hall. The project is anticipated to be completed in early summer 2026.

The museum relocation is the first step to vacate the building in preparation for demolition of Neff Hall. The anthropology department will relocate to the Geology Building in early 2027 following a renovation in the Geology Building anticipated to begin in summer 2026.

Henrion Hall HVAC improvements Phase 3 and 4

Construction is underway in Henrion Hall for a project to provide air conditioning to the remainder of the building following recent projects in the sculpture and ceramics classroom areas as well as relocating and expanding the wood shop.

The project will be phased to allow the building to remain occupied but will affect building entrances throughout the year. Construction is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2026.

NIAR Hub for Advanced Manufacturing and Research

Interior construction on the NIAR HAMR building is complete. Progress continues on the exterior site work and is anticipated to be completed in April.

The 170,000-square-foot building is partly funded by an EDA grant and will house advanced manufacturing research labs and associated offices.

The building is located on Innovation Boulevard between the Partnership Building 1 and The Suites. The first floor is primarily labs with offices on the second floor.

Partnership Building 3B

P3B, located between Partnership Building 3 and The Smart Factory by Deloitte @Wichita, is under construction. It will house the Forensic Crime Gun Intelligence Laboratory for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The building is expected to be complete March 2026.

The Division of Student Affairs announced Grace Henderson has been promoted to director of Student Conduct and Community Standards.

Grace has served in progressive roles within Student Conduct and Community Standards, most recently as assistant director, where she demonstrated exceptional leadership in case management, policy application, student accountability and campus collaboration.

Her experience spans conduct investigations and hearings, academic integrity processes, residence life leadership and clinical mental health training. Grace brings a thoughtful, educational approach to accountability, grounded in fairness, due process and community care.

A Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Kansas, Grace integrates restorative practices, student development theory and trauma-informed strategies into her work. Her commitment to balancing student growth with institutional integrity has strengthened the conduct processes and reinforced a culture of responsibility and belonging.

In the coming weeks, Student Affairs will initiate a search for a coordinator of student conduct.

Wichita State has awarded the 2026 Mike and Mary James Scholarship to Derby High School senior Noah DeVault, who plans to study communication at Wichita State beginning in fall 2026.

DeVault was selected from a competitive pool of more than 150 high school seniors considering majors in the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences or the College of Fine Arts. Five finalists advanced in the selection process.

Make48 returns to Wichita State University to launch the 10th season of the invention competition and host teams from its first Classroom Innovation Experience on March 20-22.

Tom Gray, CEO and co-founder of Make48, views this visit to the Wichita State campus as a full-circle moment.

“Returning to Wichita for our 10th season feels like a homecoming,” he said. “When we first brought Make48 to GoCreate, we were blown away by the city’s unique density of doers – from world-class aerospace engineers to the students and educators who are redefining innovation and entrepreneurship daily.”

The competition takes place at GoCreate, a Koch Collaborative. GoCreate hosted the 48-hour collaborative inventor and maker challenge in June 2021.

To support a more efficient and trackable process, all requests for equipment transfers and/or disposals must be submitted electronically, via email using the new Transfer form and/or Disposal form.

Refer to “How to Complete the Transfer & Disposal Forms Guide” for assistance in completing the appropriate form. If you have any questions, reach out to Property Control at wsupropertycontrol@wichita.edu.

Follow the steps below if you need to dispose of and/or transfer equipment to a different location/department:

• Complete the Transfer or Disposal form.
• Email the completed form to wsupropertycontrol@wichita.edu.
• Ensure all required information and approvals are included.

Requests not submitted via email may be delayed.

Check out issue 15 of the myShockerhealth newsletter. Monthly, the Student Health newsletter provides relevant health information and wellness tips for WSU students and staff.

• International Day of Happiness
• Digital detox
• Altitude sickness
• Oral health
• Medication refills at SHS
• Employee Corner
  • Healthquest newsletter
  • Healthquest physicals and labs at SHS

You can find all previous issues on the Student Health website.

The Office of Student Engagement & Belonging is seeking full-time faculty and staff members interested in serving as advisors for Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs). Advisors play an important role in supporting student success by providing guidance, mentorship and institutional knowledge. With more than 200 RSOs on campus, there are opportunities to connect with student groups that align with your professional expertise, personal interests or passions.

Serving as an advisor is a rewarding way to contribute to the WSU community, foster leadership development and build stronger connections with students outside the classroom or office. Faculty and staff who wish to learn more or be matched with an organization can email Caitlin Nolen at catilin.nolen@wichita.edu.