Category: News

Last month’s edition of President Rick Muma’s Forward Together newsletter focused on the past year of Wichita State, including:

• Our spring 2025 class of Shocker graduates
• President’s Distinguished Service Awards and University Faculty Awards
• The recent groundbreaking of the new Internet Exchange Point
• A look back at the entire academic year, through photos

The School of Performing Arts is proud to announce Alaina Tennant as the winner of the 2025 Bela Kiralyfalvi National Student Playwriting Competition for her original full-length play, “Now We Are A Hundred.”

A native of Akron, Ohio, Tennant is currently pursuing a BFA in playwriting at Ohio University. Her emerging body of work has already gained national recognition, including honors from the Thespian Excellence Awards and features in prestigious collections like Smith & Kraus’ 2025 Best Men’s Stage Monologues.

Her winning play, “Now We Are A Hundred,” is a poetic and emotionally rich historical drama set in post-WWII England. The story imagines a fictional reckoning between Christopher Robin Milne and his father, A.A. Milne — the creator of Winnie-the-Pooh. Through haunting dialogue and complex character dynamics, the play explores the emotional weight of literary fame, memory, and the search for personal identity amidst inherited legacy.

As part of her award, Tennant will receive a produced reading of her play during WSU’s fall theatre season, Sept. 25-27. Returning to campus for this special event is WSU alumna and award-winning actress Jane Gabbert, who will both mentor the playwright and direct the reading.

The Bela Kiralyfalvi National Student Playwriting Competition honors the legacy of Bela Kiralyfalvi — beloved professor, director and founding figure of WSU’s theatre program — by uplifting the voices of undergraduate playwrights nationwide.

The School of Performing Arts invites you to join in celebrating this exciting new voice in American theatre and to mark your calendars for a moving evening of storytelling this fall.

Earlier this semester, WSU nursing faculty members Christina Glennen, Dorene Owen and Veronica Ramos-Blanford led a hands-on childcare class for members of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. The session aimed to introduce students to the fundamentals of infant care, equipping them with the skills and confidence to care for a child.

Participants learned essential topics such as feeding, swaddling, diapering, car seat safety, how to take an infant’s temperature and more. The interactive class included practice with newborn-size manikins to simulate real-life scenarios.

The class was part of Sigma Phi Epsilon’s “Challenge Class” series, which are events designed to equip members with practical life skills that support their personal growth and independence after college. Other topics in the series include cooking, automotive maintenance, time management and goal setting.

The College of Health Professions invites high school health science teachers to its fourth annual Health Science Teacher’s Workshop from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 23.

The health science workshop features cutting-edge health science presentations led by expert faculty and interactive skill-building exercises in the college’s state-of-the-art laboratories, including the Gross Anatomy, Human Simulation and School of Nursing Simulation labs. Teachers will receive valuable resources and information to take back to their classrooms, with the goal of inspiring students to pursue careers in healthcare. The workshop is also a unique opportunity for health science teachers to network with fellow educators from across Kansas.

“I have attended every health science teacher’s workshop, and each year I look forward to another one,” said Stanley May, St. Gianna Health Academy director. “Not only do I get to hear directly from leaders in the field of Health science but also get to network with other Health Science teachers who might be struggling with some of the same issues I am having. The WSU staff really rolls out the red carpet for high school teachers and makes this conference worthwhile.”

High school teachers can register at wichita.edu/HSworkshop.

The Barton School of Business is proud to announce the reappointment of Dr. Christine Porter as director of the School of Accountancy. This will be Porter’s second consecutive term. She will serve in the role for three years.

“I’m so pleased with the dedication of the School of Accountancy staff and faculty as well as the growth that we have seen,” said Porter. “I look forward to continuing to serve our students and help them bloom to their fullest potential.”

Two Wichita State University nursing students have been awarded the Charles E. Bell Nurses Training Scholarship by Forty & Eight Voiture 58 du Wichita, Kansas — a charitable organization of military veterans.  

Gabriella Kriegisch and Elisha Haws, both in their third semester of the traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, each received a $500 scholarship during a special ceremony held on May 23. 

The event was attended by several members of the Forty & Eight organization, including Ronald Purdie, Grande du Kansas director of nurses training; Jay Kidder, chapter representative; and Timothy Evans, national director of child welfare. 

Forty & Eight was established in 1920 by U.S. veterans who served in France during World War I. Its name originates from the “40/8” markings on French boxcars used to transport 40 men or eight horses during the war. Membership in the organization is by invitation only. 

Dedicated to supporting education and service, Forty & Eight is committed to advancing education for registered nurses and addressing the nursing shortage in the U.S. 

Do you want to be the star of your own video feature for Wichita State’s social media? Video introductions are now being accepted from students just like you.

You can submit your video through the online Student Stories form. Videos should be under two minutes long and briefly showcase your story and personality. If 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 WSU to NASA: My Journey Into Space Innovation
• This Shocker Followed His Passion at Shocker Studios
• This Shocker Made Wichita State University His Home

Here are some topics you can use as inspiration for your submission:

• Academics, applied learning, research
• Innovation, field experience
• Student organizations, athletics/intramurals
• Student life, campus traditions, belonging
• Student success resources, on-campus living experience

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

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 WSU to NASA: My Journey Into Space Innovation
• This Shocker Followed His Passion at Shocker Studios
• This Shocker Made Wichita State University His Home

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

Wichita State sport management student Liam Crawford recently served as a media host relations assistant during the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in Wichita in March, gaining hands-on experience with media operations, technology support and game-day logistics.

“This is a sport management experience that you can’t get anywhere else,” Crawford said. “I am so grateful that I had a role in putting on such a great event for the city of Wichita.”

The opportunity helped him connect classroom learning to real-world practice and gave him a new lens for viewing the sports industry.

“My whole vision of sports has changed,” he said. “When I sit down and look at any sporting event, I see more than just the game — I see the behind-the-scenes and what coordinators are doing just to put on that sporting event.”

Dr. Teri Hall, vice president for Student Affairs, has announced her intention to retire at the end of the fall 2025 semester. The university will conduct a national search for her replacement.

Hall has been at WSU since 2017. She came here from Towson University and in her time at Wichita State has been a staunch advocate for WSU’s 17,000-plus students, growing mental health and wrap-around services, increasing housing options and expanding student leadership opportunities.

“Dr. Hall has been an exceptional servant leader, dedicated to fostering a campus environment where every student feels connected and supported,” said Dr. Monica Lounsbery, senior executive vice president and provost. “Her unwavering advocacy has helped shape a culture of inclusivity and belonging, ensuring that the student experience and well-being remains a top priority. Her contributions to advancing mental health support and care on our campus are both invaluable and deeply appreciated.”

Updates on the search process and a retirement celebration will be communicated in the coming months.

“Serving our students at Wichita State has been the honor of my life, and though I will no longer be here on campus, I will always be a Shocker,” Hall said.