Category: News

As part of the Kansas Board of Regents’ Apply Free Days, prospective students who are Kansas residents can submit an application for free to Wichita State next week starting Monday Oct. 6 through Oct. 8.

The application is for degree-bound, undergraduate admission. Applications can be started at any time and saved for completion later, so you can start your application now and wait to submit until the Apply Free Days to have your application fee waived.

Learn more about Apply Free Days from the Kansas Board of Regents. The fee waiver is for Kansas residents only.

The Barton School of Business today launches “Barton Foresight: AI Outlook,” a new publication exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping business, education and society. As the first in a series of Barton Foresight initiatives, “AI Outlook” underscores the school’s commitment to equipping its community — and the wider region — with tools to anticipate change and act on it.

In 2022, the Barton School introduced the Bloom Plan, a living framework designed to accelerate enrollment growth, improve retention, raise the school’s profile and expand its impact across research, fundraising and workforce development. With the Bloom Plan in place, the school established Barton Foresight to extend this momentum by helping organizations anticipate future trends and prepare practical responses. Barton Foresight also works inwardly, supporting Barton’s faculty, staff and students in developing the capacity to navigate and shape emerging market shifts.

Students are requested to provide updated information to WSU anytime there is a change to contact information. This includes mailing address, phone number and emergency contact. It is especially important that you provide and update an emergency contact.

The person you list will only be contacted in the event of a health or safety emergency in which you are personally involved. If you live on campus, this will also be the person contacted should you be reported as missing. You may list a parent, family member, spouse or other trusted individual as your emergency contact. You will find the link to your profile page on the myWSU Home tab, under Student Tools then myContact Info. A separate link there also provides an opportunity to update self-reported military affiliation.

Please take a few minutes right now and ensure WSU has your updated information and an emergency contact.

The Office of Academic Affairs has announced new emeriti members. Help congratulate the following emeriti:

• John E. Dreifort, professor emeritus of history
• Linnea F. GlenMaye, associate vice president for Academic Affairs and associate professor emerita of social work
• Gawad Nagati, associate professor emeritus of aerospace engineering
• Anthony J. Vizzini, professor emeritus of aerospace engineering

Emeritus status is an honorary designation conferred upon retirees in recognition of their contributions and accomplishments over their years of service to the university. Visit the Emeriti Faculty page for a complete listing of emeritus and emerita faculty.

Brianna Stephens returned to Wichita State this fall, boosted by the encouragement of her family and the Shocker Comeback Program. 

“Once my family realized I was a class short of graduating, they pushed me to go back and be the one to start a new tradition,” she said. “I will be the first person in my family to finish college.” 

Stephens, from Wichita, plans to finish her accounting degree and graduate in December. She first attended WSU in 2022 while working full time. The Shocker Comeback Program is designed to help students finish their degree program with personal support, financial aid, the Shocker Comeback Scholarship, success conversations and more. 

President Rick Muma and First Gentleman Rick Case will join Debra Fraser, KMUW general manager. on air for KMUW’s pledge drive from 7 to 8 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 25 where they are matching donations dollar for dollar. Tune in at 89.1 or at kmuw.org.

The Physician Associate Program is pleased to announce the appointment of Julie Slade, MS, PA-C, as its new associate program director.

Slade has been a faculty member in the PA Program for the past four years, where she has served as assistant clinical professor and director of clinical development and operations. An alumna of the WSU PA Program, she brings over 30 years of clinical experience, specializing in gastroenterology and hepatology. Her background also includes mentoring students as a preceptor and cultivating strong partnerships with clinical affiliation sites and preceptors.

In her new role, Slade will continue to advance the program’s mission through her leadership and commitment to clinical excellence, supporting the development and success of future physician associates.

The Kansas Board of Regents voted to name three faculty and one staff member from Wichita State as some of the Faculty and Staff of the Year for 2025. The program recognizes the outstanding contributions of faculty and staff at state universities to teaching, student success, research, institutional excellence and Kansas communities.

Faculty of the Year:

Dr. Lisa Parcell, director, Elliott School of Communication
Dr. Lisa Parcell serves as the communication graduate coordinator, the director of the Public Speaking Foundational Course and co-director of The Research Partnership (TRP). Parcell teaches a variety of courses at the undergraduate and graduate level, most of which have a strong emphasis in applied learning. Her applied marketing research with TRP brings in around $200,000 per year through contracts with businesses, non-profits and government agencies. She also publishes in two of the leading media history journals, Journalism History and American Journalism, where she focuses on advertising and public relations of branded food products in the first half of the twentieth century.

Dr. Erin O’Bryan, assistant professor, Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders
Dr. Erin O’Bryan is the director of the Wichita Adult Language Lab, a member of the Institute for Rehabilitation Medicine and Assistive Technology (IRMAT) and a research speech-language pathologist at the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center. O’Bryan’s clinical research advances the use of music and person-centered storytelling in speech therapy for people with aphasia, a loss of language and communication abilities that frequently results from a stroke. In her lab, 24 stroke survivors have received aphasia therapy through research refining evidence-based methods, and 43 WSU students have worked with these participants, gaining valuable clinical experience. O’Bryan has published seven peer-reviewed journal articles and secured $44,664 in funding for her research and scholarly work. Her research has been featured in the nationally known “Aphasia Access Conversations” podcast series and in the evidence-based periodical The Informed SLP. O’Bryan serves on state, national and international conference planning committees, an editorial board and the CHP Faculty/Staff Affairs Committee.

Marco Hernandez, assistant teaching professor of print media and associate director, School of Art, Design and Creative Industries
Marco Hernandez is a Mexican educator and artist serving as foundations coordinator at WSU. His artwork has been exhibited nationally and internationally, with shows in Mexico, Canada, Colombia, Poland and Croatia. He has received multiple recognitions for his creative work, including juried awards, fellowships, grants and solo exhibition invitations. At Wichita State, Hernandez has also been honored for his teaching, receiving awards such as the Faculty of Excellence in Special Fine Arts Endeavor, Faculty of Excellence in Creative/Scholarly Activity and the Outstanding Hispanic Faculty Member Award. Beyond the classroom, Hernandez actively contributes to university committees, student organizations and community art initiatives. Committed to elevating the arts and inspiring others, his work is deeply influenced by his cultural background and reflects his dedication to a lifelong career as both an artist and educator.

Staff of the Year:

Dr. Christopher Leonard, director of Counseling and Psychological Services
Dr. Christopher Leonard has revolutionized campus mental health care through innovative, data-driven leadership. He created a responsive model that adapts to student needs, expanded access and services, and seamlessly transitioned CAPS to virtual care during the pandemic. He fosters cross-campus collaboration and empowers his team to lead and innovate. Leonard is an active member of the WSU Staff Senate, the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board for psychologists and the National Advisory Committee for College Counseling Mental Health. He is organizing an inaugural statewide conference for higher education mental health professionals on the WSU campus. Through these roles, he contributes his expertise to advance mental health workforce development and advocate for systemic improvements in mental health care.

The Barton School of Business has taken a bold step to amplify the student voice by merging its Undergraduate and Graduate Student Advisory Boards into a single, unified body. Representing more than 2,500 business students, the newly established Barton School Dean’s Student Advisory Board will serve as a catalyst for strategic guidance, enhanced programming and an enriched student experience — all contributing to the Barton School’s advancement and its positioning among the top business schools in the nation.

Leading the board is Maley Hansen, a Wichita native and accomplished junior double-majoring in economics and data-driven marketing & intelligence, with minors in business analytics and political science. A recipient of the prestigious Harry Gore Memorial Scholarship, Hansen has distinguished herself through academic excellence, campus leadership and a dedication to student success.

“I am deeply honored to serve as president of this transformative new board,” Hansen said. “By bringing together both undergraduate and graduate perspectives, we can unify our voices, champion meaningful change, and ensure that every student feels empowered to shape their Barton School experience.”

Do you know a student who would make a great leader and role model for their peers? Nominations are now open for the 2026 Transition Mentor team. Transition mentors play a vital role in supporting new Shockers during their first year at Wichita State.

Faculty, staff and community partners are invited to submit nominations now through midnight Sept. 30. Nominated students will receive an invitation to apply in October.

Submit your nomination at wichita.edu/tm or scan the QR code in the graphic. Email Kaelyn Hannah at kaelyn.hannah@wichita.edu for any questions or concerns.