Category: News

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Wear your suspender shirts on Fridays to support mental health awareness and join in normalizing the practice of prioritizing mental health care without guilt or shame.

WSU employees and students can get their free shirt by completing the Suspenders4Hope #WSUWeSupportU Mental Wellness and Preventing Suicide at suspenders4hope.com.

Free, online mental health and wellness screenings are available to all at wichita.edu/freescreen.

Wichita State University has selected Wichita Northwest High School senior Dulce Torres Gonzalez as the 2026 recipient of the $34,000 Mark and Stacy Parkinson Scholarship.

The Parkinson Scholarship supports high-achieving incoming freshmen at Wichita State who are the first in their families to pursue higher education and come from immigrant or refugee backgrounds. The renewable scholarship provides significant financial assistance and access to mentoring, leadership development and student success programming. Established by Kansans Mark and Stacy Parkinson, the fund reflects their commitment to expanding educational opportunities and strengthening communities through higher education.

The Barton School of Business has appointed Dr. Smita Srivastava as associate dean for faculty and research, reinforcing its commitment to advancing faculty excellence across teaching, research and external engagement.

Srivastava, an associate professor of entrepreneurship and strategy, brings a distinguished record of scholarly achievement and academic leadership focused on innovation, entrepreneurship and strategy. Her research has been published in leading journals, including the Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, and reflects a strong trajectory toward high-impact scholarship.

The following faculty were approved for sabbaticals:

• Carryl Baldwin, professor – psychology
• Ryan Beeken, professor – music
• Doris Chang, professor – political science
• Maojun Gong, associate professor – chemistry
• William Groutas, professor – chemistry
• Yueh-Ju Lin, associate professor – mathematics, statistics and physics
• Thomas Luhring, associate professor – biological sciences
• Robert Manske, professor – physical therapy
• Aaron Rife, associate professor – education
• Brigitte Roussel, associate professor – modern and classical language and literatures
• Carolyn Shaw, professor – political science

In an effort to support thoughtful and ethical campus adoption of artificial intelligence tools and strategies, Wichita State has launched the WSU Artificial Intelligence Strategy Council and wichita.edu/ai, a hub for AI resources and initiatives at WSU.

This approach will support Wichita State’s student-centered, innovation-driven approach by staying at the forefront of technology and by recognizing the need to provide a framework for the responsible and effective use of AI.

WSU AI Strategy Council

The AI Strategy Council was formed at the request of Provost Monica Lounsbery and in response to KBOR’s goal for this academic year: “State universities will submit a report detailing current initiatives, research, and instructional strategies related to Artificial Intelligence (AI). This effort will help identify best practices, foster collaboration, and position Kansas institutions as leaders in AI-driven education and workforce development.”

The council‘s strategic focus is on proactively guiding the thoughtful, purposeful and ethical implementation of artificial intelligence at Wichita State, ensuring it strengthens learning and workforce readiness for students, faculty and staff; advances research; supports operational effectiveness; protects sensitive data while engaging community and industry partners; and advances Wichita State’s mission and priorities.

The AI Strategy Council comprises faculty and staff from across the university to represent diverse constituencies and AI use cases at WSU, and it engages hundreds more through focus groups, training opportunities and discussion forums to ensure all voices are heard on issues regarding AI. By facilitating campuswide conversations and knowledge sharing around this emerging technology, the council envisions a future‑ready campus that harnesses AI to enhance human potential, prepares students for an evolving workforce and fosters interdisciplinary collaboration.

AI resources

The new artificial intelligence website, wichita.edu/ai, is the hub for current resources at Wichita State to help the campus community utilize AI. Included is:

• More information on Wichita State’s AI strategy, focusing on students, faculty and staff; research; operations; and community and industry partners
• Initiatives at WSU on the front lines of AI adoption and discussion, like the Faculty Senate AI Literacy Task Force, Center for AI Security, Evaluations, Control and Cooperation housed within Industry and Defense Programs, the Responsible AI@ICT group and the Applied AI in Education Lab in the College of Education
• Guides from the Office of Instructional Resources for using AI and for faculty to monitor AI usage in the classroom

Join the conversation

Opportunities for faculty and staff to participate in the conversations and initiatives surrounding AI at WSU, including working groups that support specific focus areas, will continue to expand. Keep an eye on WSU Today as further information is shared regarding these working groups and more.

For questions, ideas and opportunities to get involved with WSU’s AI strategy and implementation, reach out to the AI Strategy Council at ai@wichita.edu.

Additionally, WSU is committed to supporting the community and industry partners in using AI in their operations, and organizations interested in learning more can complete the contact form located on the AI website.

Wichita State now has an even bigger presence at the Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport with the installation of a new, nearly nine-foot WSU sculpture that Wichitans and visitors to the city see first thing when entering the airport.

The sculpture — designed and built by GoCreate, a Koch Collaborative, with the help of students — highlights WSU’s commitment to providing Shockers with applied learning experiences that prepare them for the workforce. It also further entrenches Wichita State’s place in the community as the university helps uplifts Wichita as a whole.

Check out the new Financial Services SharePoint site. All internal processes and procedures have been moved to this new location to make information easier to find and maintain. Take a few moments to explore the site, become familiar with the updated layout and bookmark it for quick access to your resources moving forward.

Financial Services will remove all internal processes and procedures from the Wichita State website over the next several days.

President Rick Muma and First Gentleman Rick Case’s annual Christmas tree at the President’s Residence has been replanted on Wichita State’s campus in dedication to Lowell Kaufman, maintenance supervisor, and Logan Alexander, arborist, with Landscape and Ground Maintenance.

The tree, a blue atlas cedar, was dedicated in honor of Kaufman and Alexander for their joint efforts in supporting sustainability and maintaining the green spaces on campus. It now sits on the east side of Morrison Hall.

“This tree is symbolic of the care and commitment to sustainability that Lowell and Logan bring to our campus every day,” Muma said. “Their idea to replant these trees allows something momentary to become lasting, and it’s a meaningful way to honor their impact on Wichita State.”

Instead of purchasing a chopped tree that could only be used for a short amount of time, it was Kaufman and Alexander’s idea to use balled and burlap trees, which still have their roots intact and can be replanted. These trees could be used at the President’s Residence and later be repurposed for the entire campus.

The first of these trees was dedicated to former dean of students James Rhatigan, located just north of the Rhatigan Student Center, following his passing in October 2024.

With the dedication this Arbor Day comes a new yearly tradition that promotes sustainability and supports a vibrant, green campus for students, faculty, staff, partners and the community.

“What began as a holiday tradition at the President’s Residence has grown into something far bigger,” Case said. “By replanting these trees, we’re creating a living legacy that supports a greener campus and reflects Wichita State’s shared responsibility to one another and to the environment.”

The College of Education’s School of Teaching and Learning has recognized outstanding educators with its Mentor Teacher Awards for their impact on teacher candidates and the profession.

The Mentor Teacher Award recognizes distinguished mentoring of teacher candidates and interns; strong modeling of pedagogical content knowledge; effective instructional co-planning and co-teaching grounded in research-based practices; meaningful feedback that supports candidate growth and development; participation in professional activities; and leadership in the teaching profession.

2026 Mentor Teacher Award recipients:

• Kathleen Moddelmog, kindergarten, Linwood Elementary
• Kristen Yacenda, first grade, Linwood Elementary
• Kristin Wolke, third grade, Chisholm Trail Elementary
• Hannah Kelderman, science, North High School
• Brian Curtis, social studies, Pleasant Valley Middle School
• Jack Doornbos, physical education, McLean Elementary
• Heather Hansen, English, North High School

The U.S. Department of Justice has extended the federal compliance deadline for the updated Title II regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act by one year. While this extension provides additional time at the federal level, the university remains committed to moving forward expeditiously to achieve full accessibility and compliance.

Accessibility work is ongoing and remains a shared, institution‑wide responsibility. All new public‑facing academic and non‑academic content must continue to meet applicable federal accessibility standards and existing content that is not currently accessible is being addressed through structured remediation planning.

To support units in this work, a new Title II SharePoint page has been launched. This site will serve as the central internal location for updates, expectations, guidance, resources and contact information related to the university’s Title II compliance efforts. Faculty and staff are encouraged to review the Title II SharePoint page for additional details and future updates as this work continues.