Category: News

Andrew Hippisley, dean of Wichita State’s Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, has accepted a position as vice provost for Academic Affairs at The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). His last day at WSU will be July 2.

David Eichhorn, associate dean of the Fairmount College, will fill in as interim dean while the university conducts a national search for Hippisley’s replacement.

Hippisley has been dean at Wichita State for six years. During his time as dean, the Fairmount College has seen unprecedented growth in research, with proposal dollars nearly doubling from $22 million to $40 million a year and external dollars received increasing from $7 million to more than $13 million a year. Research strategies developed in this time include a discipline-specific workload policy and a buy-out policy.

In his time at WSU, Hippisley also helped launch new programs such as the master’s in mathematical data science, bachelor’s in applied linguistics, bachelor’s in American Sign Language, Associate of Sciences, and certificates in sustainability studies, ArcGIS and space sciences. In addition, he helped create new academic pathways through the Law 3+3 program with University of Kansas School of Law, a 4+3 pathway with the Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine, and articulation agreements with multiple community colleges.

“Under my leadership, the college has overhauled its requirements to reframe them as competencies that are outcomes of a liberal arts education in order to make explicit the career-readiness value of a liberal arts and sciences education,” Hippisley said.

Community engagement has also been one of Hippisley’s priorities as he made strong efforts to strengthen the college’s ties with its alumni base. In partnership with the WSU Foundation, Hippisley has helped secure $24 million to support the mission of the Fairmount College and has developed new industrial and business partnerships, including a legal professions advisory board and an industrial math clinic.

“It has been a pleasure working with Dean Hippisley as both a fellow dean and as a colleague over the years,” said Dr. Shirley Lefever, provost and executive vice president of Wichita State. “He has brought a vision of collaboration and strategic thinking during his tenure that has resulted in more interdisciplinary programs and increased research productivity across several departments in the college. We wish him well in his new role.”

Students ages 13-18 will embark on a transformative journey guided by seasoned WSU Esports professionals and coaches who will provide expert training and mentorship.

This immersive camp is designed to cater to all skill levels. Participants can expect a blend of intensive gameplay sessions, strategic workshops and hands-on experience with state-of-the-art gaming equipment throughout the camp. Games covered are Valiant, Overwatch 2, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Rocket League.

The camp will be June 17-21 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day. Registration is $370 per person.

Faculty and staff are encouraged to share this information with those who may be interested in this opportunity. Session two of the camp begins June 24.

Wichita State University announces the appointment of Pierre Harter as interim associate vice president for Research.

In this position, Harter will focus on faculty-led academic research, aiming to enhance WSU’s applied research efforts and align both with its vision for applied learning.

Harter also serves as associate vice president of research operations for Industry and Defense Programs. He returned to the university in 2021 after spending 21 years in various executive leadership, research and engineering positions at Spirit AeroSystems, Bombardier Learjet and Adam Aircraft Industries. In his current position, Harter oversees some programs within the National Institute for Research and Digital Transformation and the National Institute for Aviation Research, engaging multiple university departments and IDP labs in interdisciplinary research.

Harter reports to John Tomblin, WSU executive vice president for Research and Industry and Defense Programs and NIAR executive director.

“I am confident Pierre will be an ideal leader for WSU research,” Tomblin said. “He has a passion and track record for bringing together multiple departments to accomplish a broader goal. This will serve WSU well, not only in efforts to increase WSU research programs, but also to grow applied learning and enrollment in graduate and undergraduate programs.”

Tomblin resumed oversight of the division of Research in March.

Harter completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering from Wichita State. As a student, he worked in the Advanced Materials Lab at the National Institute for Aviation Research. He earned his MBA from Newman University and was a previously an adjunct lecturer for the business school there. He served on the WSU Board of Trustees for nine years and is currently a member of the USD 385 school board and the Industry Advisory Board for WSU’s College of Engineering.

Faculty and staff will have an opportunity to meet with Harter and Research Office staff at an event in early August.

Celebrate Pride Month with new Pride Shocker gear at the Shocker Store. You can find a Pride T-shirt, stickers, lanyards and lion plush in both the Rhatigan Student Center store and through the online storefront.

Degree Works (degree audit) will receive a necessary software upgrade Tuesday, June 18. It will be unavailable starting at 8 a.m. and should be restored by 5 p.m.

Please plan accordingly. For questions, reach out to Sally Fiscus, associate registrar, at sally.fiscus@wichita.edu or 316-978-7279.

The Evelyn Hendren Cassat Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic at Wichita State is open all summer, offering services to the public and the WSU community. The clinic provides services to people across all ages who have communication difficulties, including speaking, hearing, swallowing and spoken and written language impairments.

The Speech-Language-Hearing clinic is located in the Hughes Metropolitan Complex at the intersection of 29th and Oliver. Call 316-978-3289 to schedule an appointment.

The Department of Political Science has announced that Dr. Alex Middlewood was elected to serve a three-year term as the chair of the department.

Dr. Middlewood is looking forward to serving Wichita State students and the Wichita community at-large.

Rachel Amerson, Ph.D., was promoted to training director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). Rachel has been at CAPS for three years, starting as a trainee herself in her doctoral internship.

Since then, she has been passionate about supporting trainees and expanding the training opportunities at CAPS. Rachel has also taken over the training director position for the APA accredited Wichita Collaborative Psychology Internship Program (WCPIP), which includes internship opportunities at CAPS, University of Kansas Medical Center and Prairie View.

An Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) Operations and Maintenance Class will be held June 10-14 at the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) on campus.

The newly developed training program teaches attendees how to operate and maintain an AFP machine using basic and advanced functions. There are still spots available for this four-day hands-on class, which includes instruction on compatible materials, machine limitations and challenges associated with performing a successful layup.

Attendees will also learn how to disassemble certain modules and parts on the machine. Learn more about this unique opportunity to take the first steps toward adoption of AFP technology.

The Evelyn Hendren Cassat Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic at Wichita State is open all summer, offering services to the public and the WSU community. The clinic provides services to people across all ages who have communication difficulties, including speaking, hearing, swallowing and spoken and written language impairments. The clinic offers hearing evaluations to faculty and staff at no additional charge.

The Speech-Language-Hearing clinic is located in the Hughes Metropolitan Complex at the intersection of 29th and Oliver. Call 316-978-3289 to schedule an appointment.