Category: News

After an inaugural year, Spero has secured funding for its second year, thanks to private and corporate partners and a reinvestment by the Charles Koch Foundation. Housed within the Barton School of Business, Spero — Latin for “hope” — helps individuals achieve lasting independence through skill-building and access to meaningful employment. In its first year, it became both the first microcredential program in WSU’s history and the first 1EdTech TrustEd microcredential program in the world.

“I am proud of the impact Spero has already made in helping community members who need it most,” said Dr. Larisa Genin, dean of the Barton School and executive director of Spero. “With the continued support of the Charles Koch Foundation and the commitment from new donors, we look forward to expanding the growth opportunities for our students.”

In its second year, Spero will expand the scope and course programming for both the Career Readiness and Entrepreneurship tracks.

Anyone on campus this week will notice a large influx of visitors for events this weekend. Scheduled this weekend are:

• 5A state baseball, softball and track May 29-31 at Eck Stadium, Wilkins Stadium and University Stadium (volunteer opportunities are still available)
• Sedgwick County Extension Office Master Garden Tour May 30 at Woolsey Hall and the President’s Residence
• Fifth annual Plein Art competition, part of Riverfest, May 31 at the Ulrich Museum of Art
• Brass Institutes of America May 25-31 throughout Duerksen Fine Arts Center

These events are expected to bring a combined total of over 30,000 visitors to campus. Some events will have volunteers helping visitors around campus, but anyone who sees someone looking lost or needing directions can use the campus map (wichita.edu/map) to help guide them to their destinations.

Direct map links to each location:

• Eck Stadium, Wilkins Stadium, University Stadium
• Woolsey Hall, President’s Residence
• Ulrich Museum of Art
• Duerksen Fine Arts Center

Faculty, staff, students and partners are encouraged to plan accordingly and arrive early if they come to campus during these events.

The Wichita State episode of “The College Tour,” an Amazon Prime original series, is now streaming on Prime Video.

The episode offers a unique opportunity to experience campus through the eyes of Wichita State students, highlighting WSU’s student-centered, innovation-driven mindset. Share it with prospective students, families, alumni and anyone interested in life at WSU to give them a glimpse of what it means to be part of Shocker Nation.

In addition to watching on Prime Video, you can also access the episode or explore the 20 individual segments at wichita.edu/thecollegetour.

For campus marketers, a SharePoint toolkit is available with everything needed to promote the episode and individual segments, including social media and newsletter copy, downloadable segments and more.

Wichita State thanks everyone who helped make this project a success including our featured students and alumni who brought Shocker Nation to life on screen.

The Barton School of Business is excited to announce the addition of Valerie Corradini to its Dean’s Advisory Board. Corradini is a financial services executive with expertise in investment management, wealth advisory, institutional consulting and fintech. As a Graystone consultant at Morgan Stanley, her team advises roughly 50 non-profit, foundation and endowment clients. Hers is one of fewer than 60 teams accredited to specialize in the fiduciary management of discretionary and advisory portfolios on behalf of hospitals, faith-based organizations, universities, non-profits and complex ultra-high net worth families. As a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board, Corradini will join other industry leaders from around the world to advance the mission and strategic priorities of the Barton School through strengthening, enriching and enhancing the student experience.

“It’s a wonderfully exciting time to join the Dean’s Advisory Board, with its momentum of growth and innovation,” said Corradini. “I look forward to advancing key initiatives and creating new ones with a combination of perspective, creative energy and work ethic.”

It is a busy time as the university prepares for the 2025 Fiscal Year-End close. The Financial Services department issued an end-of-year memo to budget officers, budget review officers and business managers outlining important tasks and deadlines to assist departments in managing their budgets and ensuring a smooth close. 

The Financial Services department would like to provide additional support by answering any questions that may be helpful during the close process. Review the memo to ensure important deadlines are met and utilize the “Submit Your Questions” link at the bottom of the page to get the answers you need or directly here.

As common questions emerge, Financial Services plans to build FAQs on the page to help others work through similar questions and challenges.

The elevator in Duerksen Fine Arts Center is back in operation after it was temporarily out of commission for part of the spring semester.

The Barton School of Business welcomes Kevin Turpin to the Dean’s Advisory Board. Turpin is the founder and CEO of weavix, a pioneering frontline technology company. As a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board, he will work with other leaders from around the world to advance the mission and strategic priorities of the Barton School through strengthening, enriching and enhancing the student experience.

“Kevin is a visionary entrepreneur who built his success on his ability to identify opportunities and drive innovation,” said Dr. Larisa Genin, dean of the Barton School. “As a member of our Dean’s Advisory Board, I am excited for him to bring that same forward-thinking approach and expertise to help the Barton School reach new heights of excellence.”

Kimberly Vermillion was recently promoted to assistant director of clinic operations in Student Health Services.

Kim has worked for WSU Student Health Services for 20 years, most recently in the Student Wellness Center’s Business Operations team. She will support the Student Health practitioners and nurses in the daily operations of providing excellent healthcare to students and faculty and staff.

For over 50 years, Shocker Rowing has forged champions, built lifelong friendships and shaped the spirit of determination. Now, as it honor its legacy, Shocker rowing invite you to be part of the future. Learn what it means to be a Shocker rower.

The following faculty were approved for sabbaticals:

• Brian Amos, associate professor – political science
• Moriah Beck, professor – chemistry
• Darren Defrain, professor – English
• Atri Dutta, associate professor – aerospace engineering
• Usha Haley, professor – management
• Gregory Houseman, professor – biology
• Gisuk Hwang, associate professor – mechanical engineering
• Katherine Lanning, associate professor – English
• Yuan Liu, associate professor – mathematics, statistics and physics
• Michael McLeod, associate professor – management
• Mythili Menon, associate professor – English
• Alexandra Middlewood, associate professor – political science
• Lisa Parcell, associate professor – communication
• William Parcell, associate professor – geology
• Jian Wang, associate professor – chemistry