Campus Connection: Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025

Campus Safety

WSUPD offers advice for driver, pedestrian safety

The Wichita State Police Department encourages all students, faculty, staff and visitors to remain safe while driving and walking across campus.

WSUPD offers the following safety tips to both drivers and pedestrians:

For drivers:

Follow all traffic laws, including driving at or under speed limits and coming to a full stop at stop signs.
Stop for all pedestrians and offer proper clearance for them to cross the road.
Be vigilant when approaching intersections. Even if you have a green light, pedestrians may still be crossing.
Be prepared for pedestrians to cross the road if you see them approaching a crosswalk. They may not give you adequate signals they will cross before doing so.
Make sure to use your blinkers when making turns, and check that you don’t accidently have your blinker on when you don’t intend to turn.
When making turns, make sure to check for pedestrians in front of you as well as where you are turning into.
If you see a yellow light, slow down and proceed with caution when it is safe to do so. Pedestrians may start crossing as you pass through.
Be extra vigilant when visibility is low, such as at night or in heavy rain, snow or fog.
Consider using the Wichita State Transit buses when traffic is high or visibility is low, or when you have to drive a considerable distance across campus.

For pedestrians:

Follow all traffic laws and traffic signals that tell you when and when not to cross.
Always use marked crosswalks. Many drivers are not expecting pedestrians crossing elsewhere.
Check for cars coming from both directions before you begin to cross the road.
Remain vigilant for cars when crossing the road. Pedestrians have the right of way on roads, but drivers may not see you crossing in time to slow down.
Make sure drivers coming from both directions have clear sight of you before you cross the road.
When using a crosswalk, make it clear that you are about to cross before doing so to give drivers enough time to see you, slow down and let you through.
If a driver has their car blinker on, make sure they are slowing down and completing the turn before crossing the road. They may have a malfunction or left it on by mistake and may not be turning.
Be extra vigilant when visibility is low, such as at night or in heavy rain, snow or fog.
Consider using the Wichita State Transit buses when traffic is high or visibility is low, or when you have to walk a considerable distance across campus.

Presentations and Talks

Tyler Nolan, recent graduate of physics, will present a seminar Sept. 3

Join the physics seminar 2 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3 in 127 Jabara Hall. The seminar features Tyler Nolan, recipient of the Hall-Schneider fellowship, who will present a talk titled, “Neutron Detection with GAGG Crystals Using Double Pulse Methods”

The seminar series brings several speakers to WSU each semester and is funded by the Eddy and April Lucas Fund, Wichita.

Attend DFARS Essentials webinar presented by AMZ Solutions

Are you pursuing or managing DoD SBIR/STTR contracts? Understanding DFARS clauses is critical for compliance and long-term success.

Join Strategic Initiatives for DFARS Essentials, a webinar designed to give your team the knowledge and confidence to navigate the most important DFARS requirements, from 1 to 3 p.m. Sept. 9.

Key DFARS clauses every contractor must know
Practical insights to avoid compliance pitfalls
Live Q&A (30 minutes) with experts to address your specific questions
Short break to keep the session engaging and focused

Registration is required.

Learn more and register

Wichita Biomedical Campus

Ascension Via Christi names School of Nursing at Wichita State University

Wichita State is pleased to announce the naming of the Ascension Via Christi — Wichita State University School of Nursing, reflecting a decades-long partnership between the university and one of the state’s leading health care providers.

The naming recognizes an investment from Via Christi in support of the Wichita Biomedical Campus, a joint initiative of WSU, WSU Tech and the University of Kansas, that will redefine health care education in Kansas by strengthening collaboration across disciplines and supporting interprofessional health care learning.

“Via Christi’s support of the Wichita Biomedical Campus highlights their commitment to improving health care across our city and state, and we are proud to recognize that support with this naming,” President Rick Muma said. “This project requires significant partnership from our community, and we are proud to build on the longstanding relationship between WSU and Via Christi as we enter a new era of health care education.”

Wichita Biomedical Campus marks massive milestone with beam signing event

Representatives from Wichita State University, the University of Kansas and the State of Kansas commemorated the placement of the final steel beam on Phase 1 of the Wichita Biomedical Campus Aug. 26.

Jeff Fluhr with the Greater Wichita Partnership emceed the event, with remarks from President Rick Muma; Doug Girod, chancellor of KU; Sen. Jerry Moran; Ty Masterson, president of the Kansas Senate; and Alex Breitenbach, Wichita office lead at JE Dunn Construction.

Phase 1 of the location is a $222 million, 350,000-square-foot joint health sciences center, in downtown Wichita. Once complete, the Wichita Biomedical Campus will combine WSU’s College of Health Professions programs, WSU Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology’s health care program, and the Wichita campuses of KU School of Medicine and KU School of Pharmacy.

Watch a livestream of the construction progress

News

A view of the new indoor practice facility at Wilkins Stadium from behind the batter's plate, showing an indoor softball diamond

Campus construction update for August 2025

As we head into the fall semester, you will notice ongoing and new construction across Wichita State's 330 acres and beyond.

As we head into the fall semester, you will notice ongoing and new construction across Wichita State’s 330 acres and beyond.

McKnight Art Center

Construction is complete for ventilation upgrades in the printmaking classroom and studios on the second floor of McKnight North.

RSC bowling remodel

Construction is completed in the basement of the Rhatigan Student Center for the project to create offices, locker room and conference room for the women’s bowling team.

Shocker Studios expansion

Construction is complete for the expansion of Shocker Studios located at WSU South on Harry Street. The project created four new classrooms and additional office space for the growing School of Digital Arts program.

Wilkins Stadium

Construction is complete on the indoor softball practice facility adjacent to Wilkins Stadium. Inside the building is a netted softball infield that is divisible into batting and pitching practice areas. Exterior work continues on the north side of the new building where the outdoor batting cages will be relocated in preparation for construction of the softball team and operations building to the south of the new building.

University Stadium Phase 1A/1B

Construction is underway for Phase 1B of the University Stadium (formerly Cessna Stadium). This phase of construction consists of widening the field to hold a regulation-sized artificial turf soccer field and installing a nine-lane track and internal stadium sidewalks that will connect the east and west sides of the facility inside of the fence. Construction is anticipated to continue through the fall semester.

Brennan I, II and III demolitions

Demolition of the three buildings is underway. TRIO/Upward Bound staff have relocated to their new home in Grace Wilkie Hall/Grace Wilkie Annex. The demolition project is anticipated to be complete by October.

Ablah Library

Repairs are underway on the basement level to replace flooring damaged by the flooding in the spring. Look for announcements from the library on the status of the project.

Grace Wilkie Hall/Grace Wilkie Annex roof replacement

A roof replacement project is scheduled for fall 2025. Fencing will be installed around the perimeter of the building as work progresses.

Henrion Hall HVAC improvements Phase 3 and 4

Construction will begin this fall in Henrion Hall for a project to provide air conditioning to the remainder of the building following recent projects in the sculpture and ceramics classroom areas as well as relocating and expanding the wood shop. The project will be phased to allow the building to remain occupied but will affect building entrances throughout the year. Construction is anticipated to be completed in time for the fall 2026 semester.

NIAR Hub for Advanced Manufacturing Research

Construction on the NIAR HAMR building continues to progress. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2025. The 170,000-square-foot building is partly funded by an EDA grant and will house advanced manufacturing research labs and associated offices. The building is located on Innovation Boulevard between the Partnership Building 1 and The Suites. The first floor is primarily labs with offices on the second floor.

Partnership Building 3B

P3B, located between Partnership Building 3 and The Smart Factory @Wichita, is under construction. It will house the Forensic Crime Gun Intelligence Laboratory for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Vote for WSU in Best of Wichita categories

The Wichita Eagle has released its 2025 Best of Wichita nominations, and Wichita State has been nominated in several categories. The community can vote once a day for their choices in each category through the voting period until 5 p.m. Friday Sept. 5.

Read more of Vote for WSU in Best of Wichita categories

Vote now

Shocktoberfest

Shocktoberfest swag is available for purchase through Sept. 9

To get in the Shocker spirit, the community can now purchase shirts to show off the upcoming 2025 Shocktoberfest, starting Sept. 29. Choose from a T-shirt, long-sleeve tee, sweatshirt or hoodie that features the Amber Waves of Grain design.

Orders are open through Tuesday, Sept. 9. You can also choose to give back to the WSU community through donations of $5, $10, or $15 which will go to supporting Shocktoberfest and campus initiatives.

Order your shirt now

RSVP to the 2025 Shocktoberfest all-university meeting Sept. 4

Want to know what’s in store for Shocktoberfest 2025? Join the second Shocktoberfest all-university meeting at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4 in 266 Rhatigan Student Center, Pike Room.

The committee will present the planned events, review this year’s schedule and share ways your organization can participate in this year’s festivities.

RSVP to the meeting

Training Opportunities and Workshops

Attend grant writing workshop to strengthen your proposals

In collaboration with PPMC, the Office of Research and the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Hub (UReCA), the WSU community is invited to attend an upcoming grant writing workshop from 3 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3 in Ablah Library, focused on the key strategies that strengthen any successful proposal: alignment, relationships and storytelling.

Learn how to:

Align your project with the goals and mission of funding agencies
Build meaningful relationships that support and elevate your proposal
Use powerful storytelling to communicate your project’s purpose and impact

Whether you’re new to grant writing or looking to sharpen your skills, this workshop will help you craft compelling proposals that resonate with reviewers and increase your chances of funding.