WSU Today: Friday, Aug. 1, 2025

Growing Innovation and Research

Wichita State engineering students collaborate on a prototype at the Project Innovation Hub.

College of Engineering, Groover Labs awarded grant to grow student innovation

Wichita State’s College of Engineering is expanding student innovation and applied learning opportunities through a new state-funded partnership with Groover Labs, a downtown Wichita makerspace and official WSU partner.

On July 15, the Kansas Department of Commerce named Groover Labs one of two recipients of the Accelerating Concept to Commercialization in Kansas (ACCEL-KS) grant. Groover Labs and KU Innovation Park in Lawrence will share $800,000 to support at least 32 early-stage commercialization projects across the state.

Wichita State joins other institutions in receiving renewed $20 million grant for generative AI R&D

Wichita State is one of the recipients of a renewed $20 million grant as part of the AI Institute for Foundations of Machine Learning (IFML), of which WSU is a founding member.

The grant will be awarded to the IFML institutions over the next five years and is used to support the development of more advanced generative AI that is open-sourced, which enables broader adoption and fosters innovation across a wide range of fields.

Dr. Kaushik Sinha, associate professor of computing in the College of Engineering, is the principal investigator for Wichita State’s $1.27 million share of the grant, which will be used to continue Sinha’s research and fund graduate students and support workforce development.

Volunteer Opportunities

Call for volunteers for 11th annual Clash of the Colleges

The Office of First-Year Programs and Campus Recreation is thrilled to announce the 11th annual Clash of the Colleges, and this year’s event promises to be bigger than ever. Organizers are seeking enthusiastic volunteers to help make this milestone celebration a success.

As a volunteer, you’ll not only play a key role in one of WSU’s biggest campus traditions, but you’ll also receive a special Clash of the Colleges T-shirt and bandanna. Plus, you’ll be entered into a raffle with exciting prizes up for grabs.

This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with colleagues, engage with the campus community and be a part of a memorable event. If you’re interested in volunteering, complete the sign-up sheet by 5 p.m. Aug. 1.

Contact Kaelyn Hannah at kaelyn.hannah@wichita.edu for any questions.

News

Join an Advising Community of Practice at WSU for 2025-26

Four opt-in Advising Communities of Practice (CoP) will be launched for 2025-26 on several topics that have previously been presented at workshops and webinars by the Advising Network Team. These four advising CoPs will be opportunities for all who advise (academic advisors, specialized advisors and faculty advisors) to foster collaboration, shared learning and innovation in advising practice.

Each CoP is grounded in three essential components:

Domain: a shared area of interest in advising that brings community members together.
Community: a group of advisors who engage in discussions and knowledge-sharing.
Practice: resources, experiences and tools that community members share, develop and refine together.

All CoPs will gather monthly in September, October, November, January, February, March and April as follows:

The Advising First-Generation Students Community of Practice will provide a space for advisors to explore strategies, share resources and build community around supporting the needs and strengths of first-generation college students. This CoP will gather on the first Friday of each month from 2:30 to 3:15 p.m.
The Advising Transfer Students Community of Practice will provide a space focused on the advising experience and success of transfer students through shared practices. This CoP will gather on the second Friday of each month from 9 to 9:45 a.m.
The Assessment of Advising Community of Practice will provide a space dedicated to developing, implementing and refining meaningful assessment practices that improve effectiveness and student learning outcomes in advising. This CoP will gather on the third Thursday of each month from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m.
The Career Advising Community of Practice will provide a space for advisors to exchange ideas, tools and approaches that integrate career development into advising conversations and planning. This CoP will gather on the fourth Friday of each month from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m.

Individuals interested in joining an Advising Community of Practice can indicate their interest using the form. Calendar invitations will be sent out for those interested in joining an Advising CoP.

For more information, contact Brett Bruner, assistant vice president for Student Success & Persistence, at brett.bruner@wichita.edu.

Check out the next myShockerhealth newsletter, with a brand new look

The July myShockerhealth newsletter is out now, complete with a new look.

Articles this month include:

No more shoeless TSA checks
Learn how to do a skin cancer check
Job interview tips for neurodivergent applicants
Treadmill mistakes
Heat stroke doesn’t look good on anyone
Employee Corner: Annual exam and laboratory screening appointments for WSU employees will be extended through Dec. 1, 2025

Read the latest edition

Events and Recreation

Register for DOD SBIR/STTR webinars Aug. 14 and 21

The DOD SBIR and STTR programs offer a wide range of opportunities for small firms to address military needs in just about every technology area from software to training systems, from medical products to air, land and sea platforms.

Parking and Traffic

Lot 19E by Eck Stadium to be closed Aug. 1

Lot 19E, the parking lot near Eck Stadium, will be closed Friday, Aug. 1 for an event. Faculty, staff and students that typically park in this lot will need to park in other lots per their ePermit type. The YMCA lot is not available for faculty, staff or event guest parking and could result in a citation.

The purpose of lot reservations is to help accommodate large groups of guests visiting campus for events or the event itself. Lot reservations are not to be used for WSU affiliates. Remember, visitors to campus can park without an ePermit up to three times each semester.

Red reserved and ADA stalls are not subject to lot closures and proper use is permitted during this time.

Lots 9W and 9E along 17th Street to be closed Aug. 4

Lots 9W and 9E, the parking lots along 17th Street near Ahlberg Hall, will be closed Monday, Aug. 4 for orientation.

Red reserved and ADA stalls are not subject to lot closures and proper use is permitted during this time. Green lots are open for the summer, all other lots are still enforced.

Lot 2W along Hillside will be closed Aug. 6

Lots 1 and 2W along Hillside, the parking lots near Charles Koch Arena, will begin to close the evening of Wednesday, Aug. 6 for an event at Koch Arena. Due to school bus traffic in the area, the lots will need to be completely clear for this closure. Faculty and staff who typically park in these lots will need to park elsewhere at this time.

Red reserved and ADA stalls are not subject to lot closures and proper use is permitted during this time.