Wichita State University professor John Wong has been appointed interim director of the Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs at WSU. Wong will hold the position until the arrival of the new director on July 1.

“There are many exciting projects taking place in the school this year,” said William D. Bischoff, dean of the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “In consultation with the school’s faculty and staff, I determined Dr. Wong was the appropriate person to guide these endeavors in the short-term.”

“This is a landmark year for the Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs and there are indeed many exciting activities planned as the school begins its second half-century,” said Wong. “It is indeed a privilege and an honor to be selected as the interim director at such a momentous time.”

The activities include the Hugo Wall School’s 50th anniversary celebratory events, the preparation of the self-study for the reaccreditation of the Masters of Public Administration program and the national search for a new director. Wichita interim city manager Ed Flentje stepped down as director of the Hugo Wall School in January.

Wong joined the WSU faculty in 1987 as a specialist in state and local government finance, urban and regional economics, and health policy. He achieved the rank of professor in 2005. He earned a doctorate in law, policy and society from Northeastern University in 1990; the juris doctor from Washburn University in 1986; and the Master of Arts in economics in 1984 and Bachelor of Business Administration in 1982, both from Wichita State University.

Fairmount College, the largest college on the WSU campus, houses the Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs. The college offers majors in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and programs of professional training.