Barton School News - All Stories

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University has named its two recipients of the 2024 Professor Fran Jabara Scholarship in Entrepreneurship. This year’s winners are Annika Lindeman from Eisenhower High School in Goddard, Kansas, and Abby Rexford from West Jessamine High School in Wilmore, Kentucky. They will each receive more than $32,700 spread over four years to attend WSU and major in entrepreneurship.

On Saturday, February 17, 2024, the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University hosted its first-ever “Beyond” Hall of Fame gala. The event took place at the beautiful and iconic Mark Arts and inducted three members into its inaugural class: W. Frank Barton, former president of Barton Distributors and co-founder of Rent-A-Center; Clark Bastian, chairman of the board at Fidelity Bank; and Fran Jabara, founder of the Center for Entrepreneurship at the Barton School of Business. Business and university leaders, community members, esteemed alumni, and family and friends of the inductees attended. Each honoree was recognized in a special manner and received their well-deserved awards. Family members of Frank Barton and Fran Jabara accepted these posthumous inductions on their behalf.

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University has announced that Dr. Jodi Pelkowski will serve as a faculty advisor for the Barton School of Business chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society.

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University is launching a Bachelor of Business Administration in Hospitality. The program will begin in fall 2024 with applications now open for interested students. It was developed in response to growing local and national employment needs in the industry.

 The W. Frank Barton School of Business' School of Accountancy at Wichita State University has announced the return of its annual Barton Accounting Forum on May 15, 2024. This one-day conference is tailored for accounting and finance professionals, as well as students studying accounting. Attendees can receive eight hours of Continuing Professional Education credits by participating in the conference in addition to invaluable networking opportunities. This marks the first conference held by the School of Accountancy since 2022, and it will take place on Wichita State’s campus.

Feb. 14, 2024 — The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University awarded Faith Swart, a Maize High School senior, the 2024 Clay Barton Scholarship. The $50,000 scholarship is one of the largest business scholarships in Kansas.

On Wednesday, February 7, members of the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University stopped by Maize High School to award senior Faith Swart the 2024 Clay Barton Scholarship. The surprise, coordinated between the Barton School and Maize High School officials, included an announcement and presentation of a ceremonial check to Swart during one of her classes. The $50,000 scholarship is one of the largest business scholarships in Kansas.

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University has announced that Dr. Seth Cockrell will serve as the next Chair of the Marketing Department. Cockrell, who has been working at the Barton School for more than five years as a faculty member, will take over from Duane Nagel, recently appointed as the Barton School’s Senior Associate Dean.

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University has finalized the inaugural group for the Erin and Kyle Cummings $500,000 Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF). The class consists of 30 students from across the world representing 10 majors.

The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Duane Nagel as its Senior Associate Dean. In this role, Nagel will oversee the successful implementation of the school’s strategic plan and related key initiatives, manage undergraduate and graduate programs, lead efforts to maximize on our enrollments, advance faculty and research affairs, among other key areas. His collaborative efforts with Dr. Larisa Genin, Dean of the Barton School, and other key leaders will focus on identifying areas for enhancement and innovation across these domains.