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Two Wichita State students using a tablet.

April 12, 2021 – After months of hard work from Wichita State faculty members Carrie Dickison and Maria Sclafani, the Open Alternative Textbook committee approved English 102 for Open/Alternative Textbook (OAT) course designation. Starting in fall 2021, Wichita State students will no longer have to buy textbooks for English 102.

Campus aerial

April 2, 2021 -- While the future of this pandemic and its effect on our daily lives still remains somewhat unknown, we are pleased to be coming to you with a message of cautious optimism as we continue our transition to a pre-pandemic mode of operation. Sedgwick County Commissioners voted to rescind all local COVID health orders, effectively immediately. Since the beginning of this pandemic, we have followed all guidance and orders issued by state and local public health authorities. Accordingly, WSU has rescinded all guidance requiring masks, social distancing and mass gathering limitations on our campus. However, we continue to strongly encourage our entire campus community to engage in these practices whenever possible. We also encourage everyone to get the vaccine when they become eligible.

Brittany Wojciechowski

March 24, 2021 — Brittany Wojciechowski, a Wichita State University Ph.D. student in aerospace engineering, has been awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF), which is worth more than $120,000.

Wichita State students

March 19, 2020 - For the second year in a row, Wichita State University is one of the “Top 25 Brands in Kansas” as recognized by Ingram’s, a Kansas City business magazine. Ingram’s goal is to “identify brands that have carved out national reputations for excellence by drawing on the best of what the Sunflower State offers in its people and its business leaders.”

Freedom of Expression graphic

March 1, 2021 - Wichita State University will present a virtual panel on freedom of expression from 3-4:15 p.m. Wednesday, March 31. The event will be moderated by Lee Pelton, a WSU alumnus who has been president of Emerson College in Boston the past 10 years.

Hannah Wilkinson

Dec. 10, 2020 - Hannah Wilkinson, Wichita State's associate head strength and conditioning coach, is taking donations for Catholic Charities Harbor House domestic violence shelter and service. The campaign is an extension of the toy drive that strength and conditioning coach Kerry Rosenboom organized in previous years.

Woman and man at compute

Dec. 10, 2020 -- The Kansas Board of Regents has approved the creation of the newest department at Wichita State University’s College of Engineering – the School of Computing. Dean Dennis Livesay called the establishment of the new school a significant marker of the university’s commitment to producing digital-skilled workforce needed by industry.

Shock the World

Dec. 9, 2020 — The WSU Foundation's seven-year Shock the World campaign raised more than $300 million to fund scholarships and campus improvements at Wichita State University.

Sigma Lambda Beta

Dec. 2, 2020 — Wichita State has been successful in minimizing the spread of COVID-19 because college students are following social distancing guidelines. Wichita State’s Rho Beta Chapter of Sigma Lambda Beta and the Zeta Beta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta have had no cases of COVID-19.

Shocker Nation bus

Dec. 1, 2020 — Two new battery-powered buses wrapped in Shocker pride will soon be seen zipping through Wichita’s streets. Wichita Transit recently unveiled the Wichita State University-branded buses, which are ecofriendly, filled with modern conveniences, and will circulate among the university’s main campus, as well as Wichita State South, WSU Tech and the Metroplex.

November 30, 2020 - Brittany Crowder is a senior graduating with a sport management degree.

Isaac Brown

Nov. 11, 2021 -- Isaac Brown is Wichita State's interim men's basketball coach. Brown, 51, joined the coaching staff as an assistant coach in 2014. He has also coached at Arkansas, Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech and others.

Martha Backman

Nov. 18, 2020 — There were two Shocker milestones in 1964: Wichita University became Wichita State University, and a 17-year-old Martha Backman walked onto the Wichita State campus and began her college education. It took 56 years, but the 73-year-old is finally graduating with her degree in aging studies. 

Zane Storlie

Nov. 16, 2020 — Zane Storlie has not only dedicated his time at Wichita State to learning everything he can about computer science, but he’s also been an advocate for computer science education for elementary and middle school students in the area. Zane created a three-unit curriculum to teach Scratch coding to more than 750 students in Wichita Public Schools, and the Derby school district asked him to present a teacher training course to its librarians.

Kirsten Long

November 16, 2020 - Kirsten Long, from Haven, came to Wichita State University to start her career in education. She credits her field experiences and helpful teachers with preparing her for teaching. Kirsten is one of more than 1,200 students eligible for fall 2020 graduation. Learn more about her time at Wichita State and what is next for the grad.