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Inneke Vargas

Inneke Vargas, from Houston, appreciates the interdisciplinary approach of her liberal arts degree from Wichita State University. After graduate school, she wants to work on policy changes to help eliminate health disparities. “My research broadly focuses on the effects of mental health stigma, particularly among African Americans, across the lifespan,” she wrote. “More narrowly, I am currently interested in the ways mental health care inequities disproportionately affect minority men during adolescence and very late adulthood.”

College of Engineering graduation, 2019

Oct. 20, 2020 — The Kansas Legislature in 2011 made a commitment to invest $105 million statewide over the next decade with the purpose of increasing the number of engineers available to industry. For its $35 million share of that money – granted under the University Engineering Initiative Act (UEIA) – Wichita State College of Engineering pledged to double the number of bachelor’s degrees it awarded annually. The aggressive goal was surpassed this past academic year as the college awarded 380 bachelor’s degrees.

WSU student walking on campus

Oct. 20, 2020 -- Fall can be a dreary and difficult time for some Wichita State University students. Here are some tips on making it through the season.

Memorial '70 ceremony

Sept. 30, 2020 - The annual ceremony of remembrance for those who died in the 1970 Wichita State University plane crash will be held at 9 a.m. Friday, Oct. 2, at Cessna Stadium. There will be a reception immediately following the remembrance on the Cessna Stadium concourse. Enhancements have been made to Memorial ’70, located near the 18th Street and Hillside entrance to the university. Those additions to Memorial ’70 will be officially be revealed on Oct. 2.

Memorial '70 memorial

Sept. 30, 2020 — Over the years, many hikers have trekked to the crash site of the plane that claimed the lives of 31 souls — including 14 members of the Wichita State University football team, 14 staff and boosters, and three crew members.

Memorial '70 monument

Sept. 30, 2020 - Wichita State athletic trainer Tom Reeves was known as a man devoted to his athletes on the football team. His sense of humor and caring touch helped them through injuries and difficulties. On Oct. 2, 1970, he helped survivors escape the wreckage of the Martin 404 after it crashed in Colorado. Badly burned, Reeves got them away from the plane and down the mountain to help before he fell unconscious. Reeves died on Oct. 5 in a Denver hospital.

Campus aerial photo

Sept. 29, 2020 -- Wichita State University is taking a step forward with community discussions about a University Village initiative, which seeks to create a community destination of dining, entertainment and shopping adjacent to campus.

Memorial '70 tribute to survivors

Sept. 28, 2020 - A new sculpture recognizes the survivors of the crash at Memorial '70 at Wichita State University. The names of teammates who landed safely in Utah that day are a fitting addition to the existing upright Memorial ’70 monument. “One of the main reasons we did what we did, was so the future generations would know that there were survivors,” architect Randy Phillips said. “And how their lives were impacted, especially since they lived when so many didn’t. Most, if not all, suffered greatly in silence.” The desire to honor teammates by telling the story of the crash motivated Phillips, as it has driven so many connected to Oct. 2, 1970 near Silver Plume, Colo.

Bill Burch with Shocker decanter

Sept. 23, 2020 - Bill Burch played linebacker for the Shockers in 1970 as a senior. As fate would have it, a knee injury kept him from traveling to Utah State on Oct. 2. He had expected to travel with the team, but instead was forced to stay home and heal. On that day, the Martin 4-0-4 airliner that carried the Shocker starters crashed near Silver Plume, Colorado, killing 31 people – 14 student-athletes, 14 staff and boosters, and three crew members.

Paralympic wheelchair tennis team

Sept. 16, 2020 - Deja Young is a returning Paralympian in track and a Wichita State alumna. Casey Ralzlaff is a first-time Paralympic hopeful in wheelchair tennis and current student at Wichita State. Both of their sports are cancelled due to COVID-19.

Charles Koch Arena

Sept. 18, 2020 -- The Wichita State University Shockers Vote! Coalition is proud to announce that Charles Koch Arena will become an early voting site for the 2020 general election.

Blue-green algae samples taken from Marion Lake.

Sept. 16, 2020 — A team of researchers from Wichita State University is investigating blue-green algae in Marion Reservoir and its toxic, and sometimes deadly, dangers to wildlife, pets and people.

Moran Center

Sept. 14, 2020 -- Wichita State University’s Advanced Center for Virtual Engineering and Testing will soon have a new name. The building’s renaming is a tribute to Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran’s commitment to provide vital resources and connections that help Wichita State offer impactful student experiences to drive prosperity for the city, region and state.

Exterior rendering of Deloitte Smart Factory building

Sept. 10, 2020 -- Deloitte and Wichita State University today announced the launch of The Smart Factory @ Wichita, a groundbreaking and immersive experiential learning environment that will accelerate the future of manufacturing as innovation and new technologies continue to reshape operations and the modern enterprise.

Wichita State student

August 28, 2020 - Growing and diversifying the regional economy is a primary goal for Wichita State University. To assist with those efforts, Wichita State University President Dr. Jay Golden has created the President’s Innovation and Business Advisory Council. A selection of area business leaders will be invited to attend monthly council meetings to advise and support Wichita State leadership on a number of critical areas.