WSU News - All Stories

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.

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.

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.

Sept. 23, 2020 - Darren Defrain is the social professor of English and director of the writing program at Wichita State. Defrain has written novels, memoirs and essays, created a graphic novel, teaches on graphic novels/storytelling and is actively working on a graphic novel app.

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.

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.

Sept. 16, 2020 -- A first-of-its-kind WuShock sculpture was unveiled and dedicated Tuesday at the entry plaza of the Steve Clark YMCA and Student Wellness Center.

Sept. 21, 2020 -- Saying she wants to help build a new generation of business leaders with a world view, Wichita State alumna Peri Widener has pledged $275,000 to her alma mater. A portion of the gift will launch a program to help develop students into global business leaders.

Sept. 18, 2020 - In July, Emily Christensen spent five days on Zoom participating in the National Critics Institute, a program of the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Conn. Christensen, coordinator of external affairs for Wichita State University’s School of Art, Design and Creative Industries, wrote about food, plays, movies and dance. She, and 16 others in her group, listened to and received critiques from people such as such as Chicago Tribune theater critic Chris Jones, who directs the program, and Helen Shaw of New York Magazine.

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.

Sept. 15, 2020 -- With holiday travel season on the horizon, a just-released annual forecast from Dean Headley, co-author of the Airline Quality Rating and associate professor emeritus at Wichita State University, offers new insights into making travel plans in these extraordinary times.

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.

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.

Sept. 8, 2020 — Breanna Boppre, assistant professor of criminal justice, will discuss the implications of COVID-19 for correctional agencies nationwide and in Kansas. Boppre's talk is part of the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences' Perspectives on the pandemic series.

Sept. 8, 2020 — The U.S. Department of Education has awarded two of Wichita State University’s TRIO programs — Student Support Services (SSS) and Disability Support Services (DSS) — grants totaling more than $3.9 million to help limited-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities.