June 2026

Celebrate our spring and summer 2026 Shocker graduates

Each spring, our campus is filled with moments that remind us why we do this work. Commencement season invites us to pause and reflect on our students’ journeys and the futures they now step into with confidence.

This spring and summer, Wichita State University proudly awarded 2,582 degrees. Behind every one of those degrees is a story shaped by perseverance and growth. And behind those stories are the family members, mentors, friends, faculty and staff who believed in these students from the very beginning.

Our spring and summer 2026 graduates reflect the heart of our region and the reach of our university. Together, they tell a story of opportunity that spans communities, disciplines and borders:

• 74.4% of graduates are from Kansas, underscoring our responsibility to the state we serve
• 13.5% are from out of state and 12.2% are international students, broadening perspectives across campus
• Representation from 40 states and 56 countries
• Degrees earned across 230 areas of study

Meet some of WSU’s spring 2026 graduating Shockers

More than 2,400 Shockers were eligible for graduation in spring 2026. As they graduate from Wichita State University, they will share the story of Shocker Nation through their work.

Learn more about some of the graduates and their time at Wichita State and what they are looking forward to in their futures.

Episode 44: Shocker Design Experience, A First-Year Seminar

Wichita State President Rick Muma talks with Shocker Design Experience mentors Yuridia Abrego, Alexander Kimble and James Wright — current students who have completed the course and now help guide others through the experience. The program helps students develop critical thinking, teamwork, problem-solving and project management skills through hands-on learning.


Click the photo above to watch the video of the podcast. The podcast is also available on Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts or Apple Podcasts.

WSU’s University Stadium gets new name, reflecting long-standing relationship with Crossland Construction

Wichita State University has received approval to rename University Stadium to Crossland Stadium in recognition of Crossland Construction’s significant contributions and longstanding connections to the university.

In addition to its transformational philanthropic support, Crossland has played a significant role in bringing WSU’s Innovation Campus to life by developing and constructing many of the facilities that have helped transform the university and strengthen connections among education, research and industry.

State-of-the-art facilities

Wichita State, ATF mark opening of forensic crime gun intelligence laboratory

Wichita State marked the opening of a federal forensic laboratory on its Innovation Campus with a ribbon-cutting ceremony May 18, expanding the university’s role in applied learning and national public safety efforts.

The ceremony was held at the new ATF Forensic Crime Gun Intelligence Laboratory — developed in partnership with Wichita State’s Midwest Criminal Justice Institute and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The facility is designed to analyze firearms-related evidence and support investigations across the country, creating hands-on learning opportunities for WSU students in criminal justice, forensic science and related fields.

NIAR opens Hub for Advanced Manufacturing and Research at Wichita State

Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) officially opened its new Hub for Advanced Manufacturing and Research (HAMR) following a two-day grand opening event that brought together industry leaders, federal partners, Wichita State and NIAR employees, and the greater community.

The 170,000-square-foot facility is now open for industry and government research, development, training and collaboration. Located on Wichita State’s Innovation Campus, HAMR unites applied research, emerging technologies, advanced materials, digital engineering, precision machining and smart automation under one roof — expanding NIAR’s legacy as a global leader in innovation and workforce development.

Wichita Biomedical Campus construction hits year two since groundbreaking

Since its groundbreaking in May 2024, Phase 1 of the Wichita Biomedical Campus^SM has made rapid progress to its anticipated opening of summer 2027. Once operational, the Wichita Biomedical Campus will elevate the City of Wichita and the state of Kansas by:

• Promoting cross-collaboration between Wichita State University, the University of Kansas and the WSU Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology (WSU Tech) in one, state-of-the-art location
• Enhancing biomedical and healthcare education and outcomes in the city and state and signaling the prioritization in the community's health, leading to further investment in Wichita and Kansas
• Strengthening WSU's unique applied learning initiatives that prepare students for the workforce as soon as they graduate

Follow along with the construction of the historic investment in Wichita and Kansas by watching the continuous livestream of the construction site online.

Phase 1 of the location is a $222 million, 350,000-square-foot joint health sciences center, in downtown Wichita.

Once complete, the Wichita Biomedical Campus will combine WSU’s College of Health Professions programs, WSU Tech's healthcare program and the Wichita campuses of KU School of Medicine and KU School of Pharmacy.

Conference champions

Softball takes share of championship

Softball won its final 14 American Conference games to finish as co-champions of the conference with USF. WSU finished the season 35-17, its most wins since 2023 (44-12).

The season ended with a semifinal loss to ECU in the American Championship.

Softball third baseman Kinzey Woody earned Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors in the American Conference. Utility player Ausha Moore and pitcher Ryley Nihart joined Woody on the all-conference team with first baseman Trinity Allen and second baseman Kammie Smith on the second team.

Men's track and field crowned champs

The Shocker men’s track and field team claimed its third American Conference Outdoor Championship May 16 at Norma Knobel Hunt Stadium.

Josh Parrish led the Shockers with 26.5 points, the most by any athlete in the competition, to be named the American Conference Championship Most Valuable Performer.

The Wichita State men finished with 171 points, winning the men's team title by 31 points as North Texas placed second with 138 points. The men's and women's teams combined for the most total points between programs out of all teams in the meet with 241 points.

Denning Gerig named Voice of the Shockers

Following a national search led by Shocker Sports Properties, a division of Playfly Sports and the exclusive multimedia rights holder and partnership representative of Shocker Athletics, it was announced that Denning Gerig has been named director of broadcasting for Shocker Athletics. In his role, Gerig will serve as the next "Voice of the Shockers," assuming play-by-play responsibilities for men's basketball and baseball beginning with the 2026-27 season.

In addition to his broadcasting duties, Gerig will help lead the development of original content, storytelling initiatives and coaches' programming in partnership with Shocker Sports Properties and Shocker Athletics, creating new opportunities for fans to connect with Shocker student-athletes, coaches and programs throughout the year.

Gerig succeeds Mike Kennedy, whose 46-year broadcasting career made him one of the most recognizable and respected voices in collegiate athletics and synonymous with Shocker Athletics.

AfterShocks aim to defend TBT title in 2026

The Basketball Tournament (TBT) unveiled a new format and winner-take-all $2 million prize, headlined by a first-round best-of-three series between defending TBT champions AfterShocks (Wichita State) and The Enchantment (New Mexico).

TBT 2026 will feature 16 teams, with eight alumni teams and eight non-alumni teams competing on two separate sides of the bracket. TBT’s first round will now be a best-of-three series before returning to the single-elimination format for future rounds. Just five wins are needed to capture TBT’s $2 million prize.

All three games of the series will be played at Charles Koch Arena. The first game is scheduled for 7 p.m. July 20 and will be televised live on FS1. Game two is scheduled for 8 p.m. July 23 and will be televised live on FS2. Game three (if necessary) will be played at 8 p.m. July 24 and will be streamed live on FS2.

Cleo Littleton started Wichita State’s path to basketball prominence

In his biography, coach Ralph Miller describes basketball as “just tolerated” and overshadowed by football at the University of Wichita in 1951. Nine people cared enough to buy season tickets.

That changed with the arrival of a star player and a hall-of-fame coach. Miller brought 6-foot-3-inch forward Cleo Littleton with him from Wichita East High School and the sport quickly grew up.

Littleton, 93, passed away May 31 in Wichita. He played for the Shockers from 1951-55 and is the program’s career scoring leader with 2,164 points. He earned All-Missouri Valley Conference honors four times and numerous All-American honors in 1954 and 1955. His No. 13 is retired.

"Cleo and his legacy have left an indelible mark on Wichita, our university and basketball program," Director of Athletics Kevin Saal said. "His love for our players and program was immense. He will be sorely missed, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time."

Women's tennis concludes season with NCAA appearance; Mills prepares 2026-27 basketball team

• Women’s tennis concluded its season with its first trip to the NCAAs since 2018. Ranked No. 35 nationally, the team finished 21-5 after a first-round loss to SMU in the Norman Regional. The season included a program-record 19-match win streak highlighted by victories over Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State and Rice. Junior Xin Tong Wang was named American Conference Player of the Year. Giorgia Roselli and Theodora Chantava joined her on the All-Conference Team.
• Three Shocker baseball players were named to the 2026 American Conference All-Conference Teams. Jayson Jones was named First Team third baseman and Newcomer Position Player of the Year, while right-handed pitchers Matthew Cuccias and Brady Pacha were named Second Team starting pitcher and relief pitcher, respectively.
• The NCAA announced Division 1 Academic Progress Rate information for institutions across the country. WSU saw two programs honored for earning a multi-year Academic Progress Rate in the top 10% of all squads in their sport: volleyball and women's golf. Eleven programs earned a perfect score of 1,000 for the 2024-25 academic year – men's cross country, men's golf, men's tennis, men's track and field, women's basketball, women's bowling, women's cross country, women's golf, softball, women's tennis and volleyball.
• Shocker student-athletes set a new school record for cumulative grade-point average in an academic year (3.507 GPA) for the 2025-26 season, while posting the third highest semester GPA with a 3.504 during the spring 2026 semester. Of the 220 student-athletes on the honor roll, 55 earned a perfect 4.0 GPA, while 163 were named to the Dean’s List (3.5 GPA) and 206 were named Shocker Scholars (3.2 GPA). Women’s basketball, women’s golf and softball all recorded their highest ever semester GPA in spring 2026.
• Men’s basketball coach Paul Mills announced four additions to the Shockers roster this spring. Guard Jordan Frison earned third-team All-Southern Conference honors at Tennessee-Chattanooga last season. He spent two seasons at Pittsburg State, where he was named MIAA Player of the Year in 2025. Guard Jabari Long is a transfer from George Mason, where he averaged 12.2 points for a team that advanced to the NIT. Guard Bryce Heard is a transfer from Dayton. Center Cyr Malonga is a transfer from New Mexico State. Guard Desmeon "NuNu" Jones averaged 12.4 points and 4.8 assists as a freshman at Blinn (Texas) College.
• The National Baseball Congress World Series returns to Eck Stadium this summer from July 23-31. Championship night at Equity Bank Park is Aug. 1.

For updates on athletics at Wichita State and to buy tickets, visit goshockers.com.

Wichita State professor elected to prestigious science fellowship

Dr. Moriah Beck, Talaty Endowed Research Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has been elected a 2025 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the world’s largest and most prestigious scientific societies.

Election as an AAAS Fellow is a lifetime honor that recognizes distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. Fellows are chosen by their peers for scientifically or socially distinguished achievements and are expected to uphold the highest standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity.

University awards

President's Distinguished Service

Several outstanding employees through the University Staff Senate and University Faculty Senate were recognized with the President’s Distinguished Service Award at the Shocker Pride Celebration May 8.

These employees have demonstrated outstanding service to Wichita State and the campus community:

• Robin Henry, associate professor of history
• Alexander Ziegler, assistant professor of marketing
• Mandy Harmon, director of events and marketing in Undergraduate Admissions
• Scott Jensen, assistant vice president of Housing and Residence Life
• Jacob Mendez, assistant dean for student success, College of Engineering
• Naquela Pack, director of K-12 Connections and Special Projects
• Debra Franklin, associate vice president for Strategic Initiatives and Industry Engagement, received the Wayne Carlisle Distinguished Service Award

University Faculty Awards

The University Faculty Awards recognize faculty who are setting the gold standard for teaching, research and creative activity at Wichita State University.

• Excellence in Teaching: Fred Eilts, senior educator of finance
• Leadership in the Advancement of Teaching - Daniel Bergman, professor
• Young Faculty Scholar: Akmal Mirsadikov, associate professor
• Academy for Effective Teaching: Robin Folkerts, assistant educator
• Excellence in Research: Moriah Beck, Talaty Endowed Research Professor
• Excellence in Creative Activity: Sam Taylor, professor
• Excellence Award for Community Research: Suzanne Hawley, professor
• Faculty Risk Taker: Abu Asaduzzaman, professor
• Young Faculty Risk Taker: Chris Proppe, assistant professor
• Excellence in Accessibility: Raina Rutti, clinical associate professor
• Excellence in Online Teaching: Ryan Terry, assistant professor

WSU chooses Wichita Northwest student as Parkinson Scholarship winner

Wichita State University has selected Wichita Northwest High School senior Dulce Torres Gonzalez as the 2026 recipient of the $34,000 Mark and Stacy Parkinson Scholarship.

The Parkinson Scholarship supports high-achieving incoming freshmen at Wichita State University who are the first in their families to pursue higher education and come from immigrant or refugee backgrounds. The renewable scholarship provides significant financial assistance and access to mentoring, leadership development and student success programming. Established by Kansans Mark and Stacy Parkinson, the fund reflects their commitment to expanding educational opportunities and strengthening communities through higher education.

President Rick Muma celebrates campus community with Rick Rewards

Throughout the school year, President Rick Muma shows his appreciation for the efforts of the campus community with Rick Rewards.

Teams and departments from across campus were celebrated for their work in making Wichita State a better place for students, faculty, staff and the community:

• The Faculty Senate Executive Committee and Staff Senate Executive Committee were celebrated for their commitments to shared governance and the ongoing work both committees do to support Wichita State’s mission through collaboration and faculty/staff engagement.
• The SEM Leadership Committee members were celebrated for their help in opening opportunities for more first-time-in-college students and building a culture of outreach that improves the student experience.
• Members of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders in the College of Health Professions were celebrated for the successful reaccreditation of the Master of Arts in communication sciences and disorders and Doctor of Audiology programs.
• The Student Success and Persistence Coalition was celebrated for its work in promoting and enhancing WSU’s Student Success and Persistence initiative, which has resulted in large increases in fall-to-fall retention and bolstered overall enrollment.
• All faculty and staff at Wichita State were celebrated with a lunch in Woolsey Hall during National Employee Appreciation Day in March.
• An interdisciplinary team, comprising individuals from Information Technology Services, Industry and Defense Programs and the Department of Physics, were recognized for supporting faculty researchers’ ability to access research computing resources and put in place processes that will support future research at Wichita State.
• President Rick Muma visited with students around campus preparing for finals in May and handed out snacks and meal vouchers to help them finish the semester strong.

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