A monthly update to Shocker Nation: November 2020

November 2020

Wichita State celebrates expansion of Innovation Campus

Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the doing of things, and we don’t take a moment to celebrate our accomplishments. The Forward Together newsletter is just that for Wichita State University. This edition in particular fittingly highlights the ever-expanding sphere of Shocker influence.

In October, we celebrated two ribbon-cutting ceremonies on Wichita State’s Innovation Campus: the opening of the Molecular Diagnostics Lab — which will serve as the region’s only high-volume, rapid-results COVID-19 testing lab, and the groundbreaking for Wayne and Kay Woolsey Hall — which will be the new home for the W. Frank Barton School of Business. These facilities are more than physical locations on campus. They are representations of our commitment to our values, priorities, and promise to our students, our state, and our world.

Read more of Dr. Muma's message

In the News at Wichita State

Game-based learning platform makes education accessible to refugee learners

Globally, there are more than 70 million forcibly displaced refugees, with about 3.4 million being students who do not have access to education. An interdisciplinary team of researchers at Wichita State University is working to create a game-based platform to help refugee learners continue their education.

Molecular Diagnostics Lab capable of processing up to 32,000 COVID-19 tests per week

A ribbon-cutting marked the opening of Wichita State’s Molecular Diagnostics Lab (MDL), the first and only high-volume COVID-19 test lab in Wichita and the region.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, who spoke at the event, said, “With a coordinated strategy, we can identify hotspots before they spread out of control and make sure that Kansans can take proper safety precautions or avoid locations where the virus is present. We can help provide certainty that our schools and our businesses can stay open safely.”

At full capacity, MDL can test up to 32,000 specimens per week with a 24-hour turnaround on results, allowing for precise quarantining and treatment for those infected.

Learn more about Wichita State’s MDL

Shocker opera star featured on 'The Today Show'

When opera star and Shocker alumna Joyce DiDonato was invited by the Metropolitan Opera to curate and sing a major online recital, she turned to a friend and former inmate in the Sing Sing Correctional Facility. DiDonato was recently featured on “The Today Show” for her work with composer Keyatta Hughes.

Watch Joyce’s interview on “The Today Show”

Wichita State doubles its output of engineering graduates

In 2011, Wichita State made a commitment to double the number of engineering graduates within 10 years to meet industry demands. One year ahead of schedule, the College of Engineering has done just that, and more.

“This is the result of a decade of hard work,” said Dr. Dennis Livesay, dean of the College of Engineering. “This amazing accomplishment is a testament to the efforts of the entire college. Meeting our target seemed unfathomable when defined – having to more than double the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded each year – but double we did!”

Learn more about engineering grads

University breaks ground on Wayne and Kaye Woolsey Hall

Alumni, donors and officials from Wichita State University gathered Thursday, Oct. 22 for a groundbreaking ceremony at the future site of Wayne and Kay Woolsey Hall, the new home for the W. Frank Barton School of Business.

In a statement, Barton School Dean Larisa Genin told students the facility will be a place “where you will explore your full potential and ambitions.”

The three-level, LEED-certified building is focused on creating an environment for students and faculty that inspires collaboration, innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset. Its location on the Innovation Campus will nurture applied learning experiences with partners and businesses active there.