Wichita State University

October 2024

Surpassing expectations: Wichita State’s record-breaking enrollment growth

This fall, Wichita State University achieved a new enrollment record, welcoming 17,700 students to our main campus. Combined with WSU Tech’s all-time high of 6,106 students, our total enrollment across all locations has soared to an impressive 23,806. This marks four consecutive years of enrollment growth. These achievements underscore the strength of our mission, our innovative spirit and our commitment to student success.


We’ve been intentional in building pathways to higher education that are inclusive, adaptable and focused on helping every student thrive. Our growth reflects a community-wide commitment to these principles, supported by strategic initiatives that make college more accessible and rewarding.


There are a few key areas I’m proud to highlight this year:


  • Persistence and progress: Fall-to-fall persistence among first-time, full-time freshmen has risen for two consecutive years, reflecting a 4% increase.
  • Broadening access: Our Shocker City and Shocker Select programs, which offer reduced tuition to students in neighboring states, have helped boost the number of new students from Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas by 7%.
  • Inclusive excellence: This year, 18.3% of our undergraduate population identifies as Hispanic, marking an increase that has earned Wichita State the recognition of an Emerging Hispanic Serving Institution.
  • WSU Tech’s record growth: WSU Tech also had a banner year, setting new records in both student headcount and credit hours.
Read more of Dr. Muma's message

Forward Together Podcast

October podcast: Applied learning and Shocker Career Accelerator with Bobby Gandu

Join President Muma when he talks with Bobby Gandu, Wichita State’s associate vice president of Strategic Enrollment Management and applied learning, and director of admissions. As part of his role, Bobby oversees the Shocker Career Accelerator, which just moved into its permanent home inside the brand-new Milly Marcus Annex.


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

Watch, listen and subscribe to the podcast
In the News at Wichita State

Remembering ‘the best within us’ — Dr. James Rhatigan

A national figure in educational activism, Dr. James J. Rhatigan, professor of education and senior vice president emeritus, died Sunday, Oct. 27, in Wichita. Rhatigan served Wichita State for nearly six decades, arriving on campus in 1965 as the university’s first and the nation’s youngest dean of students, at just 30 years old. In 1971, he became vice president for student affairs, holding that position until 1997 and going on to serve as senior vice president until his retirement from WSU in 2002.


“Dr. Rhatigan was an exemplar of integrity, compassion and principled leadership,” WSU President Rick Muma says. “His professional commitment to excellence in higher education and his ethic of caring for those he came in contact with, most especially students, were simply unparalleled. His influence here at Wichita State won’t be forgotten.”


Rhatigan’s memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2 at the University Congregational Church with a reception later that day from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at the Rhatigan Student Center.

Read more about Dr. Rhatigan's legacy

Wichita Biomedical Campus construction continues as pile drilling moves forward

Construction is underway on Phase 1 of the Wichita Biomedical Campus, a $300 million, 471,000-square-foot joint health sciences center, located at the southeast corner of Broadway and William.


Pile drilling has started on the site following removal of the old foundation. Utility work and auger cast piles continue, and the shallow foundation crew has been mobilized on the area. A live view of its construction can be found online.


The Wichita Biomedical Campus is a joint project between Wichita State and the University of Kansas. Once complete, the campus will combine WSU’s College of Health Professions programs, including the Evelyn Hendren Cassat Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, WSU Tech’s health care program and the Wichita campuses of KU School of Medicine and KU School of Pharmacy.

Learn more about the Wichita Biomedical Campus

HOPE kits program expands to help new mothers through perinatal depression

A partnership between Wichita State University and the University of Kansas is designed to help new mothers improve their mental health and prevent suicide.


For more than a year, HOPE kits, from WSU’s Health Outreach Prevention and Education Services, have helped people deal with mental health crises. Wichita State is taking that successful program and adapting it to the perinatal population with Growing HOPE kits, in coordination with the Center for Research for Infant Birth and Survival (CRIBS) at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita.


“We’re really excited to partner with Wichita State,” said Dr. Cari Schmidt, director of CRIBS. “We know that mental health challenges during pregnancy are one of the top complications that we see. Finding support for our families through this partnership and being able to provide our Growing HOPE kits is crucial to supporting their mental wellness and connecting them to resources.”

Learn more about the new HOPE kits

Mills, Nooner ready for second seasons at WSU, Wang of women’s tennis will compete in NCAA championship

Competition for Shocker Athletics is in full swing as men’s and women’s basketball begin their second seasons with coaches Paul Mills and Terry Nooner.


  • Men’s basketball – The Shockers begin regular-season play on Nov. 4 at Western Kentucky (7 p.m., CBS Sport Network). WSU plays its first home game on Nov. 9 vs. Montana State (6 p.m., ESPN+). Newcomer Corey Washington led Wichita State with 15 points in a 99-53 exhibition win over Emporia State.
  • Women’s basketball – The Shockers start the season by taking on Oklahoma Christian on Nov. 4 (11 a.m., ESPN+). The Shockers continue a five-game home stand against Belmont on Nov. 9 (2 p.m., ESPN+).
  • Volleyball – The Shockers won four of their past five matches to climb into a tie for third in the American Athletic Conference. WSU defeated Memphis and UAB last weekend with middle blocker Morgan Stout recording a career-high 18 kills against the Tigers and surpassing that with 22 in the next match. The Shockers return to Koch Arena to play Tulsa at 1 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 3 (ESPN+).
  • Women’s bowling – The Shockers, in their inaugural season in the NCAA, have already seen a second place finish in the Penguin Classic, with victories over #3 Youngstown State and #5 Nebraska, and a first place finish in the Mid-States Championships.
  • Cross country – The American Athletic Conference Championships are at Clapp Cross Country Course on Nov. 2. The women’s race begins at 9:15 a.m. with the men at 10 a.m.
  • Men’s golf – WSU wrapped up the fall schedule by winning the Grier Jones Shocker Invitational at Sand Creek Station Golf Club. The Shockers won the tournament for a third straight year. Jose Miguel Rameriz and Mitchell Revie tied for 11th place to lead WSU.
  • Women’s tennis – Xin Tong Wang qualified for the NCAA Individual Championships with her runner-up finish in the ITA Central Region Championships in Memphis. Wang defeated players from Iowa, Oklahoma, Tulsa and Iowa State before falling to Oklahoma State’s Anastasiya Komar in the final. She is the first Shocker to qualify for the NCAAs since 2018.


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

Innovation Campus celebrates 10-year anniversary as new buildings continue construction

Wichita State's Innovation Campus has been transforming Wichita by bringing academia and industry together in one location. Throughout its 10 years of innovation, over 50 companies have become partners of WSU to push economic prosperity for the region and help students gain applied learning experiences while getting their degrees.


Catch a video peek of the Innovation Campus and see what makes WSU's innovation stand out. The video highlights the campus's dynamic growth, cutting-edge facilities and everything that drives our innovation forward.


And the Innovation Campus isn't static; currently, construction is underway on the buildings that will house NIAR's Hub for Advanced Manufacturing Research and the Forensic Crime Gun Intelligence Laboratory for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Learn more about the Innovation Campus

Wichita State announces Licensed Mental Health Technician pathway

Wichita State University’s School of Nursing has launched a new Licensed Mental Health Technician (LMHT) pathway. This pioneering program, the first of its kind in the state, will address the growing need for mental health care professions in Kansas.


Key features of the LMHT pathway:


  • Coursework is completely online, making the curriculum accessible to individuals across the region.
  • All credit hours earned through the pathway can be applied toward a health care degree program for students pursuing further education.
  • The School of Nursing is establishing clinical partnerships in rural areas, with the goal of allowing rural students to complete their clinical requirements close to home.
Read more about the new pathway

Four students named 2024 CyberCorp Scholars, receive tuition scholarship and yearly stipend

The 2024 CyberCorp Scholars at Wichita State University have been announced. The scholarship aims to increase the workforce of cybersecurity professionals in government.


The scholars receive scholarships that cover tuition, a bi-monthly stipend and professional development expenses. This year’s scholars:


  • Daniel Halbleib, Bishop Carroll Catholic High School, Bachelor of Science in cybersecurity
  • Alexander Pickett, Mill Valley High School, Bachelor of Science in cybersecurity
  • Jessica Methman, Southeast High School, Bachelor of Science in cybersecurity
  • Hyacinthe Howell, Southeast High School, Master of Science in computer science
Learn more about this year's CyperCorp Scholars

WSU’s Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory works to fill gaps in rural health care

Wichita State University’s Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory (MDL), a vital resource during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, is now leveraging its expertise to explore new frontiers. By addressing critical gaps in the health care system, the lab is also offering invaluable hands-on training for students, shaping the future of health care. 


Building on its pandemic-era success, MDL is now expanding its reach in three significant areas:


  • Microbiology services – Collaborating with small, rural hospitals to process their microbiology specimens, ensuring these communities have access to essential and timely diagnostic services.
  • Technical consulting and professional services – Offering technical consultancy and professional services to help small hospitals and clinics maintain and achieve certification, empowering them to establish and operate their own laboratories.
  • Pathology partnership – MDL secured a contract with Southcentral Pathology, bringing its technical work under Wichita State’s purview.
Read more about MDL's work

Grad School profile: Kristyn Waits, College of Innovation and Design

Kristyn Waits, a Wichita State alumna, reflects on her journey from an undergraduate student to graduate student. Through transformative experiences like international travel, interdisciplinary collaboration and hands-on learning, Kristyn shares how Wichita State shaped her career and continues to inspire her today.

Read more about Kristyn Waits

Stay in touch with President Muma

FEATURED SOCIAL MEDIA POST

Oct. 26:

We were honored to be invited to the annual 2024 Indian Student Association at Wichita State University - India Nite - and recognize the officers and have a great meal with the students. Our Indian students, as well as all international students, add so much to the cultural vibrancy of our community! #GoShockers.

Follow President Muma:

Instagram  X  LinkedIn

About Wichita State University


Wichita State University is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 23,000 students between its main campus and WSU Tech, including students from every state in the United States and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.

 

Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.

 

The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing more than 120 acres, and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.

Keep in touch.

CONNECT WITH WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY
Facebook  X  Instagram  TikTok  Youtube  Linkedin
Click here to see a web version of this newsletter