• When COVID-19 came to Kansas in March of this year, Shocker Nation adapted to continue delivering our mission. Our campus community pivoted to a fully online format in an effort to keep our faculty and students healthy. Additionally, our Shocker innovators and business partners came together to collect and manufacture PPE and disposable stethoscopes to protect our healthcare workers. And our top-notch researchers jumped into action to study potential treatments.

• Wichita State is celebrating its 125th birthday and after all these years, we are still focused on providing students an affordable education, supporting businesses by making sure we provide talent that meets their needs, and increasing economic prosperity of our community. As part of our celebration, three faculty members and one Wichita State alum teamed up to create “A Walk with Wu,” a graphic novel chronicling our first 125 years.

• Wichita State has furthered its commitment to Freedom of Expression through a new section on our website. We are dedicated to hearing and learning from a diverse set of viewpoints, voices, and perspectives. Read the proposed resolution.

• The university marked the opening of the Molecular Diagnostics Lab. The state-of-the-art facility has the capacity to process 32,000 COVID-19 tests per week with a 24-hour turnaround on results. This will allow for strategic quarantining and prompt treatment for those affected with the virus. 

• More than 4,000 students earned their degrees this year. In an especially trying time, this feat is even more impressive. We’re proud of each one of you.

• We’ve awarded $1.2 million to four teams as part of the Convergence Sciences Initiative. These interdisciplinary teams of researchers are working to solve complex issues such as educational access for refugee learners, health disparities among vulnerable populations, community resiliency to natural disasters, and creating methods for sustainable 3D printing.

• Overall, our faculty, students and innovation partners have brought in almost $165 million in research awards.

• On June 30, WSU Foundation completed our seven-year Shock the World campaign. On a goal of $250 million, Shocker Nation stepped up to pledge and contribute $308 million.

• Our Innovation Campus is expanding, adding internships and hands-on learning opportunities for our students, creating jobs for our community, and diversifying our Kansas economy. Additions include the Martin Defense Group, Hyatt Place, and a larger-than-life bronze WuShock sculpture. Additionally, Wichita State celebrated the groundbreaking of two new facilities on its Innovation Campus: Deloitte’s Smart Factory @ Wichita and the Wayne and Kay Woolsey Hall, which will be the new home for the W. Frank Barton School of Business.