RESEARCH & INNOVATION NEWS
| | Game-changing Shocker Fly Lab project kicks off with $1 million lead gift | |
Lynn and Sherry Nichols have given a lead gift of $1 million to Wichita State University to kick off the fundraising campaign for the new, state-of-the-art Shocker Fly Lab, an enclosed flight space to research, design and test unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that will position the university at the forefront of unmanned aerial system (UAS) education and development.
This $12.75 million project will be completed in two phases, the first of which will consist of a net-enclosed open-air facility measuring approximately 100 feet by 200 feet with a steel structure 30-35 feet high. This $4.3 million phase will incorporate a small, covered entry canopy for shelter from the elements, as well as outdoor landscaping for spectators to observe testing and competition.
| | Wichita State biology professor elected as prestigious AAAS Fellow | |
When the email notification popped up, Dr. Mary Liz Jameson, professor of biological sciences, thought there must have been a mistake. It must have been for someone else at the university or perhaps another Mary Liz at a different university.
Once the shock wore away, Jameson realized it was true: She had been elected to the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (AAAS) Fellows, class of 2024, for her integrated work on entomology.
AAAS Fellows are elected for their accomplishments across multiple disciplines and fields in areas such as research and teaching. Among all the universities represented in the 2024 class, Wichita State University, an R2 institution, is surrounded by a sea of R1 institutions, as classified by the Carnegie classification.
“Typically, it’s only people in R1 institutions who get this award,” Jameson said. “We’re not an R1 institution — we’re an R2 institution — so people like at Harvard, University of Florida, Chicago, Rutgers and places like that get this award, not somebody from an R2 institution.”
| | Wichita State undergraduates recognized at K-INBRE Symposium | |
Five undergraduate students from Wichita State were among the 26 students recognized at the 23rd annual Kansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (K-INBRE) Symposium in Kansas City, Missouri.
The WSU students who received an Award of Excellence:
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Yara Abdine, junior in biomedical engineering
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Mark White, senior in biochemistry
The WSU students who received an Honorable Mention:
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Lauren Hughes, junior in biomedical engineering
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Breanna Leach, sophomore in biomedical engineering
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Julie Tran, senior in chemistry
The remaining WSU students who presented at the K-INBRE Symposium:
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Emma Simmons, junior
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John Bourget, senior; Ahmed Alsoudi, senior; Zoie Liska, senior; and Anna Brake, senior
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Karen Abril Bustamante-Fuchs, senior
| | Featured student research | | Wichita State University's research emphasis includes opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty and staff, and extends across campus from aerospace to ancient civilizations and business administration to biochemistry. | | Lillie Nightingale, dancing with wildebeests | Lille Nightingale combined her lifelong fascination with animals and her passion for dance to create a capstone project researching the emotional and physical challenges of wildebeest migration. Guided by a team of dedicated faculty mentors, she translated her research into a compelling group performance that reflects the patterns, struggles and shared emotional experiences of both humans and animals. |
| Sejun Moon, exploring Mars | Wichita State junior Sejun Moon is exploring how teams of autonomous robots work together in extreme environments like Mars using a multi-agent reinforcement learning approach. Under the guidance of Dr. Fujian Yan, Moon is developing a scalable, hierarchical system that enables robot collaboration with minimal human input — a concept with promising applications for both space exploration and disaster response here on Earth. |
| Daniel Reichart, exploring the cosmos | Daniel Reichart uses advanced simulations to study how a CubeSat detector can identify space particles like electrons, protons and alpha particles. His work, guided by physics professor Dr. Nick Solomey and supported by NASA’s Jumpstart Program, contributes to understanding radiation hazards in space and showcases how undergraduates can play a vital role in space research. |
| Anna Brake, bridging health care gaps | Anna Brake, a junior in Wichita State’s Honors Baccalaureate program, got involved in research her freshman year after reading about a project to develop a wearable fetal heart monitor. Now, she’s helping improve access to prenatal care in rural and underserved communities. |
| Wichita Biomedical Campus facade comes into view as construction continues | |
Residents in Wichita are starting to see the Wichita Biomedical Campus — a joint venture of Wichita State, the University of Kansas and the WSU Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology (WSU Tech) — take shape as they drive by the construction site.
Phase 1 of the location is a $222 million, 350,000-square-foot joint health sciences center, located in downtown Wichita. Once complete, the Wichita Biomedical 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.
Steel placement continues, revealing more of the building's structure — including a first look at the front facade. Ramps connecting the two levels of the first floor have been poured, connecting them for the first time. The construction team is advancing steel installation on the upper floors and coordinating 3D modeling to identify issues before construction.
Construction on Phase 1 is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2026 with the first classes being held in the building in summer/fall 2027.
| | Forward Together podcast with President Rick Muma | | Episode 31: Pierre Harter, research and industry on campus | Pierre Harter, associate vice president of research (interim) and industry engagement, joins President Rick Muma to discuss his role in promoting faculty research and his work with NIAR, including its innovative work in digital transformation. | | Episode 33: Wichita Biomedical Campus | The Wichita Biomedical Campus is a cooperative effort with the University of Kansas to centralize health care education and research. Join President Rick Muma when he sits down with WSU Tech President Sheree Utash and Greg Hand, dean of the WSU College of Health Professions, to talk about the Wichita Biomedical Campus. | | Click above to watch the videos of the podcasts. The podcast is also available on Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts or Apple Podcasts (iTunes). | | Wichita State leads the way in microcredential accountability | |
During the past decade, Wichita State University has been a recognized leader in the development and implementation of microcredentials. Now, the university’s work has taken a significant step forward with its launch of the first 1EdTech TrustEd Microcredential.
“We are at the forefront of innovation as it relates to microcredentials,” said Kim Moore, executive director of Workforce, Professional and Community Education at Wichita State. “I’m always looking for opportunities where we can lead."
This partnership establishes a framework of rigor and accountability for institutions granting microcredentials. A microcredential is a series of courses that culminate in a digital badge from an accredited university. A microcredential provides proof of proficiency in a subject area.
Alternative credentialing is an emerging and growing form of skill-based education focused on as a goal by the Kansas Board of Regents. Wichita State’s microcredentials are employer driven, meaning WSU works with business and industry to develop skill-based microcredentials that meet employer needs.
| | Grant will help Suspenders4Hope fight substance use disorder | |
Suspenders4Hope through HOPE Services has been awarded a $287,000 grant from Kansas Fights Addiction Grant Program through the Sunflower Foundation to expand its substance misuse prevention efforts. With this generous funding, Suspenders4Hope will develop and distribute Suspenders4Hope Care Kits aimed at individuals with substance use disorder, particularly those at elevated risk of overdose.
The Care Kits are designed to provide harm reduction and coping tools to individuals who are at high risk of overdose, including those recently hospitalized, in outpatient treatment or transitioning out of a treatment program. Research indicates that individuals treated for a nonfatal overdose are at increased risk for a subsequent fatal overdose, and there is an elevated risk of mortality in the weeks following inpatient treatment. This underscores the need for continued care and support.
| | Research at Wichita State | | | | |
With yearly funding topping $400 million, research at Wichita State ranges from bioscience, chemistry and engineering to mathematics, physics and ancient civilization.
Learn more at wichita.edu/research.
| | Innovation at Wichita State | | | | |
Innovation is more than just talk at WSU. It permeates everything we do, all we aspire to become and reaches far beyond our campus boundaries.
Learn more at wichita.edu/innovation.
| | STUDENT CENTERED. INNOVATION DRIVEN. | | |
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 National Science Foundation ranked WSU No. 1 in the nation for aerospace engineering R&D, No. 2 for industry-funded engineering R&D and No. 8 overall for engineering R&D.
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.
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