Wichita State leads NSF rankings in engineering and aerospace research | |
Fueled by a boost in contracts from federal agencies and various military branches, Wichita State University continues to hold strong in its standings in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Higher Education Research and Development Survey, reporting $392 million in research expenditures in the latest survey. This marks a 7% increase over the previous year’s $366 million, reinforcing WSU’s position as a leading research institution.
Specifically, Wichita State ranks No. 1 in aerospace engineering research and development (R&D) from all funding services with a total of $350 million, No. 2 in engineering R&D funded by industry and defense with $283 million, and No. 9 in engineering R&D from all funding sources with $360 million.
“The dedication and expertise of our researchers make these rankings possible,” President Rick Muma said. “Our consistent performance in research rankings continues to attract top talent and strategic partnerships to our university and state, continuing to position Wichita State as an economic driver for the state.”
| | Wichita State students earn record $39.2 million in paid internships, fueling Kansas’ talent pipeline | |
Wichita State University students earned a record-breaking $39.2 million through applied learning in the 2025 academic year — a powerful testament to WSU’s hands-on approach to career readiness and its role in strengthening the Kansas workforce.
That marks an 11% increase from the previous year’s $35.3 million. And more students than ever are receiving these opportunities, with 12,328 applied learning experiences — a 31% jump over last year’s 9,397 — through paid, resume-building work with area businesses, organizations, on-campus positions and Innovation Campus companies, all while still pursuing their degrees.
The record gains come as Wichita State’s celebrates its fifth straight year of enrollment growth, with more than 18,458 students enrolled at its main campus this fall. University leaders say the growth reflects the appeal of applied learning, which has become central to WSU’s mission of providing affordable education with real-world value.
“This work changes lives,” Wichita State President Rick Muma said. “Applied learning equips our students with the skills and competence to make immediate and meaningful contributions to their employers immediately after graduation.”
| | Wichita State names Dr. Ali P. Gordon as dean of College of Engineering | |
Dr. Ali P. Gordon has been named as the next dean of the Wichita State University College of Engineering, effective June 7.
Gordon currently serves as a professor and the associate dean of graduate affairs at the University of Central Florida’s College of Engineering and Computer Science, a role he took as interim in 2018 before being appointed in 2019. During his tenure, Gordon has overseen over 30 graduate programs and 2,500 graduate students, and he architected the college’s strategic internationalization plan.
“Wichita State University is already a recognized powerhouse for engineering, computing, applied learning and research,” Gordon said. “As we strive for R1 status, the College of Engineering will be a key contributor to the transformation. With our talented students, distinguished faculty, dedicated staff and fully engaged industry partners already in place, achieving a bold new vision for this college is well within our reach. It is a privilege to lead the College of Engineering, and together we will author its next great chapter.”
| | Four Wichita State faculty and staff honored as Kansas Board of Regents awardees | |
Four Wichita State University faculty and staff members have been named 2025 Faculty and Staff of the Year by the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR), recognizing their excellence in teaching, research, service and student support.
The KBOR awards recognize outstanding contributions by faculty and staff across the state’s universities.
Wichita State’s 2025 KBOR awardees:
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Dr. Lisa Parcell, Kansas Health Foundation Director of the Elliott School of Communication and professor of communication, Tenured Faculty of the Year. A nationally recognized scholar of media history, Parcell explores how advertising and public relations shaped consumer culture. As a teacher and mentor, she is known for building students’ confidence in communication and research. Read more about Parcell.
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Dr. Erin O’Bryan, assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders, Tenure-Track Faculty of the Year. O’Bryan leads research on person-centered storytelling for people with aphasia, helping patients reclaim their voices while training future speech-language pathologists in empathy and compassion. Read more about O’Bryan.
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Marco Hernandez, assistant teaching professor of print media and foundations coordinator in the School of Art, Design and Creative Industries, Faculty of the Year. Hernandez blends cultural identity and creativity in his art and teaching. His prints have been exhibited nationally, and he inspires students through his leadership of Tornado Alley Press and the First-Generation Artist Exhibition. Read more about Hernandez.
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Dr. Christopher Leonard, director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Staff of the Year. Leonard has transformed CAPS into a hub of student-centered mental health services, reducing wait times, expanding access and fostering a campus-wide culture of care. Read more about Leonard.
| | Campus construction projects continue with new facilities | |
As we enter the spring semester, Wichita State University's 330 acres and beyond have ongoing construction of new facilities to enhance WSU's research capabilities and applied learning opportunities for students.
NIAR Hub for Advanced Manufacturing and Research
Construction on the NIAR HAMR building continues to progress and is rapidly nearing its end.
The 170,000-square-foot building is partly funded by an EDA grant and will house advanced manufacturing research labs and associated offices. The building is located on Innovation Boulevard between the Partnership Building 1 and The Suites. The first floor is primarily labs with research offices and training labs on the second floor.
Partnership Building 3B
P3B, located between Partnership Building 3 and The Smart Factory by Deloitte @ Wichita, is under construction. It will house the Forensic Crime Gun Intelligence Laboratory for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The building is expected to be completed in early spring 2026.
Wichita Biomedical Campus
More structures are going up during Phase 1 of the Wichita Biomedical Campus in downtown Wichita, including the interior staircases, terraced seating area, concrete pours and interior walls. And the building is almost entirely enclosed on all sides. Follow along with the construction 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 Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology’s (WSU Tech) health care program, and the Wichita campuses of the KU School of Medicine and KU School of Pharmacy.
| | Scholars Walk on Wichita State's campus celebrates faculty excellence | |
The new Scholars Walk on campus, located between the Plaza of Heroines and Heskett Center, celebrates faculty excellence in research and classroom accomplishments.
The Scholars Walk is a series of banners that highlight faculty from Wichita State University's academic colleges, including:
- Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- College of Engineering
- W. Frank Barton School of Business
- College of Health Professions
- College of Applied Studies
- College of Fine Arts
- WSU Libraries
Each banner includes a QR code that links to a short biography of each faculty member and additional information on their scholarly work.
University deans, led by Dr. Monica Lounsbery, senior executive vice president and provost, held a ribbon cutting for the new addition to campus last semester.
| | WSU aerospace classes prepared senior for work at Beech Wind Tunnel | |
Sarah Varner spends her days interning at the Walter H. Beech Wind Tunnel at Wichita State University. For an aerospace engineering major, that time is one example of how the university’s applied learning opportunities are vital to starting a career.
“Wichita State is unique in how many excellent opportunities engineering students have to get experience working while they pursue their degree,” she said. “It's helpful to get relevant experience on one's resume while in college.”
| | B-1 Bomber arrives in Wichita for cutting-edge 'Backbone' surgery | |
Last semester, a B-1B Lancer touched down at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, to undergo replacement of its Forward Intermediate Fuselage (FIF) at Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR).
The FIF is a critical 33-foot component located in the aircraft’s upper spine section in front of the wings and the repair is part of the BackBONE Project, which is designed to preemptively replace the FIF on B-1s once they reach the end of their durability life.
What sets this project apart is the innovative use of a digital twin. Since early 2020, NIAR has been meticulously building a digital replica of the B-1, disassembling and scanning two retired B-1s to create high-fidelity 3D models to be used in future efforts to repair and sustain B-1 aircraft.
| | WSU Board of Trustees approves feasibility study for dental school in partnership with FHSU | |
The Wichita State University Board of Trustees has approved up to $750,000 to fund a comprehensive feasibility study exploring the creation of Kansas’ first dental school. This is inclusive of support from Fort Hays State University, a partner in the project, which aims to address the state’s shortage of dentists, particularly in rural communities.
The study, to be completed by fall 2026, will evaluate the scope, scale and structure of a potential dental school based in Wichita, with a presence in rural Kansas through Fort Hays State. Key areas of focus include cohort size, faculty and staff needs, accreditation requirements, facility planning and potential partnerships with Federally Qualified Health Centers to expand clinical access.
If found feasible, the proposed dental school would be part of Phase II of the Wichita Biomedical Campus.
| | Research at Wichita State | | | | |
With annual research expenditures of $392 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 25,000 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. 9 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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