STUDENT CENTERED. INNOVATION DRIVEN. | | Research at Wichita State | | | | |
With annual research expenditures of $392 million, research at WSU ranges from bioscience, chemistry and engineering to mathematics, physics and ancient civilization.
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The National Science Foundation ranked WSU top 10 in U.S. college engineering R&D expenditures.
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WSU is ranked No. 1 in aerospace engineering R&D expenditures from all funding sources by the NSF.
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.
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A broad range of industry partners, from aerospace to law enforcement, call WSU's Innovation Campus home.
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WSU houses 30+ centers and institutes, many of which work with local, regional and national businesses.
Learn more at wichita.edu/innovation.
| | | Applied Learning at Wichita State | | | | |
Every degree at WSU has applied learning or research experience built in. Students work with professionals, building contacts, confidence and a resume before graduation.
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Students earned $39 million+ in wages in 2024-25.
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Students had applied learning placements at over 700 employers.
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Students worked in more than 12,000 job positions in 2024-25.
Learn more at wichita.edu/appliedlearning.
| | Wichita State's CubeSat launches into low Earth orbit | |
On May 3 a solar detector prototype, developed by Wichita State University professor of physics Dr. Nick Solomey and his students, was launched by NASA into low Earth orbit, toward a potential future mission close to the sun.
Integrated via Germany’s launch integrator Exolaunch, the CubeSat platform was built by NanoAvionics of Lithuania. It will carry and test the WSU-designed prototype solar neutrino detector into low Earth orbit. The spacecraft has two main goals: to prove the detector can operate in space; and measure the background rate of the double pulsed interaction signature.
The CubeSat will test a small detector in Earth orbit to measure "false signals" — random noise that can look like real solar neutrino events. This will help scientists understand the expected rates in space they will need to deal with regarding a real larger detector mission close to the sun.
The launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California, represented the most significant step on the project, which started in 2016.
Photos courtesy of SpaceX
| | Wichita State professor elected to prestigious science fellowship | |
Dr. Moriah Beck, Talaty Endowed Research Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has been elected a 2025 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the world’s largest and most prestigious scientific societies.
Election as an AAAS Fellow is a lifetime honor that recognizes distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. Fellows are chosen by their peers for scientifically or socially distinguished achievements and are expected to uphold the highest standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity.
| | John Hammond receives 2026 Sunflower Award from KBOR | |
John Hammond, senior educator and director of GTA instruction in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, received the 2026 Sunflower Award for Corequisite Innovation from the Kansas Board of Regents.
The Sunflower Award for Corequisite Innovation recognizes Kansas faculty leaders who are advancing student access and success through the implementation of corequisite reform. Rooted in the priorities of the Building a Future strategic plan, this award highlights faculty whose work is helping remove barriers to gateway course completion and strengthening student momentum toward degree attainment.
| | WSU’s John Tomblin receives award for impact in additive manufacturing | |
At the 10th annual Military Additive Manufacturing Summit & Technology Showcase (MILAM) in Tampa, Florida, John Tomblin, executive vice president for research and Industry and Defense Programs and executive director of the WSU’s National Institute for Aviation Research, was honored with the MILAM Lifetime Achievement Award.
The MILAM Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes consistent, distinguished service by an individual who has made ground-breaking lifetime contributions with an enduring impact in the areas of additive manufacturing and 3D printing.
| | B-1 Bomber departs Wichita months ahead of schedule following historic ‘backbone’ surgery | |
A B-1B Lancer that arrived at McConnell Air Force Base last September for a massive structural repair is heading back to the fleet significantly ahead of schedule, proving that digital engineering can revolutionize legacy aircraft sustainment.
The bomber, which underwent a preemptive replacement of its Forward Intermediate Fuselage (FIF) at Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), departed on May 11. The repair, part of the BackBONE Project, replaced a critical 33-foot component in the aircraft’s upper spine section.
Originally slated to take a full year, the joint Air Force and NIAR team completed the structural repair in record time.
| | Wichita State, ATF mark opening of forensic crime gun intelligence laboratory | |
Wichita State marked the opening of a federal forensic laboratory on its Innovation Campus with a ribbon-cutting ceremony May 18, expanding the university’s role in applied learning and national public safety efforts.
The ceremony was held at the new ATF Forensic Crime Gun Intelligence Laboratory — developed in partnership with Wichita State’s Midwest Criminal Justice Institute and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The facility is designed to analyze firearms-related evidence and support investigations across the country, creating hands-on learning opportunities for WSU students in criminal justice, forensic science and related fields, allowing them to work alongside law enforcement professionals using industry-standard tools and techniques.
| | NIAR opens Hub for Advanced Manufacturing and Research at Wichita State | |
Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) officially opened its new Hub for Advanced Manufacturing and Research (HAMR) following a two-day grand opening event that brought together industry leaders, federal partners, Wichita State and NIAR employees, and the greater community.
The 170,000-square-foot facility is now open for industry and government research, development, training and collaboration. Located on Wichita State’s Innovation Campus, HAMR unites applied research, emerging technologies, advanced materials, digital engineering, precision machining and smart automation under one roof — expanding NIAR’s legacy as a global leader in innovation and workforce development.
| | Wichita Biomedical Campus construction hits year two since groundbreaking | |
Since its groundbreaking in May 2024, Phase 1 of the Wichita Biomedical CampusSM has made rapid progress to its anticipated opening of summer 2027. Once operational, the Wichita Biomedical Campus will elevate the City of Wichita and the state of Kansas by:
- Promoting cross-collaboration between Wichita State University, the University of Kansas and the WSU Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology (WSU Tech) in one, state-of-the-art location
- Enhancing biomedical and healthcare education and outcomes in the city and state and signaling the prioritization in the community's health, leading to further investment in Wichita and Kansas
- Strengthening WSU's unique applied learning initiatives that prepare students for the workforce as soon as they graduate
Follow along with the construction of the historic investment in Wichita and Kansas 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 Tech's healthcare program and the Wichita campuses of KU School of Medicine and KU School of Pharmacy.
| | NIAR, Hexcel break ground on applications center at Wichita State | |
Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), in collaboration with Hexcel Corporation, celebrated the groundbreaking of the new Hexcel Applications Center May 28. The center represents a significant milestone for Wichita State and further positions the university and Kansas as leaders in advanced aerospace research, manufacturing and workforce development.
The Hexcel Applications Center at NIAR’s Advanced Technologies Lab for Aerospace Systems (ATLAS) on South Oliver in Wichita further strengthens Kansas’ position as a global hub for aerospace research, design and manufacturing, while highlighting the importance of collaboration among industry, academia and government.
| | President Muma's 'Forward Together' podcast discusses 'Student Centered, Innovation Driven' | |
Wichita State University has grown leaps and bounds in the past 10 years, thanks in no small part to its forward-thinking leadership, strategic partnerships and initiatives that prioritize student success.
Join Wichita State University President Rick Muma as he talks about this journey — through the lens of his book, "Student Centered, Innovation Driven" — with members of his executive team: Dr. Monica Lounsbery, senior executive vice president and provost; Dr. Shelly Coleman-Martins, vice president of Strategic Communications and Marketing; and Andy Schlapp, vice president of strategy and government relations.
"Student Centered, Innovation Driven" is available for purchase wherever books are sold. To learn more about the book and limited time discount code, go to wichita.edu/book.
Click the photo above to watch the video of the podcast. The podcast is also available on Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts or Apple Podcasts.
| | President Muma co-publishes op-ed on higher education and industry partnerships | |
Wichita State University President Rick Muma co-published the op-ed "How to reimagine research partnerships at the speed of industry" with Tim Gaus, principal and smart manufacturing business leader with Deloitte, in University Business.
"Higher education and industry are both under pressure. As institutions confront rising skepticism, demographic shifts, and mounting financial constraints, manufacturers must reckon with complex supply chain issues, economic shifts, workforce/skills gaps, and a push toward new technologies, such as AI. Everyone is hungry for effective innovations."
| | WSU launches Kansas Data Trust to support healthier communities across Kansas | |
Wichita State University’s Public Policy and Management Center (PPMC) announced the launch of the Kansas Data Trust, a new statewide, university-based initiative designed to bring data together from multiple sources to better understand issues, understand impact and strengthen evidence to inform decisions to improve the health of communities across the state.
Led by the PPMC, the Kansas Data Trust serves as a trusted platform for responsibly bringing information together across public agencies, nonprofit organizations and researchers to help paint a more complete picture of the challenges facing Kansans and the progress that’s being made.
| | Shocker Design Experience increases retention by leading students through challenges | |
While many factors help student retention, Samantha Corcoran’s favorite is fostering curiosity. She likes to ask her students: “Do you love learning? Do you love going new places?”
“We’ve chosen to focus on increasing student curiosity in everything that we do,” says Corcoran, associate engineering educator in the College of Engineering.
Wichita State University’s First-Year Seminar “Introduction to Technology and Innovation,” and Shocker Design Experience are producing impressive retention increases. Freshman persistence has increased to 80% from fall 2024 to fall 2025. That's a 14% increase since the program was updated in 2021.
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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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