April 2024

Latest News

Wichita State students recognized for outstanding biomedical research

Four undergraduate students from Wichita State University were among the 18 students recognized at the 22nd annual Kansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (K-INBRE) Symposium in Manhattan, Kansas.

The WSU students who were recognized:

• Yousaf Khan, senior in chemistry
• Alia Michaelis, senior in biochemistry
• Bao Nhu To, junior in biology and health science
• Julie Tran, junior in chemistry

Shockers students earn coveted NSF graduate research awards

Three Wichita State University students have secured the prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation — an award worth $159,000 over three years.

The students — Anthony Ciletti, a senior in mechanical engineering; Reilly Jensen, who is pursuing a master’s degree in biomedical engineering; and Max Proctor, a second-year master’s student studying biological sciences — were chosen among more than 12,000 students nationwide who applied for the fellowship.



According to the NSF, the Graduate Research Fellowship Program “recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing full-time research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics or in STEM education.”

WSU’s HealthHum intertwines health care and humanities 

Wichita State University is not just reshaping downtown Wichita with the Wichita Biomedical Campus; it’s redefining health care education by harnessing the dynamic interplay between health care and the humanities.

WSU’s new Academic Center for Biomedical and Health Humanities, or HealthHum as it’s been monikered, aims to increase the visibility of a wide range of research and teaching in areas related to health care and humanities beyond the traditional health professions.



Dr. Susan Castro, director of HealthHum, said putting a sociologist or a philosopher in the room when big decisions are being made can change the trajectory of care and improve the outcomes of medical research.

Construction projects show Wichita State’s growing innovation and research

Wichita State University continues to see growth in its research infrastructure, with several milestones later this year:

Wichita Biomedical Campus:

The Wichita Biomedical Campus will break ground in May, with phase one of construction to be completed in fall 2026 and programs starting in spring 2027.

Once built, the Wichita Biomedical Campus will combine WSU’s College of Health Professions and Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, WSU Tech’s health care program and the Wichita campuses of KU School of Medicine and KU School of Pharmacy into one location in downtown Wichita.

Renderings for the campus were unveiled earlier this year.

Hub for Advanced Manufacturing and Research (HAMR):

The design for the NIAR HAMR building is complete and construction of the building will begin in May to be completed in fall 2025.

The 186,000-square-foot building is partly funded by an EDA grant and will house advanced manufacturing research labs and associated offices. The building will be located on Innovation Boulevard between the P1 building and The Suites. The first floor will primarily be labs and the second floor will house offices.

ATF Forensic Crime Gun Intelligence Lab:

The ATF Forensic Crime Gun Intelligence Lab is a planned $75 million facility on WSU’s campus that will complement the Gun Crime Intelligence Center of Excellence (GCIC) and National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) Correlation and Training Center (NNCTC II).

Construction is planned for later this year.

Could a sunshade cool the Earth, reducing climate change? WSU researchers seek the truth

Shielding the Earth from the sun seems like a good idea, in theory, to fight climate change, Wichita State University’s Dr. Nickolas Solomey and graduate student Kelly Kabler agree.

Good ideas, they also agree, must be grounded in science.

In early February, the New York Times reported that Asher Space Research Institute Physics Professor Yoram Rozen was working on a prototype for a sunshade in space. Other scientists have proposed using dust as a shield. And Amazon has even teamed with researchers to run models on the possibilities for blocking the sun.

Solomey and Kabler, though, aren’t so sure that the popular idea of protecting the planet with a sunshade is as simple as some propose.

WSU staff and student recognized for their innovation through the John A. See Innovation Award

A professor and graduate student from Wichita State University have been awarded the 2024 John A. See Innovation Award.

The John A. See Innovation Award is given each year as a way to recognize novel ideas that have the potential to meet a market need and attract further funding once they have advanced through the early prototyping phase. Examples of supported costs are prototype development, design, product testing and market analysis.

The 2024 winners are as follows:

• Richard Sack, lab manager of the Project Innovation Hub in the College of Engineering. His winning research project is titled “manufacturing conductive nano-scale fibers by combining electrospinning with ultrasonic phased arrays.”
• Nick Vasilescu, a graduate student in innovation and design, was awarded for his biotech startup TestKey.

Archaeologist uses GIS to model past and future changes in landscape

Imagine the potential impact of climate change, specifically sea level rise and storm surges along the coast of Georgia.

Encroachment of sea water could destroy archaeological sites that give insight into human activities, history and cultural expression.

Matt Howland, assistant professor of anthropology and archaeology, is using Geographic Information Systems software to model how such coastal change and damage could occur. GIS is used to record, store, analyze, visualize and interpret geographic data, and has become an important technological tool for archaeologists, particularly in determining changes across landscapes.

WSU in the News

• Bombardier launches Technician Apprenticeship Program in Wichita - Aviation Source News
• Chinese investment in shale-gas technology is a threat to US innovation - The Hill
• Caprock Chronicles: The historic treasures of Blanco Canyon, part two - Yahoo
• The secret sauce behind Wichita State’s top rankings in industry-funded research - Tech Transfer Central
• US DOT proposes rule to improve air travel for wheelchair users - Aircraft Interiors
• WSU professor, grad student investigate a space ‘sunshade’ - Yahoo
• Wichita State, NASA Focus on In-Space Manufacturing - Assembly Mag
• “We can push boundaries and explore the art of the possible to create new solutions” - JEC Composites
• Archer Completes Multiple Battery Pack Drop Tests - HeliHub
• Stored B-1B Regenerated To Replace Damaged Bomber - The Aviationist
• Wichita State, U.S. Army use ‘FirePoint’ partnership to collaborate on warfare tech - MSN

Research at Wichita State

Innovation at Wichita State

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 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.

FOLLOW US

CONTACT US

strategic.comm@wichita.edu