WSU alum named executive director at Second Light homeless shelter
Within his newest position at Second Light, a low-barrier homeless shelter located in the heart of Wichita’s downtown area, collaboration is everything to Dan Clifford ’15/16. “The entirety of the success of this model can be attributed to the collaboration we have received from our community partners,” says the alumnus.
In August, Clifford was named executive director of the shelter, which is slated to open in early 2026. He steps into the position with ample experience working with unhoused and at-risk populations, having served—to name just a few sites—at the City of Wichita Housing & Community Services department, the Sedgwick County Health Department and the AmeriCorps.
He was drawn to WSU’s community psychology program, where he received his master’s degree and doctorate in psychology, for its commitment to advocacy and social justice, a theme evident in his capstone research project, “Veterans and Mindfulness: A community-based peer led initiative,” which studied the effects of mind-body self-care techniques for personal growth and coping on populations experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder. “So much of the work we do now is collaborative, and that same sense of collaboration is shared at Wichita State,” he recalls. “As a student, I was lucky to work with military veterans and first responders for my dissertation, and that experience helped prepare me for my public service career.”
As of January, more than 700 individuals across the city experience homelessness. For this vulnerable population, Second Light stands as a beacon of hope and opportunity. The shelter marks the city’s first shelter-plus-service model, offering individuals access to on-site medical and mental health care in addition to housing. Working alongside a team of community resource partners, the organization hopes to achieve functional zero homelessness in the Wichita area.
More than just technical skills, Clifford says, education is a gift that can improve your life, as well as the lives of others. “We are living in a time of intense scrutiny and conflict. Thinking logically, evaluating information and data, making informed decisions about the world around you,” he says, “these are critical skills obtained throughout one’s education.”
“We can only move forward as a society if we have empathy for each other,” the alum says, “and agree that we can do better.”
And through much collaboration, Clifford, his team and their many partners across Wichita have agreed to do better for the community’s most vulnerable population.
