Shockers always have interesting things to say
Shockers everywhere, at events long ago to happenings just the other day, always have something interesting to say. Take this sampling as a Shock Talk example:
“Congratulations to Tanya Friesen, Billy Hall, Lew Merriman, Damon Sublett and Jazreel Tan for being inducted into the 2026 Wichita State Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame. Your hard work and dedication continue to inspire all of us in Shocker Nation.”
WSU PRESIDENT RICK MUMA, offering congratulations to the 2026 Hall of Famers during a halftime presentation at the WSU men’s basketball game against Tulsa on Feb. 14 in Koch Arena. The 2026 class — Tanya K. (Friesen) Stoltzfus ’14, track and field; Billy Hall ’12, baseball; Lewis “Lew” Merriman ’61, track and field; Damon Sublett ’14, baseball; and Jazreel Shi Hua Tan ’13, bowling — was officially announced on Nov. 17, 2025.
“Happy 100th anniversary to US!”
WSU’S COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS, COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, BARTON SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, about turning 100 years old in 2026 — and celebrating all year long with special activities, lectures, exhibitions, programs, contests, presentations, meetings, tours, hall of fame inductions, performances, concerts, unveilings, open houses, even the ringing of the closing bell at Wall Street’s New York Stock Exchange on April 6. The wide-ranging slate of centennial events honors and reflects the scope and histories of these uniquely Shocker colleges.
“I am incredibly excited to join Wichita State and be part of a university that is doing such impactful work in advancing access and student success.”
JAMARCO CLARK, on being named Wichita State’s next vice president for student affairs. Clark comes to WSU from the University of Illinois Springfield, where he serves as vice chancellor for student affairs. He looks forward to working collaboratively across campus to strengthen student affairs as a strategic partner in fostering student success and supporting students in reaching their goals.
“What an exciting weekend on the farm. We came home from a longhorn show, and not long after, a little one arrived. His mama’s name is Pampers, so — naturally — the new bull calf will be called Huggies. What else could we name him?”
LEANNE CARET ’90, former CEO, Boeing Defense, Space & Industry, in her The C-Suite Unscripted message posted March 11 on LinkedIn as the opening of a tribute to the strong women in her life. Leadership Lessons from the Women Who Came Before Us – Starting with My Mom continues: “On the farm, you learn quickly that life doesn’t pause. Fences break. Weather changes. Calves arrive on their own schedule. And sometimes they come with diaper-brand naming conventions. But the truth is, the most important lessons about leadership don’t come from boardrooms or business books. They come from watching people who show up every single day and do the hard things with steadiness and heart.”
“Going in, I wasn’t sure if rural health was where I wanted to practice, but these rotations completely shifted my mindset.”
KAMRYN VILLA, physician associate student, about the Patterson Family Foundation’s PA Rural Support fund, which supports WSU’s PA students as they complete clinical rotations in the rural catchment area. The fund advances institutional efforts to establish sustainable rural healthcare hubs. These hubs expand opportunities for students like Villa – who completed her rotations in Wichita County – to learn from and participate in providing care in rural Kansas. By strengthening connections between students and communities, the fund helps introduce future healthcare professionals to the possibility of continuing their careers in rural healthcare after graduation.
“This milestone is especially meaningful to me, knowing that something I helped build is being used by crew on such a historic mission.”
LAUREN COFFMAN, biomedical engineering student and NASA intern, on her work with hardware for the Artemis II mission. She is among many Shockers contributing to the mission, including ALEX KANELAKOS ’07, who oversees spacewalking hardware safety, and REZAUL CHOWDHURY ’88, whose company, D-J Engineering, produced components for the program.
