Shocker News

In 1895 when Nathan J. Morrison accepted the appointment as the first president of the fledgling liberal arts college positioned on the “fair mount” overlooking the Arkansas River Valley, he was well aware of the significant challenges he would face in the undertaking.

Resources were sparse. Following the collapse of Wichita’s economy in 1888, the city appeared an unassuming, even unpromising, field in which to put down roots. Fairmount College, for which Morrison held lofty aspirations, had no dormitories or library to speak of.

Yet, Morrison refused to abandon his post. Despite the obstacles, the first president persevered.

He recruited faculty equally committed to the undertaking — Dean William Isely and professors Samuel Kingsbury, Paul Roulet, Arthur Hoare, Elizabeth Sprague and librarian Alice M. Isely, to name just a few — and, together, they lifted the college from the dire straits of its earliest days.

Hailing from far afield, these faculty and friends had little in common, save a shared, unwavering assurance in the power of education. Their efforts laid the groundwork for the transformation of the college into the Municipal University of Wichita in 1926 and into Wichita State University in 1964, carried forward by many figures along the way: administrators, alumni and countless friends whose stories are interwoven with those of the initial Fairmount Founders.

In June, the WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement recognized several hundred of these figures at its inaugural Fairmount Forever celebration. Bringing together members from across its three giving societies — the Society of 1895, President’s Club and Fairmount Society — this event honored the many supporters who have made the advancement of Wichita State a part of their life’s work, and whose generosity has helped make that advancement possible.

Among attendees were Don and Elizabeth King, who were named the 2025 recipients of the Fairmount Founders Award. First presented in 1988 to H. Dene Heskett ’35, this award is given annually to those who offer outstanding service to the university — a description befitting the Kings’ Shocker giving history.

Since 1991, Don, retired president of King Construction, and Elizabeth, who retired in 2024 as WSUFAE president and CEO emerita, have supported scores of university initiatives, programs and projects across campus — from the arts to athletics to scholarship development, including, in 2012, the establishment of the Elizabeth and Don King Scholarship for International Students.

“The Fairmount Founders Award is defined by those who possess an unmistakable passion for our university and its rich history,” says Telly McGaha, WSUFAE president and CEO. “With their unwavering commitment to the advancement of Wichita State, Elizabeth and Don couldn’t be more deserving of this recognition.”

From business leaders and educators to aerospace engineers, artists, doctors, authors and nearly every profession between, each Fairmount Forever attendee and the long wave of Shockers that precede them are bound by a common thread: a belief in the goodness and limitless potential of education. And theirs is a conviction as old as the university itself.

View the complete list of Fairmount Founders Award honorees at: foundation.wichita.edu/fairmount-society

Sarah Beth Estes steps into new role as dean of Fairmount College

Sarah Beth Estes is the new dean of the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Bringing a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to student and faculty success with her, Estes comes to WSU from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where she was dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Education. During her tenure there, she led initiatives to enhance inclusive excellence, expand faculty research and align academic programs with workforce needs. Her leadership was key in advancing student success and a collaborative academic environment.

“I’m honored to join the distinguished faculty, dedicated staff and innovative programs of Fairmount College,” Estes says. “The college’s longstanding tradition of excellence has been essential in shaping the future of Wichita State and continues to be a driving force behind key initiatives, including the expansion of applied learning opportunities, the growth of the Innovation Campus and the Wichita Biomedical Campus, and the pursuit of R-1 status.”

A sociologist by training, Estes has a rich background in academic leadership, including roles as associate dean and department chair. Her research focuses on social inequality, gender and the transformative power of education. She earned her doctorate in sociology from the University of Cincinnati.
She began her tenure at Wichita State on July 6.

Richard Muma’s new book chronicles the bold course taken by the university he leads

Wichita State has spent the past decade redefining what it means to be a public urban research university. Through visionary leadership, strategic partnerships and an unwavering focus on students, the university has grown from a largely regional institution into a national model of innovation, applied learning and student opportunity.

In his new book, “Student Centered, Innovation Driven: A Guide to Transforming Higher Education,” WSU President Muma tells the story of that transformation. “Even under the best of circumstances, change is difficult,” he writes. “Institutional change is, frankly, agonizing, and it requires a tolerance for pain, a stubborn willingness, and a fierce conviction that today’s adversities
will be tomorrow’s victories.”

Through its Innovation Campus, new facilities, record enrollment and expanding applied learning opportunities, Wichita State has taken on present-day challenges and charted a bold course for the future.

“Student Centered, Innovation Driven” is available from University Press of Kansas and
wherever books are sold.

WSU nursing students strengthen confidence, empathy through visual arts

A group of students huddle around a composition by Gordon Parks at the Ulrich Museum of Art, tasked with describing what they see. One student describes the subject, Harlem gang leader Red Jackson, as sad, downtrodden. Her peer counters, saying Jackson appears simply tired. Each, both, could be correct.

The students are not practicing to develop as photographers or artists themselves, but as healthcare professionals. Inspired by a visual perception activity at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for NYPD officers, the program has become a standing appointment for students in the nursing department. “We bring our biases when we interpret art, just the same way a healthcare student may bring their bias to assessing a patient or situation,” says Brenda Lichman, associate director of education at the Ulrich Museum of Art. Lichman encourages students to evaluate each piece as they would a patient, careful to avoid language that dismisses others’ observations.

The visual thinking strategies assessment has been enthusiastically embraced by faculty across the nursing department, who report that the activity has eased the transition from classroom to clinicals. “Nursing students, they’re very worried about making a mistake that may cause others harm,” says Stephanie Nicks, teaching professor in the department. “Here, they’re learning from each other, using the same skills — assessment, empathy, communication and listening — that they will use in the hospital.”