Author: Jamie Stoskopf

Dr. Nikki Keene Woods, department chair and professor of the Department of Public Health Sciences, was recognized with the 2025-2026 Innovative Teaching Award from the Association of Teachers of Maternal and Child Health.

Woods, alongside Master of Health Administration student Umma Ali, received the award for their project “Choose Your Own Adventure: Visualizing Maternal Health Challenges Using Digital Storytelling.”

Pre‑nursing students are invited to attend the Nursing Student Connector from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday, March 9 in 141 Woolsey Hall, Fidelity Bank Ballroom.

This information session is designed to help students plan their next steps toward a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Students will learn about BSN program options, admission requirements and details about the waived competitive application. The event also includes a Q&A with nursing faculty and current students to gain real‑world insights and guidance.

Pizza and refreshments will be provided.

RSVP by Monday, Feb. 23 at wichita.edu/NursingRSVP.

Don’t miss this opportunity to make connections, ask questions and take the next step toward your nursing career.

The College of Health Professions has three patient-serving clinics that are open to the public. All clinics are accepting new patients and provide high-quality, affordable health care to the community.

• The Evelyn Hendren Cassat Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic provides speech-language and hearing services to people across the lifespan. The clinic faculty specialize in speaking, hearing, swallowing and spoken and written language impairments. The clinic offers a wide variety of audiology services, including hearing aid fitting and hearing aid repairs of all makes and models.
• The Delta Dental of Kansas Foundation Dental Hygiene Clinic offers a wide range of low-cost preventative, therapeutic and educational dental hygiene services.
• WSU’s General Dentistry’s services include cleanings, fillings, teeth whitening and dental implants. The dental clinic provides services in periodontics, endodontics, oral surgery and prosthodontics. The WSU General Dentistry Practice offers a discount for dental care to WSU students and their spouses and children.

Dr. Dean Elledge, Program Director, Specialist Prosthodontist, and Amanda Conner, AEGD academic program manager, in Advanced Education in General Dentistry, published “Icebreaking and Teambuilding: Engaging Oral Health in Social Exclusion and Discrimination” presented at the 2024 ADEA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Workshop on Oct. 23, 2025.

Abstract: The ADEA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (ADEA DEIB) Workshop, Equity in Action: Dismantling Injustice and Promoting Social Justice in Academic Dentistry on Oct. 23 in Coronado, CA. The workshop will focus on enhancing cultural competency, identifying and dismantling systemic barriers, and developing leadership skills for advocacy.

Dr. Voncella McCleary-Jones, professor and associate dean for academic, faculty and student affairs in the College of Health Professions, was elected as a governor-at-large for the National League for Nursing.

Trisha Self, associate professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, was recognized with the Dr. Palmer Practitioner in Healthcare Award from Heartspring.

Rhonda Williams, RN-BSN, program coordinator and teaching professor in the Ascension Via Christi – Wichita State University School of Nursing, presented “Empowering RN to Baccalaureate Faculty: Strategies for Implementing the 2021 AACN Essentials” at the National League for Nursing – Educate Conference on Sept. 18, 2025.

Dr. Stacey Kampe, clinical associate professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, was recognized as Audiologist of the Year from the Kansas Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

The College of Health Professions will celebrate CHP Week with a series of events Oct. 27-31. CHP Week is its annual celebration of the incredible students, faculty and staff in the College of Health Professions. Get ready for a week full of energy, inspiration and community spirit.

The College of Health Professions at Wichita State is continuing to revolutionize its classroom and lab experience with the installation of new microscopes in the Medical Laboratory Sciences and Scientific Foundations Division facilities.

The new microscopes are a major upgrade, replacing dozens of older units with new equipment as part of a strategic investment to ensure that students are trained on the current tools they will use in clinical practice and biomedical research. The investment comes as the college prepares to relocate to the Wichita Biomedical Campus in 2027, positioning its programs for a new level of education, research and innovation.