Wichita State Poised For Massive Growth

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WBJ - New Wichita State hub will 'tear down barriers' for business, U.S. defense innovations

Why does this concept make me a little nervous?

[SubGod22]

WSU - Wichita State, NASA lead research for improved in-space manufacturing plans

Wichita State University will lead a three-year project to assist NASA’s manufacturing paradigm shift from “factories on earth” to “factories in space.”

“This project will pioneer a new in-space manufacturing technology based on electrospinning,” said Dr. Wujun Si, assistant professor in WSU’s College of Engineering. “It will significantly overcome some fundamental challenges faced by the current ISM technology based on additive manufacturing.”

“Physics-Informed-AI Enabled Smart Electrospinning of Nanofiber Membranes Towards In-Space Manufacturing” is funded by a NASA grant of $750,000.

Project success will enable Wichita and Kansas to develop a new research enterprise directed toward long-term, self-sustaining, nationally competitive aerospace research capabilities on ISM, which contributes to Kansas’ aerospace economy, and expand the nation's base for aerospace research and development.

“Spirit AeroSystems will use its manufacturing expertise to support the development, characterization and enhancement of nanofiber electrospun membranes in collaboration with the project partners,” said Kim Caldwell, senior director, Spirit AeroSystems Global Research & Technology. “This research will make it more feasible to eventually fabricate parts on space factories enabling new scientific and economic missions.”

The proposed innovative system will facilitate a series of future complex and long duration deep space missions that are previously impossible. NASA’s launch of Artemis I in 2022 and subsequent Artemis missions demonstrate that In-Space Manufacturing is of immediate need and essential to enable flexible on-demand manufacturing and mission sustainability. 

The ISM technology is in an early stage and mostly rooted in additive manufacturing. It is well known that the layer-by-layer printing process in additive manufacturing is significantly impacted by the gravity. However, in-space environments (such as zero/micro-gravity and vacuum) are quite different from the earth's conditions. This substantially limits the ISM capability of additive manufacturing.

The project proposes a new electrospinning-based ISM technique. Compared with additive manufacturing, this electrospinning-based manufacturing paradigm does not rely on gravity and fabricates nanostructured thin parts like functional membranes in space, which complements additive manufacturing that prints macroscale solid parts.

[pogo]

The two buildings at 17th and Hillside (SW Corner) came down this week. I remember the two story building as the Penthouse Club but I forget the name of the "House" Band. I wonder what plans they have for the Property

[shocker_torero]

The two buildings at 17th and Hillside (SW Corner) came down this week. I remember the two story building as the Penthouse Club but I forget the name of the "House" Band. I wonder what plans they have for the Property

Would be interesting if they had something in the works. The parcels are listed as “reserved” on documents relating to the “University Village.” An overhead rendering shows a couple of buildings built closer to the intersection and refreshed parking. Notably the presentation in early 2022 about the university village plans didn’t show any improvements on those parcels as part of those plans. Which, haven’t come to fruition anyway. I wouldn’t be shocked if those plans were revamped significantly in the next couple years to add more housing and less office space.

[WINGdingBALLfling]

I'm not sure when these renderings were released for the "College Park Plaza", but it seems this would sit where the two buildings were recently razed.

Renderings of College Park Plaza & College Park Place @17th and Hillside:
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories...d12db0175502e6

"The College Park Plaza project proposes to build a 20,000 square foot mixed-use retail space as well as a 10,000 sq. ft. office space on the second floor of a new development at the corner of 17th & Hillside. Additionally, the College Park Place project is proposed to include a thirty (30) unit apartment building for multi-family housing."

Article from 11/7/2023 talking about College Park Plaza and the developer:
https://www.communityvoiceks.com/202...ge-park-plaza/

Article from 3/1/2022 that seems to reference the same land and an additional mixed-use project between Vassar and Holyoke:
https://www.communityvoiceks.com/202...rsity-village/

[shoxlax]

What retail is needed or would be convenient for the campus population? That area is a concentrated mix of international students, gentrification types and a few holdovers from days past.

I wish we had an ice cream and shake type place on campus. A drug store is probably needed but it would almost certainly attract a bunch of problems. Dollar Generals are increasingly run down and disorganized.

Other possibilities:
A shoe store such as Famous Footware or Shoe Rack.
A legitimate micro brewery like Hopping Gnome.
A bakery.
A used record/counterculture bong shop for Kung.
An Innovation Campus store where one can buy apparel and trinkets donning Innovation Campus business logos.
An optometrist
A bar with rooftop seating and bocce ball
An English Pub with UK food and darts
A cell phone/computer repair shop

Any other thoughts?

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Spirit AeroSystems ex-CEO named Barton School's executive advisor to the dean

Tom Gentile, the former CEO of Spirit AeroSystems, is expanding his role at Wichita State University.

The W. Frank Barton School of Business announced earlier this month that Gentile, the inaugural executive-in-residence in 2021, is now the executive advisor to the dean, Larisa Genin.

WSU says his role will be to help the business school with its strategic direction and with an initiative to elevate the school's international presence.

"Tom Gentile’s vast leadership experience and strategic acumen will undoubtedly enhance our ability to navigate the dynamic landscape of business education," Genin, dean of the Barton School of Business, said in a news release. "We look forward to leveraging his insights as we continue to advance our mission of providing a world-class business education."

Through hosting public-facing fireside chats with company executives, WSU says Gentile hopes to introduce students to industry experts as well as to mentor business students.

Gentile, who lives in Wichita, will provide his expertise pro bono to the school.

"I'm excited about infusing even more energy into providing strategic guidance and elevating the school's global profile,” Gentile said in the news release.

[WuDrWu]

What retail is needed or would be convenient for the campus population? That area is a concentrated mix of international students, gentrification types and a few holdovers from days past.

I wish we had an ice cream and shake type place on campus. A drug store is probably needed but it would almost certainly attract a bunch of problems. Dollar Generals are increasingly run down and disorganized.

Other possibilities:
A shoe store such as Famous Footware or Shoe Rack.
A legitimate micro brewery like Hopping Gnome.
A bakery.
A used record/counterculture bong shop for Kung.
An Innovation Campus store where one can buy apparel and trinkets donning Innovation Campus business logos.
An optometrist
A bar with rooftop seating and bocce ball
An English Pub with UK food and darts
A cell phone/computer repair shop

Any other thoughts?

A fish and chips place to attract some GB visitors is fine with me. That being said, the one thing I ever was ok with in Lawrence was that bakery downtown (long since closed) that just did it right for years for poor college kids. You could get an egg salad sandwich (little if anything other than white bread, boiled eggs and mayo) 4 doughnut holes and a milk for like a buck and half (and I realize that was a long time ago) but something simple that promotes a local person looking out for the student is always good.

[pogo]

A fish and chips place to attract some GB visitors is fine with me. That being said, the one thing I ever was ok with in Lawrence was that bakery downtown (long since closed) that just did it right for years for poor college kids. You could get an egg salad sandwich (little if anything other than white bread, boiled eggs and mayo) 4 doughnut holes and a milk for like a buck and half (and I realize that was a long time ago) but something simple that promotes a local person looking out for the student is always good.

The idea off a local business looking out for students was embodied by a man who had a lunch counter at the Drug store at 13th and Woodlawn. Jack Stucky owner of Jacks used to have the lunch counter and would welcome a group of us AFTER the lunch rush and would fix a plate of food of what ever was kind of left for a buck. He referred to us a "His Boys" and we always talked about WSU sports as well as local and regional sports. Of course there was a very pretty WSU coed that worked there as well and I would always buy some bubble gum since she worked the cash register and gave me the opportunity to chat with her. I married her years later.

[WuDrWu]

The idea off a local business looking out for students was embodied by a man who had a lunch counter at the Drug store at 13th and Woodlawn. Jack Stucky owner of Jacks used to have the lunch counter and would welcome a group of us AFTER the lunch rush and would fix a plate of food of what ever was kind of left for a buck. He referred to us a "His Boys" and we always talked about WSU sports as well as local and regional sports. Of course there was a very pretty WSU coed that worked there as well and I would always buy some bubble gum since she worked the cash register and gave me the opportunity to chat with her. I married her years later.

Love it! Was that the drug store that was just west of Dillon's for years? (Can't remember the name).

[Kung Wu]

Love it! Was that the drug store that was just west of Dillon's for years? (Can't remember the name).

Gessler's?

[Veritas]

The idea off a local business looking out for students was embodied by a man who had a lunch counter at the Drug store at 13th and Woodlawn. Jack Stucky owner of Jacks used to have the lunch counter and would welcome a group of us AFTER the lunch rush and would fix a plate of food of what ever was kind of left for a buck. He referred to us a "His Boys" and we always talked about WSU sports as well as local and regional sports. Of course there was a very pretty WSU coed that worked there as well and I would always buy some bubble gum since she worked the cash register and gave me the opportunity to chat with her. I married her years later.

Where’d you go to HS? The old Kapaun?

[WuDrWu]

Gessler's?

Gessler's was Central and Woodlawn. 13th and Woodlawn is where the Candle Club is hidden. Maybe it was Hart Drugs? That sounds familiar.

[shoxlax]

The Candle Club.

[ABC]

The Candle Club.

Yes, the Candle Club, a quaint little coffee shop. Anyone have some good Candle Club stories? I've only heard a few, but never witnessed anything interesting.

It was the inspiration for the bar/restaurant in the movie Ice Harvest, set in Wichita.