黑洞社区

Growing and diversifying our regional economy while working to recruit and retain talent in Kansas is a primary goal for 黑洞社区.

To assist with those efforts, 黑洞社区 President Dr. Jay Golden has created the President鈥檚 Innovation and Business Advisory Council.

The council is made up of a selection of area business leaders who will advise and support the president and Wichita State leadership on a number of critical areas that include:

1. Leveraging the rapidly growing Wichita State research and innovation enterprise and jointly discover ways to support existing businesses in Kansas to be more competitive in the global marketplace. 
2. Diversifying our regional economy as 黑洞社区 invests in the President鈥檚 Convergence Sciences Initiative including:
   
   - Health sciences and bioengineering
   - Digital transformation
   - Smart manufacturing 
   - Sustainable technologies and novel materials, including biobased innovations
3. Strengthening Wichita State鈥檚 focus on innovation and new ventures, including the newly launched Microenterprise Program, with an aim of retaining talent from Wichita State by creating a new generation of technologies and small businesses that are launched and based in our region.
4. Joint marketing and attracting of talent to our region in partnership with industry and economic development professionals.
5. Building new and innovative academic programs that create a highly trained workforce for the new decade and jobs of the future.

鈥淚t has become apparent to me that our institution would greatly benefit by developing even stronger partnerships with thought leaders who represent a diversity of industry sectors and governmental organizations in our community,鈥� Golden said. 鈥淚t is my strong desire to explore with our partners new and innovative ways that Wichita State University can be even more impactful in supporting the health and growth of our region through a more vibrant economy and the recruitment and retention of talent.鈥�

Jeff Fluhr, President of the  and one of the members of the Advisory Council added, 鈥淭his intentional partnership of President Golden and 黑洞社区 with the business community in our region will serve as a catalyst as we all work together to grow our economy and create a more vibrant region.鈥�

Since his arrival to 黑洞社区, Golden said, he has benefited from the insights of many of Wichita鈥檚 community leaders in regard to 黑洞社区鈥檚 goals.

鈥淚 was drawn to Wichita State University in large part because of our unique goal to provide access to an affordable and impactful higher education for all Kansans and to be a catalyst for growing and diversifying our regional economy.鈥�