The Barton School of Business at Wichita State University has launched IMPACT — Innovative Mentored Projects for Applied Career Training, a program that provides students with paid, career-relevant project experiences while supporting meaningful work across the Wichita community and beyond.

 

As part of Wichita State’s strategic plan, every degree-seeking student at WSU is guaranteed an applied learning or research experience before graduation. That commitment has established WSU as a national model for career preparation and collaboration. 

 

To accelerate this work, the Barton School received Applied Learning Fund support from Wichita State University to underwrite student wages this academic year. These university funds—allocated to WSU through state appropriations—are designed to expand experiential learning opportunities campus-wide. The Office of Career and Professional Development in the Barton School serves as IMPACT’s administrative home, providing oversight, coordination, and support for participating students and employer partners.

 

Applied learning through IMPACT helps students build market-ready skills while earning income that supports their education.

 

“IMPACT gives students the chance to develop on-the-job expertise while paying for school,” said Dr. Alexander Ziegler, Executive Director of External Relations and Partnerships and Marketing faculty member at the Barton School of Business.

 

Tina Khan, Executive Director of the Barton School’s Office of Career & Professional Development, emphasized the program’s dual impact: “Our students can add immediate value to organizations, and we want employers to have clear access to that talent,” she said. “IMPACT benefits students by giving them career-relevant experience, and it benefits employers by connecting them to a direct pipeline of graduates who are ready to contribute on day one.”

 

In the inaugural semester, 18 students were selected for IMPACT projects with nonprofits, startups, government entities, and a major corporation. Assignments include website development, marketing communications planning, and database management—projects that reflect skills in demand by today’s employers. Each project is student-led and faculty-mentored, giving students ownership of outcomes while earning both compensation and an applied learning credential.

 

Through these collaborations, students apply classroom knowledge to real-world problems, gain exposure to diverse organizational settings—from the agility of startups to the scale of corporate environments—and build portfolios that demonstrate career-ready expertise.

 

“IMPACT links what students learn in the classroom to the work organizations need done,” said Dr. Justin Keeler, Clinical Associate Professor, Director of the MSBA program, and IMPACT faculty mentor. “Students take on real projects, meet real deadlines, and develop skills that translate directly into the workplace.”

 

“The world our students are graduating into is changing quickly, and employers are paying closer attention to skills and real-world experience than ever before,” said Dr. Larisa Genin, Dean of the Barton School of Business. “IMPACT helps us close that gap by connecting coursework with real projects for real organizations, so students gain the capabilities today’s workforce needs even before they graduate.”

 

The Barton School plans to expand IMPACT in future semesters, strengthening WSU’s leadership in applied learning, community engagement, and innovation-driven education.