Wichita State University
List of Services & Programs
Applied Research & Collaboration
Services
- Survey Research & Qualitative Methods
- Economic Impact Studies
- Program Evaluation & Policy Analysis
- Data Analysis & Statistical Methods
Major Community Initiatives
Talent & Organizational Success
Services
- Curriculum and Instruction Support
- Administration and Staffing Support of Conferences, Events, and Programs
- Association Management
- Workforce Development Project Oversite
- Development and Delivery of Training Series Events
PPMC Programs
- Local Government Network
- Women in Public Service
- Professional Development Series
- Public Service Recognition Week
Associations & Conferences Managed or Supported by PPMC
- Kansas Business Roundtable
- Local Government Network
- Kansas Government Finance Officers Association
- Kansas Museums Association
- City Clerks and Municipal Finance Officers Association of Kansas
- Kansas County Clerks’ and Election Officials’ Association
- To The Stars: Kansas Business Awards
- Workforce Innovation Conference
- WSU City/County Management Summit
- Kansas Governor's Water Conference
- Networked Conference
Access & Engagement
Services
- Community Initiatives
- Facilitation
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Strategic Planning
Major Community Initiatives
History
The PPMC is proud of our 68-year history.
The Public Policy and Management Center was founded in 1958 by Dr. Hugo Wall, a professor who served Wichita State University for 42 years, from 1929 to 1971.
In the mid-1940s, Professor Wall began envisioning an academic unit that would link the University and the community. Professor Wall's vision first emerged when the University established the Center for Urban Studies to conduct applied research and community service under his direction. The Center for Urban Studies was started with the belief that public universities should serve the public good. Stable funding for the Center began in 1965, shortly after the transition of the University of Wichita into Wichita State University.
In 2015, the Center for Urban Studies was renamed the Public Policy and Management Center (PPMC) to reflect our mission of advancing excellence in public service.
In 2017, the PPMC was moved from the Hugo Wall School to the WSU Division of Diversity & Community Engagement. The PPMC began employing 3-7 Graduate Research Assistants from Wichita State University who are studying in the Master of Public Administration program or related fields.
In 2025, the PPMC incorporated with the Office of Community Partnerships and moved campus operations to the Garvey International (GI) building on the corner of 17th and Hillside. The building, which opened in 1932, marks the first location where the PPMC is the sole tenant, beginning a new era for public service on WSU campus. The PPMC is proud to continue its long-standing mission of applied research and community service, employing subject matter experts and passionate public servants to increase leaders' capacity and ensure excellence in public service.
