Kathryn “Kat” Fishwick has spent the past five years at Wichita State researching
teen dating violence education programming, a primary prevention technique used to
combat the public health crisis of intimate partner violence. Dr. Fishwick earned
her doctoral degree in community psychology in May 2025. During her time at WSU, Dr.
Fishwick applied her knowledge and expertise while working for the Health, Outreach,
Prevention and Education Services department. HOPE Services advocates for suicide,
sexual violence and substance misuse prevention, along with mental health and wellness
promotion through outreach and education. Dr. Fishwick’s years at Shocker Nation encompassed
research dedication, community outreach and professional development.
As a prevention and outreach staff member at HOPE Services, since its inception, Dr.
Fishwick’s background in sexual violence prevention laid out the foundation of the
department’s outreach and prevention efforts.
Dr. Fishwick’s work on campus included the creation of monthlong prevention programming
and awareness campaigns, including “Red Zone”, Domestic Violence Awareness Month and
Sexual Assault Awareness Month. For these programs, she designed and updated prevention
educational materials. These would later be repurposed into resources, social media
campaigns and into HOPE Services training sessions. She also brought sexual violence
prevention into classrooms by co-creating educational activities for instructors to
provide to students.
As a Community Psychologist, Dr. Fishwick values the power of representation and sought
to ensure that in her research and applied work, those voices were heard. In her research,
Dr. Fishwick filled a gap in teen dating violence prevention research by speaking
with community prevention educators, a group that is rarely included in the conversation.
“My position at HOPE Services, guided my thesis and dissertation work. In health promotion
work, one of the perspectives that’s rarely captured are front-line workers,” Dr.
Fishwick said. “My experience at HOPE Services helped me find a gap in current research
literature.”
Dr. Fishwick applied this principle of representation to her work at HOPE Services.
By collaborating with Prevention Ambassadors, she ensured student voices were incorporated
in prevention programming efforts. Furthermore, Fishwick took on leadership roles,
serving as the co-chair of the Preventing Sexual Violence Committee, a subcommittee
of the HOPE Services Advisory Board. As co-chair, her responsibilities mirrored her
doctoral work in report writing and partnership building, as well as working on various
campus prevention projects.
This Applied Learning Experience was afforded by Dr. Fishwick by Wichita State’s Applied
Learning Fund, which provides Shockers with paid career-relevant experience. The funding
not only helped inspire a new area of research but also allowed her to create positive
and lasting change to Wichita State.
“By working in this applied learning setting, I was able to gain practical knowledge
about how research and practice can work together to create a positive impact,” Dr.
Fishwick said.
Dr. Fishwick and HOPE Services' impact is felt among individuals, classrooms, campuses
and communities through their outreach, health promotion and prevention efforts. HOPE
Services’ collaboration with organizations, campuses, and clinics showed Fishwick
the impact of community-building — important principles and skills for her postdoctoral
plans.
“I’m now pursuing a career focused on implementing health promotion and primary prevention
initiatives,” Dr. Fishwick said. “While I enjoy the research side, I also want to
create educational materials and training that creates positive change.”
This experience revealed a new direction for Dr. Fishwick. She discovered a new career
path that combines the best of research and applied learning strategies. Through the
knowledge gained at WSU, both in academia and from her Applied Learning Experience,
she can continue to combat intimate partner violence and promote mental health and
well-being.
Wichita State's applied learning program gives students hands-on, paid experience
with industry partners, helping them build careers before graduation.
For more information, contact the Shocker Career Accelerator at (316) 978-3688, SCA@wichita.edu, or visit wichita.edu/Career. You can also stop by in person at the Marcus Welcome Center, Suite 139, on the Wichita
State campus.
