Newman University Alumni

Newman University Alumni Newman University Alumni Relations brings graduates together and supports one another.

Banded by thousands of Newman graduates, Alumni Relations is active in the continued success and spiritual wellness of all alumni.

Abderrahman “Abdu” Khamsi (right) moved to Wichita from El Paso, Texas, to complete the Newman Doctor of Nurse Anesthesi...
06/01/2026

Abderrahman “Abdu” Khamsi (right) moved to Wichita from El Paso, Texas, to complete the Newman Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice program. He said his nursing background inspired him to pursue nurse anesthesia and expand his ability to care for patients.

“I felt like it was a good match for me,” Khamsi said. “I get to expand on my critical thinking skills and the interventions I can do for my patients. With this degree, I can have a bigger impact on my patients’ care. I also don’t have to work overtime … and can spend more time with my family.”

Khamsi credited the close-knit support system within Newman’s program for his success.

“Newman has been great. The staff, very supportive,” he said. “With the small class size, you develop very close relationships with your peers, professors and staff. It just makes you feel that you’re appreciated and you’re supported.”

Congrats, Abdu!

Read the full DNAP story: https://news.newmanu.edu/18-dnap-graduates/

Aniya Day, a social work graduate, described her college experience as “transformative,” especially after losing both of...
05/31/2026

Aniya Day, a social work graduate, described her college experience as “transformative,” especially after losing both of her parents while completing her degree.

“Who I was as a freshman and who I am now — two completely different people,” Day said. “If you would have told me that I would have lost both my parents and still graduated in four years, I would have said, ‘You’re lying.’”

Day decorated her graduation cap with the phrase “Be the change” — a message inspired by her mother and one that closely aligned with St. Newman’s famous “to live is to change” quote.

“Lifelong learning is about making sure that you don’t stay stagnant in one place,” Day said. “Being a social worker, you have to continuously learn as the world evolves around you.”

Congrats, Aniya!

Read the full commencement story: https://news.newmanu.edu/2026-commencement/

Newman University honored two employees from more than 40 nominations during its 2026 Staff and Teaching Excellence Awar...
05/29/2026

Newman University honored two employees from more than 40 nominations during its 2026 Staff and Teaching Excellence Awards ceremony May 21.

James Sanny '15, video communications specialist, received the Staff Excellence Award, and Patrick Nance '05, '07, associate professor of accounting, received the Teaching Excellence Award.
Please join us in congratulating James and Patrick!

Find the full story: https://bit.ly/4fMLskJ

Who should we feature in the Fall 2026 Newman University Magazine? 👀We’re looking for story ideas that celebrate the New...
05/29/2026

Who should we feature in the Fall 2026 Newman University Magazine? 👀

We’re looking for story ideas that celebrate the Newman community — from alumni accomplishments to student experiences and everything in between.

Submit your story idea for the Fall 2026 magazine here: https://newmanu.wufoo.com/forms/story-idea-submission-form/

Brooke Ward, director of the diagnostic medical sonography program, presented two students with the Diagnostic Medical S...
05/27/2026

Brooke Ward, director of the diagnostic medical sonography program, presented two students with the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Sunflower Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in academics and in clinical internships.

Kaylee Van was the first recipient, whose clinical site shared that she was among “the top students that they’ve ever mentored in the past 20 years,” Ward said. Student Yaremie Duarte was the second award recipient, whose clinical team “was very impressed, not just by her technical ability but by her confidence and composure.”

Congrats, grads!

Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4wACLA4

Personal journey inspires epilepsy research ⚛️As a biology major with a pre-med concentration, Shelby Bussman said her o...
05/26/2026

Personal journey inspires epilepsy research ⚛️

As a biology major with a pre-med concentration, Shelby Bussman said her own childhood experience with epilepsy inspired both her career path and her Scholars Day project.

“I had epilepsy when I was a kid, and I eventually got surgery in 2017 when I was 13 years old,” Bussman said. “I was resistant against anti-epileptic medications. … If I didn’t get this surgery, I wasn’t going to live much further.”

Bussman, who hails from Derby, Kansas, presented research titled “Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathy and Glycolytic Enzymopathy: Ketogenic Diet-Mediated Improvements in Seizure Recovery Dynamics Using Drosophila Melanogaster.”

Her presentation explored treatment options for refractory epilepsy — a form of epilepsy resistant to medication — and examined the potential benefits of ketogenic diets for patients.

Bussman said she hoped people left her presentation with a broader understanding of epilepsy.

“There isn’t just one kind of epilepsy,” she said. “Every case is different. Their symptoms, their triggers, the way we treat them … it’s all different.”

After graduating and taking a gap year, Bussman plans to pursue medical school and specialize in neurology.

Congrats, Shelby!

Find the full Scholars Day story: https://news.newmanu.edu/90-projects-scholars-day/

Manuel Perez, who balanced a new family and a full-time job at Mirror, Inc. while completing Newman's Master of Social W...
05/25/2026

Manuel Perez, who balanced a new family and a full-time job at Mirror, Inc. while completing Newman's Master of Social Work program, said the department never let him feel like he was doing it alone.

“The social work department has been super supportive from the beginning,” Perez said. “They’d say, just take your time with things, communicate with us. If there’s something you’re falling behind on, let us know and we’re here to support you.”

Congrats, Manuel!

Read the full MSW pinning story: https://news.newmanu.edu/msw-pinning-2026/

For many graduates, commencement marked the culmination of years of perseverance, growth and learning more about who the...
05/25/2026

For many graduates, commencement marked the culmination of years of perseverance, growth and learning more about who they were becoming.

Sergio Morales-Diaz, a business management and marketing major, said graduation carried special significance as a first-generation college student. After taking a semester away from school and questioning whether college was the right path for him, Morales-Diaz credited his parents with encouraging him to continue.

“My parents told me, ‘No, keep going. Push yourself. You’re already there,’” Morales-Diaz said. “They came here and started working to provide a better future for us. They helped me financially, mentally, even spiritually to keep my faith.”

Now, Morales-Diaz hopes his journey will inspire his younger siblings to pursue their own goals with confidence.

“I’m hoping that I can show them that there’s a way,” he said. “Maybe it might take a while, but as long as you put your goals and God first, you’ll get there.”

Congrats, Sergio!

Read the full Commencement story: https://news.newmanu.edu/2026-commencement/

Riverfest will feature Newman’s mobile ag lab, athletics and more May 30 🎊As thousands gather along the Arkansas River f...
05/24/2026

Riverfest will feature Newman’s mobile ag lab, athletics and more May 30 🎊

As thousands gather along the Arkansas River for this summer’s Wichita Riverfest celebration, Newman University will be a part of the excitement.

Newman is joining local colleges and universities for Wichita Riverfest’s first College Days, themed Fiesta Del Rio, from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, May 30.

Riverfest attendees can learn more about Newman’s unique mission as a small, Catholic university, as well as test out its $1 million Smart Mobile Agriculture Lab. Additionally, visitors can learn more about each of the following Newman programs: esports, cheer & dance, women’s basketball, cross country, volleyball, the Sloppy Joe Improv Troupe, the Adorers of the Blood of Christ sisters, Campus Ministry and Newman’s status as a Hispanic-Serving Institution.

About the mobile ag lab 🚜

The climate-controlled trailer is equipped with cutting-edge agricultural technology, designed for students to gain hands-on experience in areas such as drone operation and tractor-driving simulations before entering the workforce.

“This mobile ag technology lab is the showplace of our ag tech management degree program from Newman,” President Kathleen S. Jagger, Ph.D., MPH, said at the unveiling ceremony in April. “It represents a forward-thinking investment in our students, our workforce and, of course, our agricultural future in the state of Kansas.”

The Smart Mobile Agriculture Lab is part of the HERE program — Higher Education Right here — a partnership connecting Newman University with Garden City Community College, Dodge City Community College and Seward County Community College. Through the partnership, students in southwest Kansas can earn a bachelor’s degree without leaving their communities.

See you there, Jets!

To the faculty members who answered questions, offered encouragement, stayed late, prayed with students and celebrated e...
05/22/2026

To the faculty members who answered questions, offered encouragement, stayed late, prayed with students and celebrated every milestone — thank you. Our graduates are ready for what’s next because of you. 🎓

Please join us in thanking our Newman professors! 🙌

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3100 W McCormick Street
Wichita, KS
67213

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+13169424291

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