Kansas Health Science University (KHSU) has announced a $300,000 capstone challenge grant to enhance educational instruction at its downtown Wichita campus. The grant will fund the university’s new biomedical science laboratory, KHSU’s first major capital construction project since opening its doors in 2022.
“We are grateful to the JE & LE Mabee Foundation of Tulsa for this opportunity,” said Kimberly Long, Ph.D., interim president of KHSU. “The capstone challenge will help make our new student biomedical science laboratory possible and enhance KHSU’s institutional research capabilities.”
KHSU will soon seek bids for shell construction of the $1.52 million project, which is planned for the third floor of the KHSU campus. Contingent on fundraising goals, construction should be completed as early as October 2027. The interdisciplinary space, designed with input from experienced lab architects and internal and external faculty experts, will support research in pathology, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, and more, providing large workstations, hoods and water hookups.
“The state-of-the-art laboratory will advance the training and education of our more than 500 student doctors, providing an essential resource for their preparation as medical professionals,” Dr. Long added. “It will also help attract and retain exceptional talent at KHSU and open new pathways to critical research grant opportunities.”
“A capstone challenge is a conditional grant that helps complete a project’s fundraising by matching additional donor contributions. To receive the capstone challenge, KHSU must raise an additional $600,000,” said Molly Fox, vice president of advancement at KHSU.
“We so appreciate the Mabee Foundation for both their generosity and their strategic approach to philanthropy,” said Randy Coonrod, KHSU trustee. “By awarding the maximum capstone challenge grant, the Mabee Foundation is not only investing in this facility but inviting the broader community to join in advancing KHSU’s mission and the future of health sciences education.”
Once ranked as high as eighth in the nation for quality health care, Kansas has fallen to 27th in the nation, according to the latest data from America’s Health Rankings. KHSU’s Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (KansasCOM) serves to address the shortage of health care professionals across Kansas, including an estimated shortage of 700 physicians. KansasCOM trains physicians to practice where they’re needed most, in sparsely populated counties, towns, and underserved urban neighborhoods throughout Kansas. Through its Wichita-based college and community-based training rotations, KHSU prepares health care professionals to deliver patient-centered care addressing an aging population and economically disadvantaged residents in rural and urban settings.