Author: Caelin Bragg

On May 3, a solar detector prototype developed by Wichita State University will be launched by NASA into low Earth orbit, toward a potential future mission close to the sun. 

Integrated via Germany’s launch integrator Exolaunch, the CubeSat platform was built by NanoAvionics of Lithuania. It will carry and test the WSU-designed prototype solar neutrino detector into low Earth orbit to prove the detector can operate in space.

Dr. Nickolas Solomey, professor of mathematics, statistics and physics, leads the interdisciplinary project, which also includes Dr. Holger Meyer, professor of physics, Atri Dutta, associate professor of aerospace engineering, and Dr. Hyuck Kwan, professor of electrical engineering. Thirty-six graduate and undergraduate students, to date, have worked on the project since its start.

A watch party is scheduled for 1:30 a.m. Sunday, May 3 in 127 Jabara Hall. Students, faculty, staff and the public are invited to attend.

Boeing is investing $380,000 to inspire the next generation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) innovators, ensure that veterans and military families have the tools and resources they need to thrive, and to advance programs aimed at eliminating hunger.

Boeing’s investment includes five Wichita grant partners: Wichita State University, Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology (WSU Tech), the Kansas Aviation Museum, Passageways Wichita and the Kansas Food Bank.

“This grant helps prepare more students for careers in a rapidly changing industry while strengthening the talent pipeline in our region,” President Rick Muma said. “We’re grateful for Boeing’s continued partnership and its commitment to long-term impact.”

Jose Miguel Ramirez shattered the program record for career stroke average as Shocker men’s golf finished 10th at the American Championship April 29 at The Ritz-Carlton Members Club.

In his two seasons as a Shocker, Ramirez compiled a career stroke average of 71.24, breaking the previous record of 72.07 set by Blake Lorenz (2022-24). Ramirez also recorded the second-lowest single-season stroke average in program history at 71.03 during the 2025-26 season.

As a team, Wichita State recorded rounds of 290, 295 and 292 for a total of 877, finishing 13 strokes over par. No. 22 Charlotte won the team title at 48-under 816. Memphis’ Diego Do Patrocinio Lourenco won a sudden-death playoff to capture the individual title at 14-under 202.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. HOPE Service encourages you check in with yourself and access resources using the free, anonymous mental health screening tool at wichita.edu/freescreen.

Join the Student Government Association Student Senate for the first meeting of the 69th session at 6:30 p.m. today in 233 Rhatigan Student Center, Santa Fe Trail room. Meetings will also be livestreamed on the SGA YouTube.

Where students come first, the Wichita State Student Government Association is the governing entity for the student experience at the university. SGA is charged with promoting and stimulating student participation in the university’s activities and providing an official channel of communication between the students, faculty, staff, administration and elected officials.

To learn more about SGA, visit wichita.edu/sga, email sga@wichita.edu or stop by the offices in 219 Rhatigan Student Center.

Stop by the Food Truck Plaza on campus to enjoy cuisines from local food truck vendors.

Wednesday:

• OurFolk Coffee: 7-9:30 a.m. 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
• Carne Asada Jalisco: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
• Desi Fusion: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Thursday:

• Carne Asada Jalisco: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
• Desi Fusion: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
• The Flying Stove: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Schedule is subject to change. Visit the Food Truck Plaza website for the most up-to-date information.

5A state baseball and softball will be held on Wichita State’s campus May 27-29 and state track May 29-30. Last year, these activities brought more than 30,000 people to campus. The university is asking for help from the campus community to drive golf carts during these events.

Golf cart rides will be offered May 29 and 30. Drivers will provide visitors rides to their destinations on campus.

If you are interested in working these events, sign up online. There are two tabs at the bottom of the sheet: one to sign up as a golf cart driver and one to include your sign-up information. Volunteers signed up by Wednesday, May 13 will receive a T-shirt to be worn during the events, so indicate your preferred shirt size and include your email address on the second tab of the sign up. Detailed information will be sent the week of May 25 to those who signed up to help.

For assistance signing up for a time to volunteer, reach out to Carmen Hytche at carmen.hytche@wichita.edu.

These events would not be successful without the support of our Shocker family, and we sincerely appreciate your help in creating a welcoming campus for our guests.

Shocker men’s tennis’ Zaid Al Mashni was named an All-Conference Honors selection April 28. Al Mashni is the first men’s tennis Shocker to earn all-conference honors since Murkel Dellien and Marius Frosa in 2021 and the first in the Darragh Glavin era.

The sophomore from Jordan posted records of 14-8 in singles and 14-5 in doubles. He recorded 11 singles wins and 13 doubles wins in dual matches this season. He was ranked throughout the spring and climbed as high as No. 66 during the fall season.

Shocker women’s tennis’ Xin Tong Wang was named the American Conference Women’s Tennis Player of the Year, while Giorgia Roselli and Theodora Chantava earned All-Conference Honors April 28.

Wang, a junior from Hangzhou, China, is the first player in program history to earn American Conference Player of the Year honors. She is the first Shocker to be named player of the year since Giulia Guidetti won the Missouri Valley Conference award in 2017. Wang has been named all-conference in each of her three seasons at Wichita State.

Roselli, a junior from Pescara, Italy, earned her second all-conference honor. She is just the third Shocker to earn multiple all-conference honors in the American Conference, joining Wang and Fatima Bizhukova.

Chantava, a senior from Grevena, Greece, closes her Shocker career with her first all-conference honor. She becomes the fifth Shocker to earn all-conference recognition since Wichita State joined the American Conference.

After spending each of the last 10 weeks ranked in the ITA top 40, Shocker women’s tennis received an at-large bid to the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

The Shockers are the No. 3 seed in the Norman Regional, hosted by Oklahoma. Wichita State is set to face No. 2-seeded and No. 25 SMU in the first round Saturday, May 2.

For Wichita State, it marks its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2018, when it also received an at-large bid and was placed in the Oxford, Mississippi regional, where it advanced to the round of 32. The appearance is the program’s 13th in the NCAA Tournament.

This season, the Shockers are 21-4 and set a program record with a 19-match winning streak from Jan. 31 to April 18. Wichita State climbed as high as No. 24 in the ITA rankings and finished as runner-up in the American Conference.