Richard Muma | |
|---|---|
 Muma in 2023 | |
| 15th President of Wichita State University | |
| Assumed office May 6, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Jay Golden |
| Personal details | |
| Spouse | Rick Case |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Wichita, Kansas |
| Profession | Physician Assistant Professor University Administrator |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | |
| Thesis | Use of Mintzberg's model of managerial roles as a framework to describe a population of academic health profession administrators (2004) |
| Doctoral advisor | Patricia Somers |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Education |
| Institutions | Wichita State University |
Richard D. Muma is an American academic, physician assistant and president of Wichita State University. He was named Wichita State University president by the Kansas Board of Regents in May 2021 after serving in an interim role following the departure of Jay Golden in September 2020.[1][2]
Muma is the first physician assistant to be named president of a university,[3] and he is the first openly gay president of Wichita State.[4]
Major university initiatives forwarded during Dr. Muma's presidency include:
- Began construction on Phase I of the Wichita Biomedical Campus, a joint project between Wichita State University and the University of Kansas to create an academic health science center that fosters job creation, collaboration, research, and interprofessional learning. Once complete, the campus will combine WSU’s College of Health Professions programs, including its Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, WSU Tech’s health care program and the Wichita campuses of KU School of Medicine and KU School of Pharmacy — all into one location.[5] For his leadership on the Wichita Biomedical Campus project, Muma was awarded the 2024 Donald A. Wilson Visionary Award by the Kansas Hospital Association. [6]
- Launched the Student Success and Persistence initiative, a university-wide effort to improve persistence and graduation rates.[7]
- Created the Shocker Success Center, a renovated facility opened in fall 2024 that centralizes 19 student support services in a single building.[8]
- Launched the Marcus Welcome Center — Milly Marcus Annex, which brings together the Office of Admissions and Shocker Career Accelerator career services.[9]
- ^ "WSU provost Rick Muma is now the university's 15th President". Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ "Dr. Richard Muma inaugurated as 15th president at Wichita State University". Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ^ "Muma Becomes First PA to Serve as University President". Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ^ "Rick Muma Named As Wichita State's New President". Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ^ "Ground broken on Wichita Biomedical Campus". Retrieved May 7, 2024.
- ^ "Donald A. Wilson Visionary Award". Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- ^ "Student Success and Persistence website". Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ "'Recommitted to the center of campus:' Clinton Hall construction stays on schedule". Retrieved August 31, 2023.
- ^ "The legacy of Howard Marcus and his family burns bright at Wichita State". Retrieved July 28, 2021.