Richard Muma Explained

Order:	15th President of
Office:	Wichita State University
Term Start:	May 6, 2021
Predecessor:	Jay Golden
Residence:	Wichita, Kansas
Profession:	Physician Assistant Professor University Administrator
Spouse:	Rick Case
Children:	2
Module:	Child: yes Alma Mater: University of Texas Medical Branch (BS) University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (MPH) University of Missouri-St. Louis (PhD) Thesis Title: Use of Mintzberg's model of managerial roles as a framework to describe a population of academic health profession administrators Thesis Url: https://www.proquest.com/docview/305104194/ Thesis Year: 2004 Doctoral Advisor: Patricia Somers Discipline: Education Workplaces: 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]
• Launched the Student Success and Persistence initiative, a university-wide effort to improve persistence and graduation rates.^[6]
• Created the Shocker Success Center, a renovated facility that will centralize 19 student support services in a single building.^[7]
• Launched the Marcus Welcome Center — Milly Marcus Annex, which brings together the Office of Admissions and Shocker Career Accelerator career services.^[8]

Notes and References

1. Web site: WSU provost Rick Muma is now the university's 15th President. May 6, 2021.
2. Web site: Dr. Richard Muma inaugurated as 15th president at Wichita State University. Nov 19, 2021.
3. Web site: Muma Becomes First PA to Serve as University President. Nov 19, 2021.
4. Web site: Rick Muma Named As Wichita State's New President. Nov 19, 2021.
5. Web site: Ground broken on Wichita Biomedical Campus . May 7, 2024.
6. Web site: Student Success and Persistence website . May 30, 2024.
7. Web site: 'Recommitted to the center of campus:' Clinton Hall construction stays on schedule. August 31, 2023.
8. Web site: The legacy of Howard Marcus and his family burns bright at Wichita State . July 28, 2021.