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Richard Muma

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Richard Muma
Muma in 2025
15th President of Wichita State University
Incumbent
Assumed office
May 6, 2021
Preceded byJay Golden
Personal details
Born (1962-12-06) December 6, 1962 (age 63)
SpouseRick Case
Children2
Education
Academic background
ThesisUse of Mintzberg's model of managerial roles as a framework to describe a population of academic health profession administrators (2004)
Patricia Somers
Academic work
DisciplineEducation
InstitutionsWichita State University

Richard D. Muma (born December 6, 1962) 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]

Initiatives

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Major university initiatives forwarded during 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 opened in fall 2024 that centralizes 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]
  • Continued year-over-year enrollment growth to over 25,000 students between Wichita State and its affiliate WSU Tech.[9]
  • Grew research and development expenditures to more than $392 million, up from $192 million in 2021.[10]
  • Opened an on-campus ATF Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Excellence and a forensics lab in partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.[11]
  • Opened the Digital Research and Transformation Hub, which works with strategic partners to facilitate digital transformation research.[12]
  • Opened the Hub for Advanced Manufacturing Research facility to help small companies adopt smart and advanced manufacturing processes into their businesses.[13]
  • Began work to develop University Village, which is intended to connect the Shocker neighborhoods surrounding WSU with needed services.[14]
  • Achieved Emerging Hispanic Serving Institution status for the university from the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU).[15]
  • Added Wichita State University to the Age-Friendly University Global Network, indicating a commitment to meeting the personal, educational, and career needs of adults of all ages and to create on-campus age-inclusive environments.[16]
  • Broke ground on a $17.5 million renovation of Wilkins Stadium (softball stadium).[17]
  • Broke ground on a significant renovation of University Stadium, formerly known as Cessna Stadium and home to Wichita State's track and field program.[18]

Awards and Honors

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  • Inaugural EAB Change Maker Award (2025)[19]
  • 2024 Donald A. Wilson Visionary Award from the Kansas Hospital Association.[20]
  • 2023 Sedgwick County Commission Chairman’s Award, for the Wichita Biomedical Campus Vision [21]
  • 2022 Person of the Year from the Wichita Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).[22]
  • 2022 Distinguished Alumni from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.[23]
  • 2007 Distinguished Fellow from American Academy of Physician Assistants .[24]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "WSU provost Rick Muma is now the university's 15th President". Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Dr. Richard Muma inaugurated as 15th president at Wichita State University". Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Muma Becomes First PA to Serve as University President". Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Rick Muma Named As Wichita State's New President". Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Ground broken on Wichita Biomedical Campus". KSN-TV. Wichita, Kansas: Nexstar Media Group Inc. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Student Success and Persistence website". Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  7. ↑ Ordoñez, Isabel (August 31, 2023). "Recommitted to the center of campus: Clinton Hall construction stays on schedule". Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  8. ↑ "The legacy of Howard Marcus and his family burns bright at Wichita State". WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement. July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  9. ↑ Lutz, Jeffrey (October 1, 2025). "Kansas colleges report enrollment growth; WSU marks historic milestone". KWCH-TV. Wichita, Kansas: Gray Media, Inc. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
  10. ↑ "National Science Foundation Academic Institution Profiles: Wichita State U." National Science Foundation. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
  11. ↑ Moore, Sarah (May 8, 2023). "New hub for bullet research and training, the first of its kind, opens on WSU campus". "Kansas City Star. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Wichita State University Digital Research and Transformation Hub - Alloy Architecture". Alloy Architecture. September 18, 2025. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  13. ↑ Farhat, Jenna (December 15, 2025). "NIAR unveils $62M advanced manufacturing research center at Wichita State University". Wichita Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  14. ↑ Cameron, Kylie (April 13, 2023). "Distinct visions unfold in Wichita's shifting Fairmount neighborhood". KMUW-FM. Wichita, Kansas: National Public Radio. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) 2023-24" (PDF). The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Age-Friendly University Global Network Institutional Members in the United States". Age-Friendly University Global Network. April 6, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  17. ↑ Nixon, Kara (September 15, 2024). "Wichita State breaks ground on $17.5M Wilkins Stadium renovation". KWCH-TV. Wichita, Kansas: Gray Media, Inc. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Wichita State University approved to demolish Cessna Stadium". KWCH-TV. Wichita, Kansas: Gray Media, Inc. April 15, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Celebrating trailblazers in higher education: EAB Strategic Advisory Services announces our inaugural award winners". eab.com. EAB Global, Inc. October 3, 2025. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Donald A. Wilson Visionary Award". Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Wichita Biomedical Campus plan recipient of an award". KSN-TV. Wichita, Kansas: Nexstar Media Group, Inc. January 11, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  22. ↑ "2022 Freedom Fund Banquet". wichitaksnaacp.org. Wichita, Kansas: Wichita Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. March 26, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Distinguished Alumni Recipients". The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Sharepoint. Galveston, Texas: The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2026.
  24. ↑ "AAPA Distinguished Fellows". www.aapa.org. The American Academy of Physician Assistants. 2007. Retrieved March 25, 2026.
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