Rick Muma
President
Wichita State University
Wichita, KS USA
“When a door is open for you, go through it. You can always come back out if it doesn’t work.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationRick Muma
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
As a young kid, I was very interested in biomedical sciences and healthcare sciences.
I went to college to become a physician assistant.
I started my career as a physician assistant at the beginning of the HIV epidemic—I was one of the first physician assistants in the country with experience taking care of HIV patients.
When the university I was working at received a federal grant to create an HIV education program for medical students, I was hired to help develop it.
While doing that, a faculty position opened up in the physician assistant program, so I applied and was accepted for the position.
After teaching at The University of Texas Medical Branch for a few years, I transitioned to Wichita State University and then to Saint Louis University.
I ultimately made my way back to Wichita State University and was promoted into positions like chair, associate vice president, and provost as I gained experience in education.
I currently serve as the 15th president of Wichita State University.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Graduate
Community Health and Preventive Medicine
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Community Health and Preventive Medicine
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Graduate
Education
University of Missouri-Saint Louis
Education
University of Missouri-Saint Louis
Career
President
I'm president of a public research university in Kansas.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Education
Medicine
Teaching / Mentoring
Day to Day
I usually get to work around 7:15 to 7:30 a.m. I spend most of my time telling the story of Wichita State University. I meet with our faculty, staff, and students to reinforce the school's story, purpose, and goals. I also meet with community members, legislators, and other policymakers to help them understand what we're doing and how we're moving forward as an institution to help our community and our state.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
Engage early on in a partnership or job where you can start learning skills. Every Wichita State University student is required to have an applied learning experience as soon as they start their degree program. Don't wait until your junior or senior year of college to do something like that. The time to start shaping yourself as a professional is as a freshman. Connect to a job, business partner, or someone in the community to gain real-world experience in an industry you're interested in.
