
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.”
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.”
President
I'm president of a public research university in Kansas.
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.
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.