A new book from Wichita State University President Rick Muma, “Student Centered, Innovation Driven,” offers a behind-the-scenes look at the forward-thinking strategies and innovative vision that helped transform a regional institution into a national model of applied learning, industry collaboration and student success. 

Published by the University Press of Kansas, Muma’s warts-and-all narrative traces Wichita State’s decade-long evolution, capturing the challenges and pivotal decisions that shaped the university’s trajectory to become a nationwide leader in applied learning, student success, business and industry partnerships, and research.  

From launching major initiatives like the Innovation Campus and Wichita Biomedical Campus to rethinking how universities align with workforce demands, Muma shares the story of an institution unafraid to challenge convention in pursuit of meaningful impact. 

“Wichita State’s transformation didn’t happen overnight,” Muma writes. “It happened because we listened to students, built trust with our community and refused to let outdated systems hold us back.” 

In a time of increasing skepticism about the value of higher education, “Student Centered, Innovation Driven” makes a compelling case for what’s possible when universities prioritize access and collaboration. The book is both a chronicle of Wichita State’s rise and a model for other institutions looking to reinvent themselves from the inside out. 

"Student Centered, Innovation Driven" is available Aug. 26 wherever books are sold. 

Learn more about "Student Centered, Innovation Driven."

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Wichita State University is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 23,000 students between its main campus and the WSU Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology (WSU Tech), including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student-centered and innovation-driven.

Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students. The National Science Foundation ranked WSU No. 1 in the nation for aerospace engineering R&D, No. 2 for industry-funded engineering R&D and No. 8 overall for engineering R&D.

The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.

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