TOPEKA, Kan. – The Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) announced today the appointment of Dr. Andy Tompkins as interim president at Wichita State University (WSU).
Tompkins served as superintendent of USD 305 in Salina from 1987-1994, according to information from USD 305.
This will be Tompkins’ second time serving a KBOR university in this capacity, having previously been interim president of Fort Hays State University from December 2016 to November 2017.
“The Regents are pleased that Dr. Tompkins will bring his expertise and wealth of experience to Wichita State University,” said Dennis Mullin, Chair of the Kansas Board of Regents. “We are confident that he will continue the good work being done at WSU and successfully oversee the University. I would like to thank Provost Rick Muma for his leadership as Acting President these past several months. He has done an outstanding job shouldering the responsibilities of two very important positions, and I’m happy he’ll be able to focus on the extensive duties of the Provost moving forward.”
Tompkins became president and CEO of the Kansas Board of Regents on June 1, 2010, and retired from the position on June 30, 2015.
Throughout his career, Tompkins served at all levels of public education, beginning as a high school English teacher in 1969 and continuing on to work as a high school principal and district superintendent. In 1994, he was hired by Pittsburg State University as chair and associate professor in the Department of Special Services and Leadership Studies. He then went on to serve as interim dean for the College of Education at Pittsburg State (1995-1996), a position he returned to as dean from 2007-2010.
In 1996, Tompkins was asked to serve as the commissioner of education for the Kansas Department of Education, a role he continued in through 2005. Afterward, he served as an associate professor at the University of Kansas, teaching in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, before returning to Pittsburg State.
Tompkins was selected as Kansas Superintendent of the Year in 1992, was inducted into the Kansas Teachers Hall of Fame in 2001, and received the Governor’s Award presented by the Kansas State High School Activities Association in 2002. He was the recipient of the Leadership Kansas Alumnus of the Year Award (2002), received the University of Kansas College of Education Distinguished Service Award in 2004, and was given the Emporia State University Distinguished Alumni Award in 2005. He earned his undergraduate degree in English at East Central State University in Ada, Oklahoma. He earned his master’s degree from Emporia State University and his doctorate from the University of Kansas in Educational Administration.