Kansas Wesleyan is preparing to inaugurate the 19th president of the University.

According to the school, as part of homecoming festivities, on Friday, September 27, the Kansas Wesleyan community will gather to inaugurate the 19th president of the University, Dr. Matthew R. Thompson. Alumni of the 1940s will walk with the school’s most recent graduates; pillars of the educational community, leaders of our institution and state, and faculty all walk together to mark this significant day.

Inauguration will take place on the steps of the Hall of Pioneers at 3:30 p.m. A family celebration will following the ceremony.

On January 25, 2013, the Board of Trustees of Kansas Wesleyan University elected Matthew R. Thompson, Ph.D., as the University’s nineteenth president.

On April 15, Dr. Matt Thompson began his role to serve the University as its nineteenth president. His goal is to nurture a student-centered culture, which supports the holistic development of all members of the campus community. Through the strength of the faculty and staff, students are challenged to become the men and women they want to be.

Prior to his move to Salina, Dr. Thompson served in various leadership roles in higher education at Florida Southern College and his alma mater, Mercer University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and theatre arts and a master’s in business administration from Mercer; he holds a doctor of philosophy in higher education from the University of Georgia.

Dr. Thompson and his wife, Jennifer, met while serving as resident advisors at Mercer. They are the proud parents of their six-year old daughter, Darcel. When not attending campus events, they enjoy family hikes and traveling together.