Walter R. Schumm
Professor
Contact Information
Education
- Ph.D. in Family Studies, Purdue University
- M.S. in Family and Child Development, Kansas State University
- B.S. in Physics, College of William and Mary
Credentials and/or Certifications
- Fellow, National Council on Family Relations
- Certified Family Life Educator, National Council on Family Relations
Area(s) of Specialization
- Military Families
- Family Communication
- Research Methodologies
- Religion and Family Life
- LGBT Family Research
Research, Scholarship, and Creative Endeavors
Dr. Schumm's program of research focuses on military family life, including the effects of deployments on marital satisfaction and stability. He also critiques research methods that are used improperly in scholarly reports, especially in controversial areas.
Courses Taught
- AMETH 560: Understanding Islam
- FSHS 806: Statistical Methods in FSHS I
- HDFS 660: Marriage Preparation and Enrichment
Professional Biography
Dr. Walter Schumm is a Professor in the Applied Human Sciences at Kansas State University. He has a bachelor's degree in Physics from the College of William and Mary (Virginia), a master's degree in Family and Child Development from Kansas State University, and a doctorate in Family Studies from Purdue University. Schumm is the chair of the Ph.D. Coordinating Committee of the College of Human Ecology and the chair of the Graduate FAculty in the School of Family Studies and Human Services. He enjoys teaching research methods and statistics at the undergraduate and graduate levels. His primary research interests are in military families and in examining research limitations of research in controversial areas, especially when powerful interests are lending more credence to the research than it deserves. Schumm has been the Editor of the journal Marriage & Family Review since 2010 and serves as an associate editor/reviewer for numerous journals. He is a Fellow with the National Council on Family Relations and a certified Family Life Educator.
Personal Information
Dr. Schumm continued his undergraduate interest in math by focusing on research methods in his graduate training. He has been teaching at Kansas State since 1979. He retired as a colonel from the U.S. Army in 2002 after 30 years of service in the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard, which included a year's mobilization during Operation Desert Shield/Storm in 1990-1991. He also served 2 years of active duty with the U.S. Army, primarily at Fort Riley. He and his wife, Kimberly, have raised seven children, four sons and three daughters, and are enjoying numerous grandchildren. He also serves as a substitute preacher at the Ashland Community Church south of Manhattan. The family raises a number of animals on their farm, including goats, chickens, and guineas, as well as cats and dogs. Schumm enjoys introducing visitors to the sites of interest near Manhattan and teaching how to get the best used cars or trucks (and other commodities) in the region for the least money.