SOMERS — Dr. Lynn Akey, currently an administrator at Minnesota State University, Mankato, will become the University of Wisconsin-Parkside’s seventh chancellor effective Jan. 2, 2024.
She was selected for the position by the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents on Tuesday.
Previous roles for Dr. Akey
Akey has been vice president for student success, analytics and integrated planning at Minnesota State University, Mankato since 2019. She is credited with a new student success approach that led to increased re-enrollment, retention and graduation rates, according to a UW System statement. She has held a variety of administrative positions at the Mankato campus since 2000.
Akey holds a bachelor’s degree from Northeast Missouri State University/Truman State University and a doctorate in educational policy and administration from the University of Minnesota.
“Lynn’s extensive experience in student success makes her a perfect fit for UW-Parkside,” UW System President Jay Rothman said in a news release. “She deeply understands how strategic planning, enrollment management, and the student experience work together.”
“We are very happy to welcome Dr. Lynn Akey as the next Chancellor of UW-Parkside. During the search process, she demonstrated that she is already one of us, and we look forward to building new relationships with her as she helps us move forward,” Adrienne Viramontes, UW-Parkside professor and department chair, College of Arts and Humanities, said in a news release. Viramontes was vice chair of the search committee.
Akey will be paid $265,000 annually, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. UW-Parkside has a student enrollment of about 4,300.
Akey succeeds Dr. Debbie Ford, who had served as UW-Parkside chancellor since 2009. Ford left Parkside over the summer to join Indiana University Southeast, New Albany, Ind.
Scott Menke, UW-Parkside vice chancellor for finance and administration, has served as interim chancellor since Ford’s departure.
About UW-Parkside
The University of Wisconsin-Parkside is committed to high-quality educational programs, creative and scholarly activities, and services responsive to its diverse student population, and its local, national, and global communities.
It is a dynamic learning community grounded in academic excellence and focused on student success, diversity, inclusion, and community engagement. The campus serves as a premier comprehensive public institution and a destination of choice, serving as a focal point of local, regional, and global progress.
