The
University of Wisconsin-Parkside has selected a new chancellor.
In a press release issued Wednesday, the university announced that
Lynn D. Akey, vice president for student success, analytics and integrated planning at Minnesota State University at Mankato, has been named the seventh Chancellor of the Kenosha institution.
The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents unanimously approved Akey’s appointment, following a recommendation made by a selection committee.
Akey will assume the post on Jan. 2, 2024.
“Lynn’s extensive experience in student success makes her a perfect fit for UW-Parkside,” said Jay Rothman, UW System president. “She deeply understands how strategic planning, enrollment management, and the student experience work together.”
The news comes less than a month after the university announced it had selected finalists for the position – a role former UW-Parkside Chancellor
Debbie Ford had held for 13 years.
Ford announced in February that she was leaving her post to take a job as chancellor of Indiana University Southeast. In April, Scott Menke, Parkside’s vice chancellor for finance and administration, was named interim chancellor. He has been in that role since June 9.
On Sept. 6, the university announced that it had selected three finalists for the position. They included Akey, Phyllis King, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and vice provost for partnerships and initiatives at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and Felicia McGinty, director of engagement and outreach higher education resource services in Denver.
The finalists were chosen by a Special Regent Committee which selected the names from a list of candidates identified by an 11-member Search and Screen Committee, according to a UW System press release.
During the review process the candidates participated in separate campus forums, offering opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and community members to interact directly with them. After reviewing campus feedback, the Special Regent Committee recommended a single candidate to the Board of Regents
Akey, who has served in her current position at MSU-Mankato since 2019, distinguished herself through her work to establish a new student success approach that led to increased re-enrollment, retention, and graduation rates, a press release states.
She’s also overseen strategic planning at the Mankato campus for the past 10 years. Her previous roles at the university include associate vice president for institutional research, strategy, and effectiveness; assistant to the vice president for student affairs; assessment coordinator; and assistant director for academic initiatives in the office of the first-year experience. She was named Minnesota State System Academic and Student Affairs Administrator of the Year in 2021.
“UW-Parkside provides outstanding academic programs, incredible learning experiences with dedicated faculty and staff, and life-changing opportunities in a vibrant location,” Akey said of her appointment. “I look forward to working with faculty, staff, students, and the surrounding communities to pursue bold goals for the future.”
Akey earned her bachelor of science in psychology from Northeast Missouri State University/Truman State University; master of arts in college student personnel from Bowling Green State University; and Ph.D. in educational policy and administration from the University of Minnesota.
“Dr. Akey is ready to build upon the great foundation left by chancellor Debbie Ford,” said regent Kyle Weatherly, chair of the Search and Screen Committee. “UW-Parkside has made great strides in helping students progress toward graduation in recent years and our new chancellor will continue that momentum.”
Akey will earn $265,000 as chancellor.
