Dear Faculty and Staff,

I am delighted to announce that Dean of the College of Letters and Science and Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Scott Gronert has agreed to serve as Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, effective May 15, 2022. Dr. Gronert will lead UWM’s Division of Academic Affairs, following current Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Johannes Britz being named interim Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs for the UW System, starting June 1, 2022.

The Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs reports directly to me and is a member of the Chancellor’s Cabinet. As chief academic officer, the Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs is charged with the administration of all academic units including the schools and colleges and provides leadership for all faculty and staff in ensuring excellence in the university’s academic mission and research advancement. In addition, the Interim Provost is a crucial part of the institutional leadership team that promotes a positive student experience.

In addition, the Interim Provost manages the Division of Academic Affairs which includes all schools and colleges, enrollment management and many other centers, institutes, and units; for a full list of the division units, please see here. The Interim Provost also co-oversees the university’s annual budgeting process for all non-auxiliary divisions, including UWM’s central infrastructure and administration.

Dr. Gronert brings significant academic administrative experience to this position, including four years as the Dean of the UWM College of Letters and Science, the university’s largest academic unit. In this role, he has overseen advancements in research and increases in retention and graduation rates, led the cross-campus Scenario Planning Work Group for academic pandemic planning, and participated in the 2030 Action Team in both the original task force and the Core Curriculum Action Team. From 2009-2018, he served as professor, department chair and associate dean for research at Virginia Commonwealth University. In the previous 16 years, he held a faculty position at San Francisco State University.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Gronert on his new appointment.

Best regards,

Mark A. Mone, PhD
Chancellor