Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

It is with deep sadness that we share the news that Ron Perez, dean of the Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, passed away this morning after several months of illness.

Ron served UWM for more than 30 years in a wide range of roles. He started his career as an assistant professor in the College of Engineering & Applied Science, where he later served as chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, associate dean and, from 2007-2008, interim dean. He was named interim associate dean of the Zilber School in 2014, interim dean a year later and dean in 2018.

Ron also played a key role in the unification of the Milwaukee, Waukesha and Washington County campuses, serving with Professor Emerita Paula Rhyner as co-chairs of the UWM Restructuring Team. He served as our inaugural special assistant to the chancellor for strategic cultural change and as a member of the Chancellor’s Cabinet, driving cultural change on campus through identified initiatives.

We will miss Ron’s leadership, engagement, deep knowledge and level of care for a wide array of matters at UWM, and his contagious smile and positive demeanor. More about Ron’s career and information about memorial contributions will be shared at a later date.

Best regards,

Mark A. Mone
Chancellor
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Johannes Britz
Provost and Vice Chancellor
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee