About

Mark Mone, PhD, is chancellor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UWM) and professor of management in UWM’s Lubar College of Business. During his 11-year tenure as chancellor (2014–2025), Mone led UWM through extraordinary transformation and achievement. Under his leadership, UWM earned national recognition for its research (R1) excellence, community engagement, and commitment to access, becoming the only Wisconsin institution with the prestigious Carnegie triple designation. His legacy includes elevating UWM’s academic reputation, expanding equity and student centeredness, and increasing the university’s economic impact and talent pipeline.

As chancellor, Mone forged groundbreaking partnerships with global leaders such as Microsoft and Rockwell and oversaw the creation and revitalization of more than a dozen campus buildings. His leadership of Made in Milwaukee, Shaping the World, a comprehensive campaign that raised more than $251 million, enabled support for student, research, and capital projects. Mone also co-led the creation of the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, an initiative that connects the 13 UW institutions through shared curricula and research to solve the world’s water challenges.

Prior to his service as chancellor, Mone spent 25 years as a business school faculty member, consultant, and coach, as well as leading executive education programs (EMBA and custom programs). Mone has served on the boards of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities’ Coalition of Urban Serving Universities, Horizon League Athletic Conference, the Water Council, Employ Milwaukee, Bradley Tech Commission, Milwaukee Succeeds, Milwaukee Film, and BizStarts Milwaukee. He remains an active member of the Greater Milwaukee Committee and Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce. The Milwaukee Business Journal named Mone one of “100 Milwaukee-area power brokers” for 2024 and Biz Times, a Milwaukee business news publication, named him one of “Wisconsin’s 275 most influential people” in 2023 and 2024.

A thought leader and frequent speaker on partnerships, closing the achievement gap, and the critical economic role of research universities, Mone has been involved in vital national conversations about the value of a college degree. He co-created and served as founding chair of the Higher Education Regional Alliance, a partnership with 17 colleges and universities and 10 economic development and community partner organizations that aims to increase the number of college graduates and address the growing need for highly skilled talent in Wisconsin. He co-founded and co-led M-Cubed, a critical initiative of three major public education institutions (UWM, Milwaukee Public Schools, and Milwaukee Area Technical College) to close the achievement gap. As a founding partner in the Moon Shot for Equity’s inaugural launch in the Milwaukee region, he is a collaborative leader in eliminating student equity gaps in education.

Professional Credentials

A first-generation graduate, Mone earned his BA in organizational management from Central Washington University during his initial career as a chef, food and beverage director, and senior leader in hospitality operations. He earned an MBA from Idaho State University and a PhD in organizational behavior and organization theory from Washington State University.