Dr. Kimo Ah Yun elected president of Marquette University
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Marquette University has elected Dr. Kimo Ah Yun as the 25th president of the college.
MU made the announcement on Wednesday, Nov. 20, stating the Marquette Board of Trustees unanimously elected Dr. Ah Yun at a special board meeting.
Ah Yun has served in the dual acting president and provost roles since June 10 and succeeds Dr. Michael R. Lovell.
Lovell led the university as its first lay president from 2014 until his death on June 9, 2024, from a rare form of cancer.
Ah Yun is the first person of color to lead Marquette and the Catholic, Jesuit university's second lay president in its 143-year history.
He joined Marquette in 2016 as dean of the Diederich College of Communication, was named acting provost in 2018 and then permanent provost and executive vice president for academic affairs in 2019.
In announcing President Ah Yun as the university’s 25th president, Board Chair Todd Adams said, “Dr. Kimo Ah Yun is a proven leader who has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to Marquette University’s Catholic, Jesuit mission, vision and values. As provost and acting president, he has been a leader in the university’s proactive efforts toward continuous improvement to ensure Marquette thrives for generations to come. Marquette is in a strong position in a challenging environment for higher education, and the Board of Trustees has full confidence in his ability to provide the stability necessary to lead Marquette forward to achieve our vision of being among the most innovative and accomplished Catholic, Jesuit universities in the world.”
“At Marquette, we take seriously our mission to serve God by serving our students. My top priority is ensuring we continue to provide a transformational education for our students so that our graduates are problem-solvers and agents of change,” President Ah Yun said. “Grounded in its Catholic, Jesuit mission, Marquette was founded on the promise of educational access, and as we approach our 150th anniversary, students remain at the heart of all that we do. I look forward to continuing to work closely with our faculty, staff, students, alumni and Milwaukee community in our continuous pursuit of excellence, faith, leadership and service.”
Very Rev. Karl Kiser, S.J., provincial of the USA Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus, praised the hire, saying, “Dr. Ah Yun is a committed Catholic and a servant leader. On behalf of the Society of Jesus, I congratulate Dr. Ah Yun and his family, and I look forward to working in partnership with Dr. Ah Yun and his leadership team as we continue to serve the greater glory of God.”
According to a news release, a lifelong Catholic, President Ah Yun believes deeply in the Catholic, Jesuit mission of Marquette, and is committed to serving God by serving students. While provost, he completed the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities’ Ignatian Colleagues Program leadership formation for lay leaders, focused on the Catholic, Jesuit identity, charism, tradition and spirituality of the AJCU schools. His culminating ICP project centered on supporting mission in hiring and faculty development at the college level.