UW-Stevens Point Chancellor Thomas Gibson to lead UW-Milwaukee

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Chancellor Thomas Gibson will now lead UW-Milwaukee, the Board of Regents announced Monday. 

Gibson was the board’s unanimous pick. He will succeed Mark Mone, who is stepping down to return to a teaching position at the end of the school year. 

Gibson will be UW-Milwaukee’s 10th chancellor when he starts his role on July 1. 

“I’m honored and humbled to be appointed chancellor of UW-Milwaukee, and I look forward to working with students, faculty, and staff to collectively define a vision for the future,” Gibson said in a statement. “Students considering UW-Milwaukee should know that our faculty and staff are dedicated to your success, and I’ll be right there with them cheering you on.”

Gibson takes the reins at UW-Milwaukee at a tumultuous time in higher education nationally and locally. 

At a town hall meeting earlier this month, campus officials announced plans to reduce spending. Those plans include hiring freezes, including for positions already posted, pay freezes and limiting travel. 

“UWM is facing considerable uncertainty, like many other institutions of higher education across the country,” states a March 13 memo to campus staff. “That includes the possible impact of several federal actions on research funding, uncertainty in the next state of Wisconsin biennial operating budget, and the impact of national and state factors on enrollment.” 

Enrollment at UW-Milwaukee was 22,683 in September, down slightly from the previous year’s enrollment of 22,703, according to the Universities of Wisconsin. 

Regent Joan Prince, who chaired the search committee, said Gibson understands what is important to students. And he will “create a culture of support and purpose among faculty and staff, and develop trust with community and business leaders,” Prince said.

Gibson has led UW-Stevens Point since January 2021. 

During his tenure, the university experienced two consecutive years of enrollment growth and secured a $10 million gift from Sentry Insurance for the new Sentry School of Business and Economics.

“Tom Gibson has made a tremendous impact at UW-Stevens Point, and he will be an extraordinary leader for UW-Milwaukee,” Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman said in a statement. “Balancing an enthusiasm for students with an ability to drive community and business partnerships, Tom is always moving forward. He will do the same at UW-Milwaukee and continue to build on its status as a top-tier research university.”

Prior to joining UW-Stevens Point, Gibson served as vice president for student affairs and vice provost at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, from 2016 to 2020.

He completed his bachelor’s degree in communication from Eastern Connecticut State University; his master’s in education from University of New Haven, Connecticut and his doctorate in educational leadership in higher education at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island.