DeKALB – Robert Brinkmann, dean of NIU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, has been appointed as the next chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point.
The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System approved his appointment on Wednesday, following a recommendation made by a selection committee.
“Dr. Brinkmann’s educational background in the natural sciences and sustainability is a perfect match for UW students at Stevens Point,” Regent Jack Salzwedel said in a press release. “As the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Northern Illinois University, he understands the complex challenges and opportunities that face higher education today. We are thrilled to be able to name him as the next Chancellor at UW-Stevens Point.”
While Brinkmann looks ahead to his time at UW-Stevens Point, he also took the time to reflect on his time at NIU.
“It’s bittersweet. I love NIU so much,” Brinkmann said. “It’s been so good to me, and we’ve got just amazing students and faculty in the college. I’ve got great relationships with everybody on campus, but this is going home for me.”
Brinkmann grew up in Northern Wisconsin and elaborated more on the environment he was raised in.
“I grew up hiking and fishing and boating and all those things that you do. So for me, it’ll be exciting to get back into that environment and to get back to some landscape like that,” Brinkmann said.
Brinkmann has served as the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences since 2020.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Brinkmann holds a B.S and M.S in Geology and is an expert in environmental change and sustainability issues.
Before arriving at NIU, Brinkmann served as the dean of Graduate Studies and vice provost for Scholarship and Research, and as a professor of Geology, Environment and Sustainability at Hofstra University, a private university in Hempstead, New York. Brinkmann also worked as a professor at the University of South Florida from 1990 to 2011.
“I’m really proud of all of the work that our faculty and staff have done in advancing student success, in advancing research. We’ve pretty much doubled our research output in the last six years. We’ve significantly increased student success. We’ve developed new programs, we’ve enhanced fundraising. I’m very proud of all of those things.”
President of the University of Wisconsin System Jay Rothman expressed what Brinkmann brings to UW-Stevens Point in a press release.
“I am pleased that Dean Brinkmann is returning to the Universities of Wisconsin,” Rothman said in a press release. “He understands the student experience and the importance of the breadth that a liberal arts education at UW-Stevens Point can deliver.”
Brinkmann has spoken on national news outlets such as CBS News and CNN on geological and environmental matters. He is also the author and coauthor of several books, such as “Environmental Sustainability in a Time of Change” and “Case Studies in Suburban Sustainability.”
The university provided the Northern Star with a statement on Brinkmann’s step up to chancellor.
“Dean Brinkmann has demonstrated exceptional leadership in advancing the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences mission of academic excellence, research productivity and impact, and student success while also increasing alumni engagement and philanthropic support. We wish him the best as he takes on the role of chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in July.”
There is currently no interim dean of the college selected, but the university has explained that the process to do so will begin later this spring.
Brinkmann will assume leadership on July 1.
