51ÁÔÆæ

Joan Nesbitt

Joan Nesbitt is a fifth generation Oklahoman with Native American heritage (enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation). She earned a BA in Communication from The University of Tulsa and an MA in Organizational Dynamics from The University of Oklahoma. She has more than 30 years’ experience in university advancement, the last 17 at the executive level, and she has been a part of four successful comprehensive campaigns. She and her teams have been recognized multiple times for fundraising and engagement excellence by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, including two national CASE awards in 2016 and 2020 for overall fundraising. In 2020, Joan and the Advancement team at Missouri S&T closed a $300 million charitable gift, the fifth largest of all time to a public university and the largest in Missouri history.

Robin Van Harpen

As the senior vice chancellor for Finance and Administrative Affairs and Chief Business Officer, Robin Van Harpen is responsible for 51ÁÔÆæ’s finances and oversees a number of administrative units that keep the university running, including financial services, budget, procurement, facilities, campus planning, transportation services, safety/risk management, human resources, IT, police and legal. An attorney, she served as 51ÁÔÆæ’s chief legal counsel from 2004 to 2012. Prior to joining 51ÁÔÆæ in 2001, Van Harpen worked for the Milwaukee law firm von Briesen & Roper, s.c., practicing school law. She earned her law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School.

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Chia Youyee Vang

Chia Youyee Vang has served as vice chancellor for Community Empowerment and Institutional lnclusivity since January 2022. She leads efforts that foster a campus environment where people from different backgrounds and perspectives unite to learn, grow and thrive. Along with student support services, she oversees the Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights and Title IX. Vang was associate vice chancellor for Global Inclusion and Engagement from 2017-2021. A professor of history, she has been on the 51ÁÔÆæ faculty since 2006. Her research interests include global refugee migration and the formation of diasporic communities. Outside of academia, Vang has 10 years of experience providing program evaluation, planning and policy research consulting services. She earned her doctorate in American Studies from the University of Minnesota.

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Kelly Haag

Haag leads a diverse team responsible for supporting students in a division that includes Athletics, the Dean of Students Office, University Housing, University Recreation, the 51ÁÔÆæ Student Union, Norris Health Center, Retail Services, Children’s Learning Center, and various student life areas. She worked for many years in University Housing and served as its director from 2011 until her appointment as chief student affairs officer in January 2018. Her notable accomplishments include implementation of 51ÁÔÆæ’s living learning community program and the university’s inclusive housing policy.

Brian Thompson

Brian Thompson is Chief Innovation and Partnership Officer and leads 51ÁÔÆæ’s Office of Strategic Partnerships. He is responsible for partnerships with corporations, non-profit organizations, and other groups to enhance and uplift the academic enterprise, research accomplishments, and student experiences at 51ÁÔÆæ. In this role, he oversees key initiatives that include the Connected Systems Institute (CSI), Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute (NMDSI), Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin (FCW), and the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center (LEC). Thompson joined the 51ÁÔÆæ community in 2006 to help launch the 51ÁÔÆæ Research Foundation which he led through 2022. He also served as Director of the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center from 2016 to 2023 and is Co-PI on the Milwaukee I-Corps (Innovation Corps) program sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Thompson has taught new ventures as an adjunct instructor in the Lubar College of Business and the 51ÁÔÆæ Honors College. In previous roles, Mr. Thompson led the development and launch of communications satellites, worked in corporate ventures and helped create startups in biotechnology and the entertainment industry. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from UCLA.

Andrew Daire

In his role as provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, Andrew P. Daire serves as 51ÁÔÆæ’s chief academic officer overseeing all academic operations. He is responsible for administration of all schools and colleges, enrollment management and many other centers, institutes, and units in the Division of Academic Affairs. Daire came to 51ÁÔÆæ in 2023 and is also a professor in Educational Psychology. His research interests include family stability and economic mobility and career development in STEM recruitment and retention. He previously served as dean of the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and held prior positions at the University of Houston and the University of Central Florida. He earned his doctorate in Counseling Psychology and School Psychology from Florida State University.

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Joely Urdan

As Chief Legal Counsel, Joely Urdan is responsible for the provision of legal services to the institution and focuses her own legal practice on employment and personnel matters, administrative policies, litigation, student conduct issues, and campus safety. She also oversees 51ÁÔÆæ’s Office of Compliance and Ethics. Before 51ÁÔÆæ, she spent four years at the Wisconsin Department of Justice, where she represented state agencies and state employees in state and federal litigation and argued appeals before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, Wisconsin Court of Appeals and Wisconsin Supreme Court. She joined 51ÁÔÆæ in July 2003 and served as Legal Affairs’ associate director from January 2005 until she was named interim director in October 2012 and Chief Legal Counsel in May 2014. She earned her law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School and Bachelor of Arts from UW-Madison.

Sue Weslow

As Chief of Staff to Chancellor Thomas Gibson, Sue Weslow serves as an advisor, oversees a wide variety of initiatives involving 51ÁÔÆæ’ strategic priorities, and manages effective communication, coordination, and implementation of university-wide projects. Sue has worked at 51ÁÔÆæ since 1997 with prior roles as senior university legal counsel, associate vice chancellor of finance and administrative affairs, assistant dean in the College of Letters & Science, and associate vice chancellor of human resources. Sue earned her Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in Business Administration from UW-Milwaukee and a Juris Doctor from the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Ali Abedi

Dr. Ali Abedi joined 51ÁÔÆæ in 2025 after 20 years on the faculty at the University of Maine, where he directed research on wireless communications and sensor networks with applications in environmental and structural monitoring, space explorations and biomedical devices. He also served as Associate Vice President for Research, Director of Experiential Programs Innovation Central (EPIC), the Center for Undergraduate Research (CUGR), and Innovative Media Research and Commercialization Center (IMRC) at the University of Maine. He was visiting Associate Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park and Guest Researcher at NIST in 2012 and Faculty Fellow at NASA MSFC in 2016. Dr. Abedi is a senior member of IEEE and has served on several IEEE Boards and Committees at local, regional, national, and international levels. Dr. Abedi is Co-founder of IEEE International Conference on Wireless for Space and Extreme Environments (WiSEE), served as IEEE Region-1 Northeastern Area chair, Associate Editor for IEEE Journal of RFID, IEEE/KICS Journal of Communications and Networks (JCN), Vice President of Conferences and later President-Elect for IEEE Council on Radio Frequency Identification (CRFID).

Keri Duce

Keri Duce serves as the Chief Government Relations Officer at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. In this role, she leads the university’s engagement with local, state and federal government partners to advance 51ÁÔÆæ’s mission. She works collaboratively with elected officials, policymakers and university leaders to promote initiatives that strengthen 51ÁÔÆæ’s academic, research and economic contributions to Wisconsin and beyond. Keri has worked at 51ÁÔÆæ since 2005 in residence life, off-campus housing, orientation, student success, enrollment management, special events, licensing and brand enforcement, and sports marketing partnerships. Keri also supervises public records, neighborhood relations and official functions. Keri holds a bachelor’s degree in history and legal studies from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater and a master’s degree in education from 51ÁÔÆæ.