University of Wisconsin Leadership

Kevin P. Reilly, PhD, is President Emeritus and Regent Professor with the University of Wisconsin (UW) System, having served as President from 2004-2013. In collaboration with the UW Board of Regents and the campus Chancellors, he developed the “Growth Agenda for Wisconsin,” a long-term vision and strategic framework for what the University needed to do to help Wisconsin and the nation be more competitive in the global knowledge economy. Under his leadership, enrollment grew to 182,000—an all-time high—and sponsored research continued to expand beyond $1 billion annually. Both transfer students and the number of degrees awarded rose by 13 percent, with privately donated need-based student aid increasing by 124 percent.

Reilly served as Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Extension from 2000 to 2004 and as Provost and Vice Chancellor from 1996 to 2000. His responsibilities included leading programs in continuing education, Cooperative Extension, online education, small business development, Wisconsin Public Radio, and Wisconsin Public Television. He has worked on the steering committee for four Wisconsin statewide economic summits.

New York State Higher Education

A native of New York City, Reilly worked at the State University of New York (SUNY) System, where he was Associate Provost for academic programs and then Secretary of the University and worked as a senator in the systemwide faculty senate. He led the New York State Board of Regents office that evaluated and accredited all state public, private, and for-profit colleges and universities.

National and International Consulting

Reilly served with the American Council on Education (ACE) and has been a member and officer of the board of directors, Presidential Advisor for Leadership, and Chair of the ACE Commission on Adult Learning and Educational Credentials. Reilly has been a member of the Higher Education Working Group on Global Issues for the Council on Foreign Relations. He has advised the University of Nizwa in Oman, Qatar University, and the United Arab Emirates University on the development of their institutions.

Currently Senior Fellow and Senior Consultant with the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB), he works with boards and presidents internationally to improve governance in higher education. He has also served as President of the National Association of System Heads and as a board member of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters, as well as the Irish American Cultural Institute.

Teaching and Education

Reilly has taught a “Major Challenges in American Higher Education” graduate seminar and the James Joyce course at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Reilly earned his BA at the University of Notre Dame and his MA and PhD at the University of Minnesota, all in English.