Mark Button has been named executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a position he has held on an interim basis since January 2025. The appointment is pending approval by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.
“Mark Button is a proven leader who is helping us effectively navigate our current challenges, while ensuring we maintain institutional momentum,” Chancellor Rodney D. Bennett said in announcing the appointment. “His record as an administrator at UNL, most recently as interim executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer, and previously as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, is evidence that he will continue to serve UNL well in this permanent role. I am grateful to Dr. Button for answering this call to leadership.”
Button has been part of UNL’s academic leadership since he joined the university as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in July 2019. During his time as dean, Arts and Sciences realized year-over-year record-breaking increases in research awards, steady increases in student retention and graduation rates across all demographics, and significant advances in external partnerships and philanthropic support.
A professor of political science, Button came to Nebraska from the University of Utah, where he had served in a number of leadership roles, such as department chair, associate chair and director of graduate studies.
He is a first-generation college student who completed a Bachelor of Arts in political science with a minor in peace studies at the University of Oregon. He holds a doctorate in political science from Rutgers University.
He agreed to serve as interim executive vice chancellor at UNL following the retirement of Katherine Ankerson on Dec. 31, 2024. He was named to the position on a permanent basis after an internal search conducted in August.
Button expressed gratitude for his selection and said he looked forward to promoting student access and success and advancing UNL’s academic strengths and impact in the coming years.
“I have great respect for Nebraska’s land-grant mission, and I am confident we will overcome our current challenges and become the better for it,” Button said. “My commitment remains strong to UNL's mission and core values of access, opportunity, innovation and life-long learning. I know that together we will innovate to build a resilient and sustainable future of academic and research excellence for our university and the state of Nebraska.”
