Exclusive: Acting MU President reflects on loss of Lovell, university's future

MILWAUKEE — Marquette University’s acting president, Kimo Ah Yun, discussed the university's future and reflected on the legacy of former President Mike Lovell in an exclusive interview with TMJ4.

Ah Yun, who has taken on the role of acting president alongside his duties as provost and executive vice president of academic affairs, shared insights into a recent pilgrimage to Rome, which Lovell attended despite battling cancer for three years.

“There was a group of us who started in Spain,” Ah Yun said. “It was a pilgrimage with our board members to look at our Catholic, Jesuit heritage and tradition. Then we went over to Rome, and that’s when I connected with Mike. Our Catholic, Jesuit faith is important, and our board needs to know who we are, where we come from, what we do. This pilgrimage helps us solidify that understanding.”

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Lovell, who had felt well enough to travel, participated in significant moments during the trip, including attending mass in the room where St. Ignatius lived at the Gesu Church in Rome. “He was in great spirits,” Ah Yun recalled. “I was with him on Saturday, and we had a really good conversation. He was looking forward to coming back to the United States.”

Tragically, Lovell passed away in Rome the next day. His funeral mass was held 11 days later at Gesu Church in Milwaukee.

Ah Yun delivered the first eulogy, praising Lovell’s humility and dedication to the university.

“There is no one who had greater humility than Mike,” Ah Yun said during the eulogy. “He often did things that others took credit for, but he didn’t care. He always told me, ‘Kimo, it’s more important to get the right things done than to get credit for it.’”

As acting president, Ah Yun is focused on continuing the university’s plans, including the construction of the new Wellness and Recreation Center, which will house the Mike and Amy Lovell Center for Student Well-Being.

“That was always a vision for them — how to make Milwaukee more well and how to do that at Marquette as well,” Ah Yun said. “We look forward to opening those doors in December and giving students a place to focus on their wellness.”

The search for a new permanent president will begin in the future, with a new president expected by 2025. Ah Yun said he would consider what the university’s trustees are seeking before deciding if he is a good fit for the role.

For now, Ah Yun is focused on preparing for the arrival of new students and continuing Lovell’s vision for Marquette University.

“It’s about being present in the moment and holding those you care most about close to you,” he said. “That’s what I will take away from him and this experience.”

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