Rita H. Cheng
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Professor, Accounting

Ph.D., Accounting (minor Public Administration), Temple University
M.B.A., Management Science/Finance, University of Rhode Island
B.B.A., Accounting/Finance, Bishop's University
CPA, State of Wisconsin

CGFM, Certified Government Financial Manager

Dr. Cheng specializes in accounting and financial reporting by government and nonprofit organizations. She also conducts research focused on the influence of accounting regulation on corporate business competitiveness.

Dr. Cheng's research focuses on nonprofit and governmental accountability. She has published numerous journal articles and technical reports. Recent articles have assessed government performance reporting, government accounting choice models, nonprofit financial performance, and the influence of accounting regulation on corporate business competitiveness. Her internationally recognized research and leadership in the academic accounting field have directly influenced today's national standards. Her current area of research interest includes reporting of nonfinancial measures of performance by state and local governments.

She is a co-author of a leading accounting textbook and is a Wisconsin Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Government Financial Manager.

Dr. Cheng became Provost and Vice Chancellor in April 2005. She is the chief academic officer of the campus, the second highest position at UW-Milwaukee, reporting directly to the chancellor. As such, she is responsible for advancing academic and scholarly life on campus. Further information on her role as Provost and Vice Chancellor can be found on her Academic Affairs page.

Dr. Cheng is a nationally recognized leader on issues of governmental accounting. She has published numerous journal articles and technical reports, and co-authors two leading accounting textbooks. She serves on the editorial board of Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management. Dr. Cheng has served as president of the Government and Nonprofit Section of the American Accounting Association. She has testified on several occasions before the Governmental Accounting Standards Board and coordinated academic responses to proposed standards. Dr. Cheng has been recognized for her excellence in teaching by the Sheldon B. Lubar Dean's Advisory Council and the Executive MBA Program. She has presented numerous workshops on technical and emerging nonprofit and governmental accounting issues to national and local professional CPA societies.  She has taught classes in several executive programs offered by the Sheldon B. Lubar School of Business, offered specialized lectures for the Helen Bader Institute for Nonprofit Management, presented governmental and nonprofit materials for the UWM CPA review, and developed and presented all accounting sections for the Certified Financial Analysts review sponsored by area businesses. Dr. Cheng developed a leadership program for Milwaukee Public School principals in cooperation with faculty from the School of Education and local business executives. She works with local nonprofits and governments to develop accounting systems and offers professional advice on emerging accounting issues.