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

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

Dr. Cheng is actively involved in research focusing on the quality of accounting and financial reporting by government and nonprofit organizations. She is also engaged in investigating the influence of accounting regulation on corporate business competitiveness. She has published numerous journal articles and technical reports, and co-authored a leading accounting textbook.

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 presented workshops on technical and emerging nonprofit and governmental accounting issues to national and local professional CPA societies. She also has served as a reviewer of financial statements for the Government Finance Officers Association and the local Wisconsin Government Reporting Awards through Evaluation (GRATE) program. 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 presented all accounting material for the Certified Financial Analysts review sponsored by area businesses. Dr. Cheng also served as president of the Government and Nonprofit Section of the American Accounting Association. She has testified before the Governmental Accounting Standards Board and coordinated academic responses to proposed standards. 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.