Mark Eckman

Mark started his career in education abroad in 2007 at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. In 2008 he took on the role of Assistant Director of Global Student Services at St. John’s University in Queens, NY. While at St. John’s he was part of an effort to dramatically increase participation in education abroad programs, the result of which was a 400% increase over his four-year tenure at the institution.

In 2011, Mark returned to his hometown of Milwaukee and to the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee (UWM). As the Director of Study Abroad he oversaw the Center for International Education’s Study Abroad Office. With over 125 semester-long programs and portfolio of 40+ faculty-led programs, UWM offers education abroad programming for students across the curriculum. During his time at UWM, Mark has expanded access to programs for students, created a more robust emergency response protocol, engaged faculty program leaders from traditionally underrepresented academic areas, and positioned UWM as a leader in international education within Wisconsin.

Since 2017 Mark has also served as a Senior International Officer, providing oversight and leadership for the Center for International Education. As SIO, he has worked to more seamlessly integrate international students and strengthen the connections between incoming and outbound students. Mark is also directly involved in strategic planning and coordination of international education initiatives across the institution. In his time at UWM, Mark has worked collaboratively with faculty and senior administrators to connect with a wide array of international institutions, yielding a diverse portfolio of partnerships.

Mark’s research interests include fiscal models for international education offices and programs, the establishment of reliable metrics for assessment – both for students and for programs – and the impact of motivation and self-efficacy in the identity development of study abroad participants.

Having studied and lived abroad, Mark is accomplished international traveler. His first international trip, at the age of five, planted the seed early. While in high school Mark studied for a summer in Seville, Spain, and as a junior at Beloit College he spent a semester in Quito, Ecuador. While completing a Master of Education in Educational Policy and Leadership at Marquette University Mark realized a way to combine his love of international travel and

intercultural exchange with his passion for working in education.