Marquette’s new No. 2 holds top honors for an unusual feat
It’s a good thing Dr. Kimo Ah Yun loves Marquette University — the native Californian isn’t terribly fond of Milwaukee weather. Nevertheless, he calls the city home, and the former dean of the J. William and Mary Diederich College of Communication has answered a new call to serve the university: he was named acting provost on Oct. 31.
As he settles into his new role, Kimo took a moment to sit down with Marquette Today to talk a little about his family, being a Scrabble savant, and that time he and Dr. Gary Meyer visited 74 casinos in 24 hours, netting them a Guinness World Record.
Age: 52
Hometown: Sacramento, California
Family: Catherine (spouse); Benjamin (son, 17); Molly (daughter, 15); Haven (daughter, 11)
Hobbies and interests: Scrabble, Words with Friends, statistical probability games, the Marquette Wire, spending time with students and working at Marquette.
Favorite movies: Tin Cup … Are there any other movies?
Heroes: My mom — she taught me the value of family, hard work and standing up for others.
Favorite quotes/mottos: “Here is my command. Love each other.” —John 15:17
Currently reading: That’s What She Said — I’m looking forward to Joanne Lipmann being on campus soon.
Dr. Ah Yun poses for a selfie of a selfie with students at the Les Aspin Center for Government as part of the #DiederichExperience.
Favorite vacation spots: Hawaii, Italy, Sacramento — any place warmer than Milwaukee. Yeah, that leaves the field pretty wide open.
Biggest career learning experience: Listening to a friend who told me that the key to success is surrounding yourself with people smarter than you and listening to them.
Fun facts: I’m a former competitive Scrabble player and a Guinness World Record holder for most casinos visited in 24 hours. I have a tattoo inspired by the TV show Friends, I’ve been invited to the Oval Office and I’ve been to most of the top 30 burrito restaurants in the country.
Want to learn more about Marquette’s new acting provost and see what he’s up to? Kimo is active on Twitter as @DeanKimo — give him a follow!