In November 2025, Marquette welcomed Warren Scherer as the new director of the Urban Scholars Program. A veteran higher education leader with more than 16 years of experience in student-centered leadership and program development, Scherer brings a deep commitment to Marquette’s mission of educational excellence and student success.
“I’ve worked on several scholarship and student success initiatives over the years, and programs like Urban Scholars succeed when we understand students’ ‘why’ and how they define success beyond retention and graduation,” Scherer says. “When we listen to students and include them in decision-making, they create person-centered solutions that strengthen both the program and the institution.”
The Urban Scholars Program, rooted in Marquette’s Jesuit mission to increase access to higher education, provides full-tuition scholarships and holistic support to high-achieving students from the Milwaukee area, many of whom are first-generation college students.
In this Q&A, Scherer shares what drew him to Marquette, his vision for the Urban Scholars community and how he plans to support student success and belonging within the program and beyond.
What inspired you to join Marquette and step into the role of director of the Urban Scholars Program? What excites you most about this work?
I was searching for a role that would allow me to remain in Milwaukee, maintain a healthy work-life balance and make a meaningful difference. I chose Urban Scholars because it offered the chance to bring my experience to an established program serving students with financial need, many of whom are first-generation, and to be the student affairs professional I needed as a poor, first-generation student myself. Marquette’s mission and values as a Catholic, Jesuit university also resonated with me. What excites me most is walking alongside students, supporting their success within a community that prioritizes care for the whole person while advancing equity and access.
What are your goals or priorities for the Urban Scholars Program over the next few years?
My priorities include celebrating Urban’s 20th anniversary and strengthening a four-year framework focused on student success, wraparound coaching, servant leadership and career readiness, including a new first-year seminar. We also aim to expand community engagement, provide regular feedback, sustainably offer room and board for first-year scholars, and maintain strong retention and graduation outcomes.
What recent successes and plans would you like the Marquette community to know about?
This spring, we’ll begin interviewing applicants for up to 45 spots in the fall 2026 cohort and host an educational session, Urban: Past, Present and Future. Our scholars continue to excel with average GPAs above 3.70, a 96% overall retention rate (including 100% for fall 2024) and graduation rates that exceed Marquette’s, reflecting both student tenacity and the strength of our supportive community.
What drew you to focus your career on student success, equity and belonging in higher education?
I’m in education because of its expansive and transformative influence; it moves and motivates me. You get to draw upon many disciplines to find solutions and in no small part due to a handful of educators intervening to advocate for and encourage me. My lived experience with inequity informs my sense of justice and desire to show up with and for others.
Outside of your work at Marquette, what are some of your personal interests or hobbies that help you recharge?
I enjoy traveling locally and internationally. I’d like to experience much of what the world has to offer. I like planning trips too — it’s why I got certified to be a travel adviser. I also enjoy journaling, foodie culture, cooking, reading, watching and/or discussing science and speculative fiction, games, and time with friends and family.
