Gordon Gee was not the first and he will not be the last faculty member to leave the home of the Buckeyes for a head position at another university.Nancy Zimpher, dean of the College of Education and executive dean of the Council of Professional College Deans, will be offered the position of chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee today, said Terry Gillick, the director of news services for UWM.”I believe she is expected to accept the position,” Gillick said.Zimpher said she enjoyed her interview for the position on Monday and learned a lot about the institution and the community. UWM has an enrollment of 22,300 graduate and undergraduate students and 2,700 employees.”When I was invited to the campus, I accepted because the missions of the University of Wisconsin and the Ohio State University are very similar,” Zimpher said. “In addition, the particular urban interests of UWM are comparable to those I have experienced at Ohio State. I feel comfortable working in these areas.”Zimpher said she was one of three finalists interviewed for the position. The other finalists were Blaine A. Brownell, provost of the University of North Texas in Denton, and Elisabeth A. Zinser, chancellor of the University of Kentucky at Lexington.Chancellor John Schroeder is stepping down from his position to rejoin the faculty at the university, Gillick said. The chancellor is the chief executive officer of the university who directs a number of different divisions.”The Regents Special Committee has selected an outstanding individual,” Schroeder said in a statement. “Clearly, Dr. Zimpher brings very strong professional credentials to this demanding position. I am confident that she possesses the talents necessary to lead and advance UWM’s stature in the years ahead.”Zimpher has been the dean of the College of Education since 1992. She became a professor at OSU in 1976.”I am a product of the Ohio State University where I earned my bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees,” Zimpher said in a statement. “It is a place where I grew as a teacher, researcher and administrator. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s interest is a testimony to the opportunities that I have been given, and I hope I can represent Ohio State well.”Interim President Richard Sisson said Zimpher has helped move OSU to some of its highest levels of achievement.”Nancy Zimpher has been a distinguished teacher, scholar and leader at Ohio State who is as respected in the business and K-12 education communities as she is by her colleagues here,” Sisson said. “The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is getting a remarkable individual as its chancellor. I speak for the entire Ohio State family in saying that we will miss her and wish her well.”If Zimpher accepts, she will take over on August 1 and become the sixth UWM chief executive, according to a statement from UWM. Zimpher’s salary could be as high as $175,000 if the state legislature and governor raise the pay ceiling for the position from the maximum of $140,324.”Leaving Ohio State would be difficult,” Zimpher said. “Once a Buckeye, always a Buckeye.”