Jacqueline “Jacquie” Johnson was UMN Morris' fifth chancellor and its first female chancellor. During her time at UMN Morris, she worked to promote the Morris campus within the UMN system and implement new sustainability practices. This included the addition of a new wind turbine and the construction of Green Prairie Living and Learning Community, a new residence hall on campus designed to meet sustainability guidelines. Along with the new dorm, the campus saw other changes to its infrastructure, including the building of Big Cat Stadium and the renovation of the Welcome Center.

Bill Stewart was the most prominent figure in the development of multicultural programming at the University of Minnesota Morris and played a vital role in recruiting students of color during the formative years of the campus. Much of the work in the construction and development of the Minority Student Program (MSP) was accomplished by Stewart, and he guided the program with a steady hand for over a thirty-year period.

Elizabeth “Bettina” Blake was the academic dean at UMN Morris from 1979 to 1995. In her time as dean, she helped bring the campus into a new era with a fresh appreciation for UMN Morris's role as a public liberal arts college and she promoted the school's national reputation as an exemplar of liberal learning. As the first woman to serve as Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and Dean, Blake was committed to the advancement of women faculty and staff both on campus and within the academy. 

Mariam “Mimi” Darce Frenier taught history at UMN Morris from 1973 to 2004. Her primary focus was East Asian history but she also pioneered the Women's Studies major and minor. She was known for her innovative teaching style and her diverse research and teaching interests. In 2003 in honor of her many contributions to Women's Studies, the campus established the Mimi Frenier Award for Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies majors.