Dear Colleagues:

I am delighted to share with you that the fifth installment of our speaker series, "The Research University in the World of the Future," will feature Robert J. Birgeneau, Chancellor, University of California, Berkeley. Chancellor Birgeneau's public message will take place on March 6 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 South Gregory Street, Urbana.

Chancellor Birgeneau is a national leader in higher education and an internationally distinguished physicist. He has served as president of the University of Toronto and Dean of the School of Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a fellow of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the Royal Society of London, the American Philosophical Society and other scholarly societies. He has received many awards for teaching and for his research on the fundamental properties of materials.

"The Research University in the World of the Future" series is designed to give the campus community a multifaceted look at how higher education is changing to address the changing needs of society. As we envision our campus 20 to 50 years into the future, we are exploring how to best position the university for continued relevance and impact.

I hope you will join us.

Sincerely,

Phyllis M. Wise
Chancellor