Dear colleagues:

It is my pleasure to announce that Dr. Timothy L. Killeen has been selected as the 20th president of the University of Illinois, pending approval by the Board of Trustees at its Jan. 15 meeting in Chicago, and will be introduced today on our three campuses.

President-elect Killeen is an acclaimed researcher in geophysics and space sciences, with more than 30 years of experience in public higher education and with national scientific research agencies. He is currently vice chancellor for research and president of the Research Foundation of the State University of New York, and also served as a top administrator for the National Science Foundation and as a faculty member at the University of Michigan for more than two decades.  

He is a fellow of the National Academy of Engineering and also has served as a director and senior scientist with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, as a visiting senior scientist with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and as president of the American Geophysical Union. He also is founding co-chair of the Belmont Forum, which gathers representatives of leading government funding agencies worldwide to collaborate on global climate change research, and the Science and Technology Alliance for Global Sustainability.

More on Dr. Killeen and his career can be found at www.uillinois.edu/20thPresident

I am deeply grateful for the hard work and guidance of the Presidential Search Advisory Committee and the leadership of its co-chairs, Pamela Strobel and Douglas Beck. And my thanks to everyone across our campus communities who shared their input and insights during this important process.

President-elect Killeen will be introduced to the University family today during the following on-campus events:

  • Chicago campus – 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in the Illinois Room of Student Center East
  • Springfield campus – Noon Wednesday in the Level 2 lobby of the Public Affairs Center, Springfield
  • Urbana-Champaign campus – 3 p.m. Wednesday in the South Lounge of the Illini Union

All three events also will be webcast live at http://www.uis.edu/technology/wp-content/uploads/sites/123/misc/live/

I hope you will join us to welcome President-elect Killeen, and my thanks to all of you for your commitment and loyalty to this great University.

Sincerely,
Christopher G. Kennedy
Chairman
University of Illinois Board of Trustees