Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

I am pleased to announce that Susan A. Martinis has accepted my offer to become the vice chancellor for research and innovation at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, pending approval by the Board of Trustees.

When I first announced that Dr. Martinis would serve as interim vice chancellor for research in September 2017, I said she had earned a reputation at Illinois as a collaborative scholar and consultative leader who gets work done.

That reputation has only grown in the past two years. Since taking on the role, Dr. Martinis has provided stellar performance, collegiality, creativity and agility in leading some of the most complex and pioneering activities in the Urbana-Champaign research enterprise. Her accomplishments during this period are impressive, and the addition of “innovation” to the VCR title reflects the breadth of her portfolio and scope of her impact.

As interim vice chancellor for research, Dr. Martinis oversaw the evolution of three large-scale initiatives: the Cancer Center at Illinois and the Center for Social and Behavioral Sciences became the 8th and 9th university-wide research centers, while the Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities is on track to become an IBHE-approved institute. She led the transition of the Research Park and EnterpriseWorks back to the Urbana-Champaign campus, was named the senior leadership point-of-contact for the Discovery Partners Institute and the Illinois Innovation Network and chairs the Chancellor’s Economic Development Advisory Group. Dr. Martinis also oversaw strengthening of the business infrastructure that supports the Illinois research community, uniting pre- and post-award functions under one administrative umbrella and implementing an electronic proposal routing system.

Dr. Martinis is a dedicated educator and an experienced administrator, researcher and entrepreneur. She is an asset to Illinois and has been a strong and creative leader for our Illinois research and innovation enterprise. We are thrilled to see her accept this role. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Martinis.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Jones
Chancellor