URBANA, Ill. (WAND) - Charles Lee Isbell Jr., provost at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will become the 11th chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and vice president of the University of Illinois System.
Isbell will formally assume the role Aug. 1, pending approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. He will serve in a designate capacity beginning July 16 as current Chancellor Robert Jones finishes his term.
U of I System President Tim Killeen said Isbell’s appointment follows an extensive national search. “As I grew to know Dr. Isbell, I soon realized that he should be the next chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He has a clear, creative and inspiring vision for what public higher education can and should be and for how this great university will continue to work for the people of our state in the years ahead,” Killeen said. “He brings a deep understanding of not only technology and its fast-evolving, far-reaching impacts, but also the vast range of disciplines that are integral to any great university and our society — the arts and humanities, the social sciences, STEM and so many more.
“Ultimately, I am thrilled to welcome Charles to Illinois and eager to work together to ensure that Urbana-Champaign continues to be a thriving hub of educational excellence and groundbreaking research across its incredible range of disciplines, a place where the future we need comes to life,” Killeen said.
Isbell said, “I’m energized by this chance to serve the citizens of Illinois and advance the mission of learning, discovery, engagement and economic development.”
Isbell earned a bachelor’s degree in information and computer science from Georgia Tech and completed his master’s and Ph.D. in electrical engineering and computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research in artificial intelligence and machine learning has focused on interactive and human-centered systems, with applications in education, ethics and social impact. He is a Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence and the Association for Computing Machinery, an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has written more than 100 academic papers.
Isbell is also a nationally recognized advocate for broadening participation in STEM fields, particularly in computing. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Chronicle of Higher Education, among others.
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