Welcome to the University of Illinois, Timothy Killeen
I
t’s a nice place to call home, but we’re going through some difficulty right now. Our Board of Trustees decided you’re the man to help guide us into the future, and we trust its decision.
THURSDAY
In your announcement, you said you want to dedicate your presidency to the students. So, here we are, and we have a few requests.
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THE DAILY ILLINI
November 20, 2014
5he independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
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Killeen named president University selects SUNY administrator as new No. 1
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The State of the University As president, Timothy Killeen will take over one of the top-ranked universities in the country, but it’s not without its challenges. He will also take over a university facing decreasing state funding and an unreliable partner in the state of Illinois.
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imothy Killeen was named the 20th president of the University of Illinois on Wednesday morning, and he is dedicating his presidency to the students. Killeen is the vice chancellor for research and president of the Research Foundation of the State University of New York, a network of 64 state-wide colleges, universities and community colleges. The Wales native and U.S. citizen has had more than 30 years of experience in higher education, serving roles in administration and as a researcher in geophysics and space sciences at the University of Michigan. Killeen earned his Ph.D. from University College London at age 23 and has received three achievement awards from NASA. “I am a genetic optimist, which is not a scientific term,” Killeen said. “I have one gear, and that’s moving forward with optimism.” He said he believes the current viewpoint on higher education is “hunkered down,” and it needs to be more optimistic. He served as an administrator of the National Science Foundation, which provides nearly a quarter of federal research funding for U.S. colleges and universities. His familiarity with
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Incumbent University President Robert Easter shares a laugh with President-elect Timothy Killeen during a press conference to introduce Killeen at the Illini Union on Wednesday.
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SOURCE: University of Illinois Annual Reports and Board of Trustee reports
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the competition involved in receiving funding will help the research-based University, Chancellor Phyllis Wise said. Killeen, 62, will replace current President Robert Easter, effective July 1, 2015, unless otherwise designated by the Board of Trustees. On learning from Easter, Killeen said he has big shoes to fill and plans to go on a “learning and listening” tour in January. “He and I are going to work together. We’re going to overlap and be partners,” Killeen said. “As he thinks about moving to retirement, he thinks he can get away, but I think we’re going to be connected.” Killeen said he wants to ask others what they want
out of the University, as well as how diversity can be promoted. Board of Trustees Chairman Christopher Kennedy, accompanied by other Uni-
versity officials, introduced the new president at Chicago’s campus around 8:30 a.m. They traveled to the
Stanley Ikenberry 1979–1995
James Stukel 1995–2005
B. Joseph White 2005–2010
Michael Hogan 2010–2012
Robert Easter 2012–2015
Timothy Killeen 2015
Ikenberry served one of the longest terms in the University’s history with a 16-year tenure. In UrbanaChampaign, Ikenberry led several major academic initiatives, including the creation of the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. The diversity on campus increased during his term with the creation of the President’s Scholars Program. After stepping down as president, Ikenberry became a national speaker, professor and serves as the special assistant to the president at the University.
Stukel was an alumnus of the University of Illinois, graduating with his master’s and doctorate degrees in engineering before joining the College of Engineering faculty and eventually serving as chancellor of the Chicago campus. In his time as president, Stukel created the Illinois Connection and increased the size of the Chicago campus, leading UIC to name the James Stukel Towers residence hall after him in 2007. Stukel retired in 2005.
White announced his resignation in 2010 following a summer of investigations regarding an admissions scandal. In May 2009, the Chicago Tribune released a story revealing that the Urbana campus had been giving applicants placed on the “Category I” list preferential treatment. This list consisted of people recommended by University trustees and public figures who influenced University officials to apply more lenient standards. White is currently a James F. Towey professor of business and leadership at the University.
In December 2011, Hogan’s chief-of-staff Lisa Troyer allegedly pretended to be a University senator in an email, hoping to influence discussion in Hogan’s favor. Troyer denied the accusations, claiming her email was hacked, but ultimately resigned. A group of 130 distinguished professors signed a letter of “no confidence” in Hogan. Two weeks after the board told Hogan to repair his relationship with faculty or risk losing his job, Hogan resigned. He currently teaches history at the Springfield campus.
Easter currently serves as the University president and has spent nearly 40 years at the University. So far in his term, he has helped stabilize the University after back-to-back resignations by B. Joseph White and Michael Hogan. Easter served as interim chancellor of the Urbana campus from 2009 to 2011. He previously served as the dean of the College of ACES and department head of animal sciences.
Killeen will begin his term July 1 pending approval by the Board of Trustees on Jan. 15. He is the vice chancellor for research and president of the Research Foundation of the State University of New York. The Wales native and U.S. citizen has had over 30 years experience in higher education, serving roles in administration and as a researcher in geophysics and space sciences at the University of Michigan.
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Killeen’s employment contract
Top-10 programs
Rank
• Starting salary: $600,000 • Annual incentive-based compensation (up to $100,000 in first year) • Deferred compensation account of $30,000, increasing by $7,500 annually • President’s house in Urbana and condo in Chicago, provided by the UI Foundation
UIUC Accounting: 2 Chemistry: 6 Clinical psychology: 6 Computer science: 5 Engineering: 6 Insurance: 8 Library and Information Science: 1 Physics: 9 Psychology: 7 Real Estate: 10
UIUC Public: 11th U.S.: 42nd Global: 35th
• Car and driver for University-related travel • Faculty appointment as tenured professor in Engineering. Research support of $10,000 per year. • Membership to the Chicago Club and Champaign Country Club SOURCE: EMPLOYMENT LETTER FROM CHAIRMAN CHRISTOPHER KENNEDY
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UIC Public: 78th U.S.: 149th Global: 168th
UIC Nursing midwifery: 5 Occupational Therapy: 4 SOURCE: US NEWS & WORLD REPORT
SOURCE: US NEWS & WORLD REPORT
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