University of Wisconsin-Madison Provost Charles Isbell Jr. has been named the 11th chancellor of the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and vice president of the University of Illinois System.
The decision was announced this morning by University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen. Senior Vice Provost John Zumbrunnen will serve as provost, the chief academic officer at UW-Madison, until a replacement is found.
Isbell called the appointment the “honor of a lifetime,” thanking Killen for the opportunity. “I'm energized by this chance to serve the citizens of Illinois and advance the mission of learning, discovery, engagement and economic development,” Isbell said.
UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin called Isbell’s departure bittersweet in a statement.
“As Charles prepares for his next chapter, I deeply appreciate his partnership over the past two years and the significant intellect, humor and leadership he brought to his critical role here at UW-Madison,” Mnookin said.
As provost, Isbell was responsible for launching the Wisconsin Research, Innovation and Scholarly Excellence (RISE) program, hiring new deans and tackling university funding challenges. Isbell previously served as the executive associate dean and dean of the College of Computing at Georgia Tech, where he worked for over 20 years before joining UW-Madison in 2023.
“I have deeply appreciated [Isbell’s] powerful intellect, his future-looking perspective on the direction of our university and his dry sense of humor, and I look forward to continuing to work with him as a fellow Big Ten chancellor,” Mnookin said.
