January 14, 2015
Sent to the UIC community

 

Dear colleagues:

I am pleased to announce that Eric A. “Rick” Gislason has agreed to serve in the combined position of interim chancellor and provost of UIC, pending formal approval by the Board of Trustees at its Jan. 15 meeting.

Rick has been interim provost since August and would add the duties of interim chancellor from Jan. 15 to March 16, leading the campus during the period between Chancellor Paula Allen-Meares’ departure and the arrival of Chancellor-elect Michael D. Amiridis.

This is yet another example of Rick’s devotion and loyalty to UIC, where he has shared his talents in a variety of key leadership roles since joining the faculty in 1969. He also served as interim chancellor from 2008-2009, as vice chancellor for research from 1999-2008, as head of chemistry from 1993-1999, and as interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences from 1997-1998.

Any time UIC has needed him, Rick has answered the call. I’m grateful for his dedication and for his many contributions to UIC’s success during his more than 40-year career on the Chicago campus.

I’m also grateful to Paula for her six years of dedicated service as chancellor. She has built a foundation of excellence that will grow under Dr. Amiridis’s leadership, and continue UIC’s rise as one of the nation’s premier urban universities.

I hope you will join me in thanking Paula and Rick and in welcoming Dr. Amiridis when he joins the UIC family this spring.

My thanks to all of you for your commitment and service to this great university.

Sincerely,

Robert A. Easter
President