CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Cheryl Hanley-Maxwell will join the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as dean of the College of Applied Health Sciences effective Aug. 16, pending approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.
Hanley-Maxwell, a specialist in disability, is associate dean and Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, a unit that combines applied health, education and arts disciplines. At Illinois, Hanley-Maxwell will hold an appointment as professor in the department of kinesiology and community health.
“Dean Hanley-Maxwell has demonstrated an outstanding combination of scholarly accomplishment, prioritization of students, administrative experience, leadership and vision,” said Edward Feser, interim provost at Illinois. “I am confident she will carry forward the mission of the College of Applied Health Sciences and also serve the campus well as a member of the Council of Deans.”
Hanley-Maxwell received her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She served on the faculty of Southern Illinois University prior to her roles at Wisconsin.
Tanya Gallagher, who came to the Urbana campus in December 1998 as AHS dean, informed the campus administration in 2015 of her intent to return to the U. of I. faculty effective August 15, 2016. She is a professor in the department of speech and hearing science and the Timothy J. Nugent Professor in Rehabilitation.
“Dean Gallagher has led the College of Applied Health Sciences with dedication and integrity,” Feser said. “She has developed and spearheaded a collective vision for the college, enhanced the visibility of the college on the campus and nationally, and worked to improve facilities.”
Feser cited Gallagher’s “tireless efforts and diligence” in helping to develop the Khan Annex and the Chez Family Foundation Center for Wounded Veterans in Higher Education.
“Tanya will continue to be an important ambassador for the college and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,” he said. “I thank her for her stellar leadership and wish her well in her future endeavors.”
