The UI Board of Trustees unanimously approved Michael J. Hogan, the president of the University of Connecticut, as the 18th president of the UI at its May 20 meeting in Chicago.
The board also approved Hogan’s tenured professorship in history and appointment to the Harry E. Preble chair in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences on the Urbana campus.
Hogan, whose appointment was announced May 12, will begin at the UI on July 1.
Hogan was selected from 208 candidates during a seven-month search process. The field was narrowed by an 18-member committee, led by UI trustee Pamela Strobel.
“We’re very proud of the work that we have done,” Strobel said. “We will be judged by our results, and we’re looking forward to that.”
Before his UConn presidency, which began in 2007, Hogan was executive vice president and provost at the University of Iowa. He also held academic and administrative positions during a 17-year career at Ohio State University, including department chair, humanities dean and executive dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
A historian specializing in 20th-century American diplomacy and foreign relations, Hogan earned his B.A. in English from the University of Northern Iowa and his M.A. and doctorate in history from the University of Iowa.
With four decades of experience in public higher education, Hogan has led universities, managed university-based health science centers and hospitals, engaged in fundraising and alumni relations, and overseen intercollegiate athletics.
Hogan replaces President Stanley O. Ikenberry – one of the university’s longest-serving presidents – who has served on an interim basis since January.
Board chairman Christopher S. Kennedy thanked Ikenberry for returning to lead the university. “His reputation provided us with a lot of credibility,” Kennedy said.
Other business
- The trustees also approved a recommendation by the Administrative Review and Restructuring Working Group to create an executive vice president position that reports to the president. The vice president for academic affairs and the vice president for technology and economic development now report to the president at the central administration level. The two positions will be consolidated into an executive vice president. Mrinalini Rao, vice president for academic affairs, and Avijit Ghosh, vice president for technology and economic development, will serve until a search is completed. Ikenberry said the position is consistent with the board’s belief that the new UI leader should have a stronger executive role.
- Katherine Laing was named executive director of governmental relations, also effective July 1. Laing will report to the president and direct the Office for Governmental Relations. She will provide management and oversight of the university’s state and federal governmental relations.
Laing has been chief government affairs contact with the Illinois General Assembly for the Chicago Public Schools since 2008.
- Julie A. Zemaitis, executive director of the Office of University Audits, was appointed to a five-year term as chief internal auditor. The five-year term is required by the state’s new Fiscal Control and Internal Auditing Act, effective July 1.
