CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Simon Restubog will be the next dean of the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, pending approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. The appointment will take effect Aug. 1.
Restubog has held the role of interim dean of LER since July 2024 and also continues an appointment at the rank of professor of labor and employment relations, a position he has held at Illinois since 2018. Throughout his tenure as interim dean, Restubog supplied steady and effective leadership while advancing a strategic vision focused on academic excellence, enrollment growth, financial stability and stakeholder engagement.
“Professor Restubog’s deep commitment to the School of Labor and Employment Relations, collaborative leadership style and thoughtful approach to decision-making have made him a successful leader in moving the school forward,” said Provost John Coleman. “I congratulate Professor Restubog, along with the faculty, staff and students in the School of Labor Employment and Relations, and look forward to the important work they will continue to accomplish with Professor Restubog as dean.”
Restubog earned a bachelor of arts degree in psychology, a bachelor of science in education and a master’s in counseling from De La Salle University before completing a Ph.D. in organizational psychology from the University of Queensland.
Since assuming the interim dean role, he has bolstered LER’s academic, administrative and financial foundations. The school strengthened its student recruitment and enrollment efforts under his leadership through expanded digital marketing strategies and the creation of a new assistant director position aimed at recruitment and strategic outreach. Restubog also established a new undergraduate pipeline through the launch of a human resources certificate.
In an effort to support the school’s long-term growth and competitiveness, he advanced several simultaneous initiatives, including the development and approval of a new Human Resources Analytics concentration, the expansion of online and continuing education offerings, and securing STEM designations for key programs to boost the school’s ability to attract international students.
Restubog is an internationally renowned scholar in the fields of organizational behavior, human resource management and industrial-organizational psychology, lending extensive expertise to research examining the dark side of human behavior in organizations, employment relationships and the future of work and career development. In January 2023, he was honored as a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, acknowledging his sustained and exceptional contributions to the field of psychology. Restubog’s record of highly cited scholarship and recognition from academic bodies has enhanced the national and international reputation of the School of Labor and Employment Relations.
