Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO

Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) seeks an accomplished, visionary, and courageous academic leader to serve as its next Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. This executive will join UIC at a pivotal moment, partnering with Chancellor Marie Lynn Miranda to advance UIC’s mission to provide the broadest access to the highest levels of educational, research, and clinical excellence.

The University of Illinois Chicago is Chicago’s only public research university and is a Department of Education‑designated Minority‑Serving Institution. It serves as a thriving hub for research, education, and innovation. UIC has one of the most ethnically rich and culturally diverse campuses in the nation. Located in the heart of Chicago, it is an integral part of the educational, technological, and cultural fabric of one of the world’s greatest cities. With nearly 36,000 students, UIC prides itself on being a national leader among public higher‑education institutions in providing access to an outstanding education across its 16 academic colleges, including one of the nation’s largest medical schools and Chicago’s only public law school. UIC is recognized nationally for its ability to advance social mobility and was recently named an Opportunity University by the Carnegie Foundation, recognizing the university for providing both higher access and higher earnings after graduation.

UIC’s research award portfolio reached nearly $500 million in fiscal year 2025, supporting 3,440 sponsored research projects, and produced drug and technology licensing revenue of $5.6 million. UIC was ranked sixth for research expenditures among high Hispanic‑enrollment institutions in the 2023 National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development Survey. UIC is also home to several notable National Institutes of Health research programs, such as the Center for Clinical and Translational Science, a $22 million center that is a nucleus for basic translational data science and community‑based research. UIC’s projected fiscal year 2026 revenues are $4.56 billion, including $1.69 billion in medical center revenues.

UIC’s mission is to provide the broadest access to the highest levels of educational, research, and clinical excellence. UIC lives this mission every day : 56% of our students are Pell grant‑eligible, more than half are first‑generation college students, and our hospital and clinics provide world‑class care to some of the most underserved communities in Chicago. At the same time, our faculty bring in roughly half a billion dollars in research funding annually. We believe and have shown that access and excellence can thrive together.

The Provost is the chief academic officer, responsible for the planning, execution, and assessment of all academic programs across the university’s 16 colleges. This leader will provide strategic vision and operational leadership to ensure academic quality, foster interdisciplinary research and scholarship, and champion initiatives that enhance student success, retention, and graduation rates. A key mandate will be to ensure strategic resource allocation, streamline processes, and develop initiatives to foster and elevate UIC’s academic enterprise. The Provost is the administrative leader to the deans of eight of the university’s colleges, the dean of the law school, and the dean of the university library. The deans of the university’s seven health sciences colleges report to the Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs.

UIC seeks to appoint an accomplished academic leader who understands the broad, multifaceted role the institution plays as Chicago’s only public research‑intensive university. The Provost must fully embrace UIC’s mission and commitment to access and excellence. The successful candidate will need to bring a spirit of optimism and energy to engage stakeholders in defining a vision that advances the university. The Provost will be a forward‑looking, courageous leader capable of making difficult decisions and embracing challenges and the changing landscape in higher education.

The Provost will have a well‑established academic scholarship and leadership record, preferably from an R1 institution. The successful candidate must possess a terminal degree and strong scholarly record as a recognized thought leader or contributor in their field of study or expertise. The next Provost will possess intellectual breadth and the ability to champion disciplines and interdisciplinary programs across every school and college. The Provost will demonstrate an established record of effective, strong, collaborative, and committed leadership. The ideal candidate will also have experience working within a complex, decentralized environment. The successful candidate will be a skilled communicator and convener who is visible, accessible, transparent, and able to build consensus.

Full position specification for the search can be found at https : / / bit.ly / UICProvost

The University of Illinois Chicago invites inquiries, nominations, and applications for the position of Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Interested candidates should confidentially submit a resume (Adobe PDF files preferred) to :

Joi Hayes‑Scott and Alison Ranney

Consultants to the Search Committee

Russell Reynolds Associates

UICProvost@russellreynolds.com

For fullest consideration, materials should be received as soon as possible, and no later than February 2, 2026.

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