Dr. Charles Lee Isbell Jr. Appointed 11th Chancellor of UIUC

Chancellor-designate Dr. Charles Lee Isbell Jr.

The University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign has officially named Dr. Charles Lee Isbell Jr. as its next Chancellor, succeeding Robert Jones. A distinguished computer scientist and academic leader, Dr. Isbell is set to usher in a new era of innovation and public engagement at UIUC. 

Chancellor‑Designate’s Vision

A renowned expert in AI and machine learning, Isbell highlighted his focus on integrating these technologies across disciplines—not just in computer science, but in history, medicine, engineering, and beyond. His long-term goal: to prepare the university community for not just next semester, but for technological impacts decades into the future. 

Academic & Community Engagement

• Scale & Scope: UIUC enrolls over 56,000 students and employs nearly 13,000 faculty and staff—making it one of the nation’s most impactful public research universities. 

  
  

• Global Scholar: Isbell earned his BS from Georgia Tech and his MS and PhD from MIT, where his research emphasized interactive, human-centered AI. He is an ACM and AAAI Fellow and a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. 

  
  

• Advocate for Inclusion: Strongly committed to broadening participation in STEM, Isbell has been a national voice for inclusive computing education. 

  
  

As Chancellor-designate beginning July 16 and officially stepping into office August 1.

Stay tuned to UI7Newsroom for continuing coverage on Chancellor Isbell’s initiatives, priorities, and his inaugural plans to meet and learn directly from students, faculty, and community members.