Timothy Killeen

Timothy L. Killeen is the 20th president of the University of Illinois System, which includes universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, and Springfield. He took office in May 2015 and received a new contract in 2024 that extends his term through June 2027. 

Since taking office, Killeen has helped lead a surge of growth across the state’s flagship university system. Enrollment is at record highs, including increases among in-state and underrepresented students. Student costs have been held in check by affordability initiatives that include a number of yearly tuition freezes for new students from Illinois and substantial increases in institutional financial aid. 

A leading researcher in geophysics and space sciences, Killeen champions efforts to expand research discovery that drives progress and job creation. That includes helping lead the creation of two pioneering initiatives – the Discovery Partners Institute, a world-class research, technology talent development, and business-building center in downtown Chicago, and the Illinois Innovation Network, a system of satellite hubs that combine research, public-private partnerships, entrepreneurship, and workforce training to spur inclusive economic development. 

Previously, Killeen served as vice chancellor for research and president of the Research Foundation at the State University of New York. He also served as assistant director for geosciences at the National Science Foundation, as the Lyall Research Professor at the University of Colorado, and as director and senior scientist for the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Additionally, Killeen spent more than 20 years as a faculty member and researcher at the University of Michigan, where he also served as associate vice president for research. 

He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2007 and is a member and past president of the American Geophysical Union. 

A native of Wales and a U.S. citizen, Killeen received his bachelor’s degree in physics and astronomy at University College London, where he also earned his doctoral degree in atomic and molecular physics.