We’re pleased and proud to showcase the distinguished scholars, dedicated teachers, widely respected researchers, published authors and successful industry professionals that you’ll discover in the classrooms at the University of Illinois’ three campuses at Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield.

Richard Powers

R ichard Powers, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Swanlund Chair, Center for Advanced Study Professor of English
“Literature is about the human condition. My idea is to teach fiction writing as a skills course, to make beginning writers more aware of low-level phenomena inside the story, more capable of choosing the right sentence form, of building the right cadence, of assembling all the needed particulars, and marshalling them in the service of the one thing that they want to do—to tell the story.”

Benita S. Katzenellenbogen B enita S. Katzenellenbogen, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Swanlund Chair, Center for Advanced Study Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology
“I am extremely gratified and humbled to receive this Chair, as it indicates recognition by peers and generosity by colleagues at the University of Illinois. The Swanlund Chair recognizes the wonderful years that I have spent at the U of I and will assist in my continuing career as a faculty member at this University.”

Philip Yu P hilip Yu, University of Illinois at Chicago
Peter L. and Deborah K. Wexler Chair in Information Technology
“My research improves quality of life for everyone, making it easier for us to search for and retrieve information we need. Our discoveries can help lead to better medical care, more efficient energy delivery and more. It’s the endowed College of Engineering professorship from Peter and Deborah Wexler that’s providing me the opportunity to make such an impact.”

Tom ImboT om Imbo, University of Illinois at Chicago
Associate Professor of Physics
“Private support is important for research which requires longer time-scales than normal to reach fruition or crosses disciplinary boundaries. In the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, my team and I study the interplay between formal logic, pure mathematics and the structure and interpretation of physical theories. Dr. Mark Mueller’s generous gift has given our group the unencumbered means and flexibility to pursue this work.”

Karen SwanK aren Swan, University of Illinois at Springfield
James J. Stukel Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership
“Learning is one of the greatest joys we have as humans. Research is what moves America forward and makes our country exceptional. One endowed professorship can inspire a whole group of people around that person. The research snowballs, and that’s why professorships are so important.”

Karl McDermottK arl McDermott, University of Illinois at Springfield
Ameren Endowed Professor in Business and Government

“The Ameren professorship is exciting. I’d been a consultant working in court cases and while it was interesting, I missed teaching. The opportunity to have this endowed professorship and have a chance to create research and educational programs seemed like the right thing to do. So I was willing to give up life as a consultant and traveling around the world; now I can help students get into that world, and that’s exciting.”