Several department-level leadership changes will go into effect at the start of the Fall 2021 semester.
Effective August 16, 2021, Professor Vera Hur will serve as the 21st chair of the Department of Mathematics. Hur has a well-deserved international reputation for her work in differential equations and applied mathematics and is the Philippe Tondeur Scholar in Mathematics. Additionally, she is a Brad and Karen Smith Professorial Scholar of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and serves as a member of the Illinois Campus Research Board. Hur previously served as the department's associate chair for faculty from 2017-20 and has been a leader in the college and in the profession, especially in supporting the careers of women. She will be the first woman to lead the department in its 150-year history. Hur will step into this role following Professor Jeremy Tyson, who has served as chair since 2018.
Chair appointments require the approval of the UIUC Board of Trustees; Hur’s title will be interim chair until the BOT has an opportunity to approve her appointment, which is expected at their meeting in September.
Professor Yuliy Baryshnikov will serve as the director of graduate studies. As a member of the leadership team for the PI4 workforce grant, Baryshnikov is well-positioned to maintain our department’s national reputation in employment outcomes for PhD graduates across a wide range of academic and non-academic careers. He is also actively involved in other international partnerships promoting the interaction of mathematics with industry. He will step into the role following Professor Lee DeVille, who has served as director for the past four years.
Professor Susan Tolman will serve as the director of the Illinois Geometry Lab (IGL). She brings to the position substantial experience in departmental administration, familiarity with the IGL, and a commitment to innovative approaches to the instruction, training, and mentoring of undergraduate students in mathematics. Tolman served as interim director of Undergraduate Studies in Spring 2020 and was part of the organizing committee for the 2019 Graduate Research Opportunities for Women conference hosted by the department. She also previously mentored IGL projects in Spring 2017 and Fall 2018. She will step into the role following Professor Philipp Hieronymi, who has served as director since 2018.
Additionally, a new dean for the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences is expected to be announced later this summer.