MechSE professor Chuck Tucker, who serves as Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Innovation for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has announced his retirement from this appointment. He plans to return to the MechSE Department as an emeritus faculty member.
“I’ve had an amazing experience in the provost’s office, working on all sorts of things I never imagined I would be involved in—from student diversity to general education to innovations in online education,” Tucker said. “I’ve also missed teaching, research, and my colleagues in MechSE.
“I’m looking forward to renewing my involvement with the department and college.”
Tucker came to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as an assistant professor of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering in 1978. He earned the rank of Professor in 1989, and in 2003 he was named the Alexander Rankin Professor of Mechanical Science and Engineering. He served as MechSE’s Associate Head for Undergraduate Programs, and then moved to the College of Engineering as its Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs, before taking his campus-level appointment.
“I am grateful to Chuck for his leadership as Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Innovation, a role he’s held since 2013,” said John P. Wilkin, the Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost at Illinois. “He has provided direction in undergraduate education, setting strategic paths for the undergraduate experience at Illinois; he has overseen substantial growth in student diversity and overall enrollments on our campus; and he has supported innovation in classroom and online instruction.”
His last official day in the provost’s office will be June 30, 2017.