Dean of the College of Letters & Science Eric M. Wilcots will serve as the Interim Chancellor for the University of Wisconsin–Madison. As Dean of the College of Letters & Science, Wilcots has championed the value of a liberal arts and sciences education, prioritized the undergraduate experience and encouraged researchers to tackle the tough questions of our time.
“I have been impressed by Dean Wilcots’ steady, values‑driven leadership and his deep understanding of UW–Madison’s mission of teaching, research, and service,” President of the Universities of Wisconsin Jay Rothman said in his campus message. “Wilcots’ long service and deep commitment to the Wisconsin Idea will provide the basis for continuing UW–Madison’s progress at a critical moment for the university.”
Wilcots started his UW–Madison career in 1995 as a lecturer in the Department of Astronomy, joining the faculty a year later. By 2020, he earned the role of Dean, which he has held since with an unflinching commitment to the Wisconsin Idea and care for providing a world-class student experience. He also served as UW–Madison’s Interim Provost in 2023.
“I am both humbled and honored to be asked to serve in this leadership role at such a consequential time in UW–Madison’s history,” says Wilcots, who is also the Mary C. Jacoby Professor of Astronomy.
He will start in the role on May 17, succeeding Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin who is leaving to serve as President at Columbia University in New York. Mnookin and the future Provost (who will be named in March) will choose the Interim Dean for the College of Letters & Science in the spring.
“L&S will move forward on developing a robust budget request for the College that will enable us to continue to modernize our degree requirements, maintain an innovative research enterprise and continue to be a destination for world-class faculty, students and staff,” Wilcots wrote in his leadership transition announcement. “And, of course, I wouldn’t miss the grand opening festivities of Irving and Dorothy Levy Hall, our hub for the humanities and qualitative social sciences, in September.”