Barbara J. Wilson, executive vice president and vice president for academic affairs for the University of Illinois System, will become the 22nd president of the University of Iowa on July 15. The Board of Regents, State of Iowa, announced Wilson as its unanimous selection at its meeting in Iowa City on Friday.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to lead a premier research university in the Big Ten, and I am excited to hit the ground running," says Wilson. "I look forward to working with the University of Iowa faculty, staff, students, and community members to continue the rich legacy of research and creative scholarship that exists on this campus. And I look forward to joining the rest of Hawkeye nation in saying, 'Go Hawks!'"
Sandy Daack-Hirsch, associate professor and interim executive associate dean of the College of Nursing, and John Keller, dean of the Graduate College, served as co-chairs of the 21-member search committee charged with recruiting and vetting applicants for the position.
“Our faculty, staff, and students make up the heart of our great research university,” Daack-Hirsch says. “We expect that Barbara Wilson will bring her unique experiences and skills to forge partnerships that will make a lasting impact on the lives of everyone on campus and across the state.”
Wilson brings extensive leadership experience to her role as UI president. Since 2016, she has served as executive vice president and vice president for academic affairs for the University of Illinois System, which enrolls more than 90,000 students across three main campuses and includes a 462-bed hospital. Before that, she served one year as interim chancellor for the Urbana-Champaign campus, a top-ranked land grant research institution with more than 45,000 students and nearly 2,000 tenure-track faculty.
Wilson’s other administrative roles at Illinois have included two years as the university’s Harry E. Preble Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, two years as executive vice provost for faculty and academic affairs, three years as vice provost for academic affairs, and seven years as head of the Department of Communication.
Wilson’s research interests include the social and psychological effects of the media. She is co-author or co-editor of four books and has authored more than 80 research articles, book chapters, and technical reports.
Before joining the Illinois faculty in 2000, Wilson was an assistant professor at the University of Louisville for three years and a faculty member at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) for 12 years. She also spent eight years as director of graduate studies in UCSB’s Department of Communication.
A native of Appleton, Wisconsin, Wilson earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism, a Master of Arts in communication arts, and a PhD in communication arts, all from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
She is married to John Lammers, and they have two grown daughters.
Wilson, 63, will succeed Bruce Harreld, who served as Iowa’s president from November 2015 to May 2021. Harreld announced in October 2020 his intent to retire. Keller will serve as interim president after Harreld’s last day on May 16 until Wilson begins.
Get to know Barbara Wilson
Start date: July 15
Current position: Executive vice president and vice president for academic affairs for the University of Illinois System
Previous positions: Interim chancellor for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus; tenure-track faculty; the Harry E. Preble Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; two years as executive vice provost for faculty and academic affairs; three years as vice provost for academic affairs; and seven years as head of the Department of Communication, all at the University of Illinois
Education: Bachelor of Arts in journalism, Master of Arts in communication arts, and PhD in communication arts, all from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
Personal: Married to John Lammers; they have two grown daughters.
About the University of Iowa
The UI is one of America’s premier public research universities. Founded in 1847, it is the state’s oldest institution of higher education and is located alongside the picturesque Iowa River in Iowa City, Iowa.
A member of the Association of American Universities since 1909 and the Big Ten Conference since 1899, the UI is home to one of the most acclaimed academic medical centers in the country, as well as globally recognized leadership in the study and craft of writing. Iowa is known for excellence in both the arts and sciences, offering world-class undergraduate, graduate, and professional academic programs in a variety of fields.