Executive Committee
Graduate College Executive Committee
Excerpted from the Graduate College Bylaws (rev. 4/30/2026)
Section 1. There shall be an Executive Committee of the Graduate College as prescribed by the University of Illinois Statutes.
The Executive Committee shall be the agency of formulation of Graduate College policies and shall act for the Faculty of the Graduate College in all matters, subject to final approval by the Faculty. It shall advise the Graduate College Dean on all matters brought before it. These matters include but are not limited to policies relating to graduate education, approval and review of graduate courses, curricula, programs and their interrelation, faculty membership, and issues affecting the relationship between graduate education and research. The Executive Committee has the responsibility to take initiative to foster the development and ensure the quality of graduate education.
Members of Executive Committee
Legend
| *Elected |
| @Appointed |
| ^Appointed to fill vacant elected seat |
Executive Committee 2026-2027
| Member | Department | Appointment Term | Division |
|---|---|---|---|
| * Tatiana Gajic | Hispanic & Italian Studies | 2025-2027 | Arts & Humanities |
| @ Raffi Magarik | English | 2025-2027 | Arts & Humanities |
| @ Marina Mogilner | History | 2026-2028 | Arts & Humanities |
| @ Ranga Chandrasekaran | Information & Decision Sciences | 2025-2027 | Behavioral & Social Sciences |
| * Lisa Cushing | Special Education | 2025-2027 | Behavioral & Social Sciences |
| @ Charles Hounmenou | Social Work | 2026-2028 | Behavioral & Social Sciences |
| @ Kamran Avanaki | Biomedical Engineering | 2026-2028 | Engineering, Math & Physical Sciences |
| @ Craig Foster | Civil, Materials & Environmental Engineering | 2025-2027 | Engineering, Math & Physical Sciences |
| * Christof Sparber | Math, Statistics & Computer Science | 2026-2028 | Engineering, Math & Physical Sciences |
| * Duncan Wardrop | Chemistry | 2026-2028 | Engineering, Math & Physical Sciences |
| @ Bilgay Izci Balserak | Nursing | 2026-2028 | Life & Health Sciences |
| @ Sangeetha Madhavan | Physical Therapy | 2025-2027 | Life & Health Sciences |
| * Sarah Parker Harris | Disability & Human Development | 2026-2028 | Life & Health Sciences |
| * Maura Polansky | Health Professions Education | 2025-2027 | Life & Health Sciences |
Legend
| *Elected |
| @Appointed |
| ^Appointed to fill vacant elected seat |
Executive Committee 2025-2026
| Member | Department | Appointment |
|---|---|---|
| * Tatiana Gajic | Hispanic & Italian Studies | 2025-2027 |
| @ Raffi Magarik | English | 2025-2027 |
| * Nate Young | Art & Art History | 2024-2026 |
| @ Ranga Chandrasekaran | Information & Decision Sciences | 2025-2027 |
| * Lisa Cushing | Special Education | 2025-2027 |
| ^ Mitch Hendrickson | Anthropology | 2024-2026 |
| @ Bhaskar DasGupta | Computer Science | 2024-2026 |
| @ Craig Foster | Civil, Materials & Environmental Engineering | 2025-2027 |
| * Duncan Wardrop | Chemistry | 2025-2027 |
| ^ Wenliang Zhang | Math, Statistics, & Computer Science | 2024-2026 |
| * Bilgay Izci Balserak | Nursing | 2024-2026 |
| @ Sangeetha Madhavan | Physical Therapy | 2025-2027 |
| * Maura Polansky | Health Professions Education | 2025-2027 |
| @ Rachel Poretsky | Biological Sciences | 2024-2026 |
Membership
Executive Committee Membership (Bylaws Section 2)
The Executive Committee shall consist of the Dean of the Graduate College, or his/her their designee, and fourteen full members of the Graduate Faculty who have achieved the rank of Associate Professor or Professor, eight elected and six appointed. Members serve for two years, with seven members chosen each year. Four new members shall be elected by the Graduate Faculty each spring, one from each of the divisions. Three members shall be appointed by the Graduate College Dean. Members shall not serve more than two terms in succession, and no more than one member from a single department or degree granting unit may serve simultaneously.
Vacancies (Bylaws Section 4)
Should an elected member of the Executive Committee resign, the Graduate College Dean shall appoint a replacement to fill out the unexpired term.
Executive Committee Meeting Schedule
The Executive Committee of the Graduate College meeting schedule is set based on the campus and system governance committees (SCEP, Senate, IBHE, etc.).
The committee meets eight (8) times per academic year, typically in August, September, October, November, January, February, March and April. Meetings are held on Fridays from 1:00 to 3:30 pm in University Hall room 650 with a Zoom link for guests and visitors. Meeting dates are posted in July and Outlook calendar invitations are sent to Executive Committee members.
The first seven meetings of the academic year are working meetings to review academic and policy proposals; the eighth is the annual wrap up and includes the provost’s annual visit to evaluate the Graduate College dean.