University of Illinois Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Linda Katehi has announced that Professor Tamer Başar has accepted the interim leadership position at the Beckman Institute.

Başar is a Swanlund Endowed Chair Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Illinois, with appointments at the Center for Advanced Study and the Coordinated Science Laboratory. Pending approval from the Board of Trustees at its November meeting, Başar will serve as the Interim Director of the Beckman Institute. 

The search for a permanent Director to replace Pierre Wiltzius, who has joined the faculty at the University of California, Santa Barbara, will be conducted this academic year.

Başar joined the Illinois faculty in 1983 as Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Katehi said Başar has earned the respect of both his colleagues and peers through his work on control theory and dynamic game theory.

“Tamer is well-suited to provide interim leadership to the Beckman Institute during this transition period as we seek a new director,” Katehi said. “Please join me in congratulating Professor Başar on his new position and thanking him for assisting this campus in this important role.” 

Başar is a member of the National Academy of Engineering who has been recognized with numerous awards and honors. He has co-authored more than 200 journal articles and served as editor for several publications. Başar earned a Ph.D. in Engineering and Applied Mathematics from Yale. He is an internationally-known researcher in the fields of systems, control, and game theory.