Dear colleagues,
After four years of dedicated leadership in which he established a firm foundation for growth at the Discovery Partners Institute, Executive Director Bill Jackson has announced that he will leave DPI on Feb. 16.
Founded in 2018, DPI was created as the cornerstone of the University of Illinois System's Illinois Innovation Network, focused on workforce development, accelerating job creation and economic growth through research and innovation.
During his tenure, Bill has been a dynamic driver of this vision.
Since joining us in January 2020, Bill's guidance, dedication, and exceptional leadership have been instrumental in developing DPI into a vibrant partner for industry, a hub for talent and innovation, and a provider of effective tech training aimed at reshaping Chicago's economic landscape.
This work will continue in the near term under the leadership of Deba Dutta, senior advisor to the president, who will serve as executive director on an interim basis while a national search is conducted for a new leader who shares our values and vision for equity in education and economic opportunity. U of I System Vice President for Economic Development and Innovation Jay Walsh will chair the search. Deba will return to his role as senior advisor when a new leader is in place.
I am also excited to announce that the chancellors of our three universities and I will work together as a newly established Executive Sponsor Leadership Table for DPI. As U of I System vice presidents, they will ensure that we build on the momentum established during Bill’s tenure. I will serve as chair and Jay will serve as secretary of the Executive Sponsor Leadership Table.
It is also my pleasure to announce that the U of I System will continue to benefit from Bill’s experience and vision, as well as his loyalty as an Urbana-Champaign alumnus. Upon his departure from DPI, he will join the President’s Advisory Council and I look forward to continuing to work with him.
Because of Bill’s direction, DPI’s future leadership will have an abundance of accomplishments to build on.
Under Bill's stewardship, DPI has been steadily building and acting on its mission to drive equitable economic impact through tech-talent development, applied R&D and business building for Chicago’s tech ecosystem. This required the development of a suite of training programs and collaboration with faculty, startups, and investors, as well as raising funding through grants and work with corporations.
On the tech talent side, DPI developed a comprehensive approach to technology-workforce development with programs such as the Digital Explorers initiative for middle and high school students, the Summer Tech Internship Program, the Year Round Fellows, and the community-focused Digital Bridge Program. DPI also provides training for teachers to empower young students with technical skills.
DPI has helped to facilitate research grants that have fueled the faculty-led Applied R&D work that is tackling real world challenges both in Chicago and globally through strategic international partnerships.
This work has resulted in commercial awards and a long list of federally funded grants to support cross-institutional, scientific and commercialization teams and new projects with industry, spanning technologies from brain therapeutics and drones to wastewater epidemiology. This includes work on local solutions to help mitigate climate change in Chicago.
DPI has also been working to build businesses, turning research into commercial technology. This work included launching a faculty-training program with the Gies College of Business at Urbana-Champaign and launching DPI Ventures, which provides tech-focused services to start-ups and mid-sized companies that want to grow.
One of the businesses launched, as part of DPI’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, was Shield T3, which delivered groundbreaking SHIELD testing nationwide and globally. It was just part of DPI’s public service-driven work during the pandemic, including helping guide the state’s response and leading wastewater testing across Illinois.
Looking ahead, DPI’s new headquarters, which was also approved under Bill’s leadership, promises to be a landmark in Chicago’s South Loop. The state-of-the-art facility will provide expansive space for research and collaboration with local, national and global partners.
On behalf of the U of I System, I extend my deepest gratitude to Bill for his drive to innovate and his dedication and leadership, which set DPI on its course. I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
We are excited to continue building on DPI's success and expanding our impact in the Chicago community and beyond.
Tim Killeen
President
University of Illinois System
