Vice chancellor for finance

Dear students, faculty, and staff,

With great pleasure, I write to announce that following a national search, Matthew Fajack, most recently vice president for finance and operations and university treasurer for The University of Alabama, has been named vice chancellor for finance at the University of Illinois Chicago, effective May 1. This appointment is pending approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.

In his capacity as vice president for finance at The University of Alabama, Fajack had responsibility for the budget, finance and accounting, procurement, human resources, construction, building maintenance, grounds, university police and safety, real estate, risk management, Title IX, environmental health and safety, dining, bookstores, parking and transportation, as well as supporting the creation of new revenue sources.

In addition to his time at UA, Fajack brings extensive experience in financial leadership in higher education, having served as vice chancellor for finance and administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, vice president and chief financial officer at the University of Florida, and as executive director of financial affairs at Kent State University. Fajack also brings experience from the private sector, having worked as chief financial officer for the Dallas-based Beta Capital Group for 14 years and as an audit manager for Arthur Andersen & Co.

Fajack comes to UIC with extensive experience in higher education finance and years of experience in financial management in the private sector. During the search process, Fajack expressed a deep commitment to UIC’s mission of access and excellence. Having worked full time when he was in college, he has an appreciation for the particular concerns of our student body. This appreciation has been translated into establishing financially sustainable programs to support students over the course of his career. I am confident that Fajack’s background and skills will be invaluable in advancing UIC’s mission of providing the broadest access to the highest levels of educational, research, and clinical excellence.

I would also like to thank the search committee, chaired by Joanna Groden, vice chancellor for research, for their dedicated work throughout the entire search process:

Larry Appel, Chief Financial Officer, University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics
TJ Augustine, Vice Chancellor for Innovation
Rhea Ballard-Thrower, Dean and University Librarian
Karen Greenwalt, Senior Director, Office of the Vice President and CFO
David Hofman, Executive Associate Dean and Professor, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Benét DeBerry-Spence, Professor of Marketing, College of Business Administration
Larry Danziger, Distinguished Professor, Pharmacy Practice
Vanessa Peoples, Assistant Dean for Strategic Initiatives, College of Medicine
Monica Tith, Associate Dean for Administration, Engineering

Please join me in welcoming Matthew as our vice chancellor for finance.

With my very best regards,

Marie Lynn Miranda, PhD
Chancellor