Professor Adrian Burgos Jr. has been named interim director of the American Indian Studies Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Burgos' appointment is effective Aug. 16, 2016.

“Our American Indian Studies Program has endured a difficult few years. It remains an important part of LAS and our campus community, and it plays a critical role in helping us understand and learn from our collective history,” said Barbara Wilson, interim chancellor and Harry E. Preble Dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. “I'm confident that Professor Burgos will help the program experience important renewal as we go forward.”

The American Indian Studies Program is part of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. College administrators consulted closely with an advisory group of faculty and staff with ties to the program before selecting Burgos for this role. The group stressed that the next leader of American Indian Studies should work with the program's stakeholders to formulate, propose, and support plans for the future scope and structure of the program. See LAS News for full story.