Vice President for Research Lawrence B. Schook will be stepping down from the position in August.

According to a news release sent out Wednesday morning, Schook will return to his research and faculty work at both the Urbana-Champaign and Chicago campuses, where he has been a faculty member since 2000. A national search will be conducted to select a replacement.

“The University, its research faculty and staff are a powerful engine of discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship,” Schook said in the release. “I was fortunate to work with colleagues of enormous vision and talent, and with University presidents who challenged us to exceed expectations.”

Schook held the position of Vice President for Research since 2011, managing the University’s nearly $1 billion per year sponsored-research portfolio. He assisted in spearheading the creation of UI LABS, which led a consortium in 2014 that won a $70 million Department of Defense grant to create a digital manufacturing and design institute in Chicago.

During his tenure, the University research-based royalties grew from $19 million to $34 million annually and the offices of technology management processed research-based patents in 2015 that ranked the University eleventh in the world.

“Larry’s research and economic development acumen, as well as his stature among stakeholders in this arena, raised the University of Illinois performance, and he has been a valued member of the leadership team,” President Timothy Killeen said in the release.

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