Michael Aiken, who served as the sixth chancellor of the University, died Monday in Cody, Wyoming, at the age of 93.
The University announced Aiken’s death on Thursday in a statement from the Illinois News Bureau. Aiken led the campus from 1993 to 2001, overseeing initiatives that reshaped academics, student life and campus development.
During his tenure, Aiken launched the University’s first $1 billion fundraising campaign, oversaw the creation of Research Park and expanded support for faculty and graduate students, according to the News Bureau.
In 1995, Aiken introduced a strategic planning effort known as “A Framework for the Future” that aimed to strengthen undergraduate education and attract students from underrepresented groups. That same year, Aiken reinstated New Student Convocation and expanded the number of learning communities on campus.
Aiken established the Campustown 2000 Task Force in the mid-1990s to improve safety and enhance the physical appearance of the Green Street area, according to the release. In 2000, the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce named Aiken the Champaign County Most Valuable Citizen.
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Before arriving at the University, Aiken served as provost and dean at the University of Pennsylvania and previously spent more than two decades as a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi and his master’s and doctorate from the University of Michigan.
The University established the Michael Aiken Chair upon his retirement in 2001 to honor his contributions.
Aiken is survived by his wife, Catherine Comet, and daughter, Caroline.
