The University of Illinois' new president will take office sooner than first planned.
Timothy Killeen, currently a research administrator at the State University of New York, will take over for President Bob Easter in May. Easter will officially retire right after U of I commencement on May 17.
Easter had originally retired from as U of I's chancellor in 2011, but was called out of retirement when President Michael Hogan resigned suddenly in 2012.
Kileen says he's eager to begin his job, and is prepared for the challenge of leading such a large university.
"The world we live in is changing around us faster than ever and so must we. We must embrace those opportunities. It's an exciting time. It's a time where the decisions we make will chart our future for decades to come."
Killeen has been training with Easter since he was named the next president in November.
He will be Illinois' highest-paid president ever, making $730,000 dollars his first year at the U of I.