About Eric Wilcots

Eric M. Wilcots is the interim chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Mary C. Jacoby Professor of Astronomy in the Department of Astronomy, his home department since 1995.

Prior to assuming the role of interim chancellor, he served as the dean of the College of Letters & Science (L&S). During that time, Wilcots welcomed two of the largest classes of undergraduates to L&S and kicked off an initiative to modernize the college’s degree requirements. Under his guidance and leadership, the new School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences (CDIS) was integrated into the college, meeting student demand for course offerings and opening doors to productive partnerships in the tech ecosystem. The success of CDIS has ultimately led to the formation of the College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence, launching in summer 2026. He also created the Department of Biology to meet the ever-increasing demands of our students and better respond to workforce needs in Wisconsin and beyond.

As dean, Wilcots created the Collective for Research Impact and Social Partnerships to aid L&S researchers in translating their discoveries into solutions for some of society’s most pressing problems. To match the innovation occurring in the college’s programs and research enterprise, Wilcots delivered significant improvements to the college’s facilities. He celebrated the opening of the Chemistry Building’s new North Tower in 2022 and Morgridge Hall in 2025, both state-of-the art spaces designed to accommodate enormous student demand, and presided over the design and construction of a new L&S academic building, Irving and Dorothy Levy Hall, which is scheduled to open in summer 2026.

Wilcots is committed to creating an environment where all can succeed and thrive. In 2020, he launched the STEM Scholars program, which provides critical support for L&S students entering the university with an interest in science, technology, engineering or math. He also welcomed the inaugural cohort of L&S Dean’s Ambassadors in November 2020, building undergraduate student engagement every year. In addition, he oversaw significant growth of the Center for Academic Excellence in its mission to support first generation and low-income students.

Wilcots’s research focuses on the evolution and gas content of individual galaxies and galaxy groups, primarily through the lens of radio wavelengths. Prior to moving to Madison, he was a Karl Jansky Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Socorro, New Mexico, and he continues that line of research through leading the UW’s involvement in the Southern African Large Telescope project, the largest single-aperture optical telescope in the southern hemisphere.

His classroom work has earned two UW–Madison teaching awards, including the Chancellor’s Inclusive Excellence Teaching Award. Interim Chancellor Wilcots is dedicated to promoting outreach and the Wisconsin Idea. He is the current co-chair of the statewide steering committee for the Wisconsin Science Festival and has led the Universe in the Park outreach program.

Interim Chancellor Wilcots received his undergraduate degree in astrophysical sciences from Princeton University and his PhD in astronomy from the University of Washington.