Dean of the College of Letters & Science | Mary C. Jacoby Professor of Astronomy
College of Letters & Science l Department of Astronomy
Eric M. Wilcots is the twelfth dean of the College of Letters & Science at 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 dean in 2019, he served as deputy dean of the college and associate dean for research, as well as associate dean for natural sciences.
During the largest enrollment expansion in the history of the university, Dean Wilcots has welcomed some of the largest classes of undergraduates to L&S. More students and a changing economy mean increased demand for facilities and programs. Under Dean Wilcots’ 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. In January 2022, Dean Wilcots celebrated the opening of the new Chemistry Tower, a state-of-the art space designed to accommodate enormous student demand, and he is currently presiding over the design and construction of a new L&S academic building, Irving and Dorothy Levy Hall, as well as a new facility for CDIS on campus, Morgridge Hall.
Dean Wilcots received his undergraduate degree in astrophysical sciences from Princeton University and his Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Washington.