THE CHANCELLOR HAS DIED

SIU is looking to steady the ship with another interim leader after Chancellor Carlo Montemagno, to the surprise of many, died Thursday morning.

Kevin Dorsey, the university's interim president, said he has asked the university's board of trustees to hold a special meeting "as soon as possible" to appoint an interim chancellor to step in for Montemagno, who died after just 14 months on the job, and just over three months after abruptly announcing he had been diagnosed with cancer. He was 62.

"Dr. Montemagno was a visionary who worked tirelessly to advance SIU Carbondale since he joined the campus as chancellor in August 2017," Dorsey said in a statement to the campus community. "He created a roadmap to secure the university's future; earned the respect and commitment of faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members; and was an unwavering proponent of the university's mission. He was a distinguished, international expert in nanotechnology and bioengineering."

Montemagno, a professor of engineering who founded and formerly led the Ingenuity Lab at the University of Alberta in Canada, began his tenure in Carbondale as the first non-interim chancellor since Rita Cheng's departure in July 2014.

His leadership at SIU was marked by his proposed reorganization of campus departments, which remains a work in progress despite its divisiveness among campus departments and constituency groups. Montemagno also came under fire for facilitating the hiring of his daughter and son-in-law to university jobs.

Montemagno succeeded former interim chancellor Brad Colwell. Another recent interim chancellor, Paul Sarvela, died in late 2014 after also having disclosed a recent cancer diagnosis.

Dorsey said memorial arrangements will be shared as soon as they are available, and he vowed the campus' leadership team will "ensure that the university continues to move forward. SIU Carbondale has a strong future ahead of it, and together, we will ensure that it fulfills its promise."

Dorsey also spoke highly of Montemagno's impact during his brief tenure in the chancellor's office.

"His loss will be deeply felt at SIU, in Southern Illinois and in the scientific and academic communities," Dorsey said. "Please join me in sharing our thoughts and prayers with his wife Pam, family and many friends."

Carbondale Mayor Mike Henry also weighed in on the sudden loss.

"Carlo was a good man with a bold, innovative vision for Southern Illinois University Carbondale and the region," Henry said. "I considered him to be a good friend. We will miss him."

Other tributes flowed in as the day continued.

"Before coming to SIU, Carlo was known as an international expert in nanotechnology and biomedical engineering," said Amy Sholar, chair of the board of trustees. "While at our Carbondale campus, Carlo served as an innovative administrator and he will be remembered for the care and devotion he held for our students and in promoting their education to be our next generation of leaders. He will be greatly missed."</group><group id="B59C3B46-FDBD-4CD0-88F6-D14FE4FB1768" type="seoLabe