Illinois State University’s Acting Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Ani Yazedjian announced Dr. Craig Gatto has been named associate vice president for academic administration, effective May 1, 2023. Gatto has served in the role as interim since fall 2022.
In his role, Gatto will provide leadership in faculty personnel issues such as recruitment, retention, tenure, promotion, sabbaticals, external employment, and evaluation. He will also serve as the primary contact for the Office of the Provost on strategic planning and compliance, review, and revision of policy matters in Academic Affairs.
“Dr. Gatto’s two decades of experience at Illinois State and excellence in the areas of teaching, research, and service provide a depth of knowledge for this role,” said Yazedjian. “I am confident he will work diligently to serve units across campus as they seek strategies to effectively meet the diverse needs of our faculty and staff.”
A University Professor of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Gatto joined Illinois State University in 2000. He served as the director of the School of Biological Sciences from 2010-2020, and interim chair of the Department of Chemistry from 2020-2022, before joining the Office of the Provost in 2022.
Throughout his career at Illinois State, Gatto has received awards in teaching, research, and service, including the Outstanding University Researcher Award and the University Service Initiative Award. A member of the University’s Million Dollar Club, his research has been funded by national organizations such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the American Heart Association. He has served on committees for the University’s strategic plan, long-range financial planning, and the development of the engineering program.
Gatto earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in zoology from Eastern Illinois University, and a Ph.D. in physiology from University of Missouri-Columbia.
