The native of northern Greece was himself a first-generation college student, who came to the U.S. to pursue graduate studies in chemical engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. From 1945 to 1951, Ernest C. Colwell served as President, acting as chief operating officer under Chancellor Robert M. Hutchins. Chancellor Michael Amiridis—like many UIC students—reflects the diverse, global nature of Chicago. "Rick" Gislason 2015 (interim) Paula Allen-Meares 2009-2015. The progression of Presidents has been varied only once during the University’s history, from 1945 to 1961, when the Board of Trustees designated the head of the University of Chicago as the Chancellor. Chancellor History. State of the University of Illinois at Chicago 2019 ... Office of the Chancellor. Chancellor History. Vanderbilt taps University of Chicago Provost Daniel Diermeier as new chancellor. About. Michael D. Amiridis 2015-present. Eric A. Vanderbilt University has been searching for a new chancellor since Nicholas S. Zeppos stepped down in … Daniel Diermeier, who has been provost of the University of Chicago since 2016, and is the David Lee Shillinglaw Distinguished Service Professor at the Harris School of Public Policy and the College, has been appointed to serve as the ninth chancellor of Vanderbilt University, effective July 1.