1/21/2026
CHICAGO, IL – Today, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign announced the appointment of Gene E. Robinson as the new Executive Director and CEO of the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI). Robinson will assume this role pending approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. This pivotal appointment comes as The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign assumes leadership of DPI moving forward.
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Gene E. Robinson to lead DPI into its next chapter focused on AI, innovation, and statewide impact
Today, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign announced the appointment of Gene E. Robinson as the new Executive Director and CEO of the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI). Robinson will assume this role pending approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. This pivotal appointment comes as The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign assumes leadership of DPI moving forward.
In this new chapter, DPI will be a hub connecting research, education and entrepreneurship that further strengthens Illinois’ position as the global center for next generation technologies. With a clear focus on AI, quantum technologies, and the future of computing, DPI will identify key areas where AI can be applied across industries central to Chicago’s economy — from finance and healthcare to manufacturing, logistics, and energy — and partner with companies to help them adopt and deploy these technologies.
“DPI has a mandate to do something big in AI,” said Gene Robinson, incoming Executive Director and CEO of DPI. “When I think of this moment for AI, it seems analogous to the early days of the genomics revolution, which triggered the launch of the IGB. But AI is more like a tsunami, requiring a bold and comprehensive approach to harness its vast potential and ensure that it is used as a force for good across society. To get started, I look forward to listening and engaging with members of the DPI community, campus leaders and Chicago’s innovation and corporate ecosystem so we can together develop the vision and roadmap for DPI’s new chapter.”
Robinson has served as Director of the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB) since 2012, leading its growth into one of the nation’s premier genomics research institutes with a portfolio spanning agriculture, energy, health, technology, and AI. He holds a Swanlund Chair with Entomology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he has served on the faculty since 1989. Robinson is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and is a recipient of the Wolf Prize. He earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from Cornell University and was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at Ohio State University.
“We are excited to work with Governor Pritzker’s office and very thankful for their investment and support in this next phase of DPI. Gene is an exceptional leader and a very distinguished scholar who has a track record of advancing interdisciplinary research, building meaningful partnerships across academia, industry, and government and translating discovery into societal impact,” said Rashid Bashir, Dean of The Grainger College of Engineering and Vice Chancellor of Chicago Strategic Partnerships. “His deep experience and vision align closely with our commitment to innovation, impact and improving the human condition. His commitment to collaboration and to building environments where people and ideas can thrive are values that align strongly with DPI’s mission and culture in Chicago.”
With over 150 years of driving computing and engineering innovation, Grainger Engineering’s deep understanding of how to build programs that meet industry needs, as well as its long-standing engagement in Chicago, made it a natural fit to lead DPI as this important work continues.