HR0697 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0697 LRB102 26480 ECR 36962 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate President Morton Schapiro on the occasion of his retirement from Northwestern University; and

WHEREAS, President Schapiro began his term as the 16th president of Northwestern University on September 1, 2009; and

WHEREAS, President Schapiro has served as a professor of economics in Northwestern's Judd A. and Marjorie Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and as a fellow of the Northwestern Institute for Policy Research; he holds appointments in the J.L. Kellogg School of Management and the School of Education and Social Policy; and

WHEREAS, President Schapiro is among the nation's leading authorities on the economics of higher education, particularly in the area of college financing affordability, college costs, and student aid; and

WHEREAS, President Schapiro served as president of Williams College from 2000 to 2009; he previously served as a professor of economics and as assistant provost at Williams College from 1980 to 1991; and

WHEREAS, President Schapiro chaired the Department of Economics at the University of Southern California from 1991 to 1994 and served as dean of the College of Letters from 1994 to 2000; during his last two years as dean, he also served as vice president for Planning; and

WHEREAS, President Schapiro has written more than 100 articles and written or edited ten books; he has authored dozens of commentaries and essays for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and numerous other publications; and

WHEREAS, President Schapiro has received research grants and contracts from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, the World Bank, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the College Board, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and other groups to study the economics of higher education and related topics; and

WHEREAS, President Schapiro was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2010; he was elected to the National Academy of Education in 2017; and

WHEREAS, President Schapiro chaired the Big Ten Conference from 2018 through 2021; and

WHEREAS, President Schapiro has led Northwestern University through a period of record transformative academic growth; and

WHEREAS, During President Schapiro's tenure, undergraduate applications to Northwestern University and representation of underrepresented student populations have doubled; and

WHEREAS, President Schapiro has led Northwestern to a new era of active civic engagement by committing scholarly and financial resources to the Chicago and Evanston communities, creating programs such as the Northwestern Academy and the Good Neighbor Fund; and

WHEREAS, Over the course of President Schapiro's term, annual funding for sponsored research activity at Northwestern has risen 86 percent from nearly $477 million in 2009 to $893 million in 2021; and

WHEREAS, Under President Schapiro's leadership, Northwestern University has added 502 new endowed scholarships and fellowships, 84 endowed professorships, more than 30 new research centers and institutes, and hundreds of additional grants; and

WHEREAS, Through President Schapiro's supervision, the number of Northwestern University faculty with major academy memberships has increased by roughly 73 percent; and

WHEREAS, Thanks to President Schapiro's guidance, Northwestern University has risen to rank among the top ten American universities; and

WHEREAS, President Schapiro has been a transformational leader and tireless advocate for Northwestern University as well as a dedicated scholar and educator who has advanced Northwestern and its surrounding community; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate President Morton Schapiro on his exemplary tenure at Northwestern University and his contributions to higher education and wish him the best in his retirement; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to President Schapiro as a symbol of our esteem and respect.