URBANA — An engineer who has brought in more than $60 million in grants, Christophe Pierre, will be the next vice president for academic affairs at the University of Illinois.

The dean of the faculty of engineering at McGill University, Pierre replaces Mrinalini "Meena" C. Rao, who has held the position since 2007. Rao will return to the faculty in physiology and biophysics on the Chicago campus.

It's the second vice president President Michael J. Hogan has announced in less than a week, the other being Lawrence Schook, the new vice president for research.

While at McGill, Pierre said, his goals were to develop a research infrastructure, which includes establishing an office to provide support for professors dealing with various funding agencies and industry. He also worked on increasing the number of graduate students at McGill.

Pierre had been dean of the faculty of engineering at McGill, in Montreal, since 2005. He also is a professor of mechanical engineering and holds a Canada Research Chair in structural dynamics and vibration.

He holds a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from Ecole Centrale des Arts et Manufactures de Paris in France, a master's degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Princeton University and a doctorate in mechanical engineering and materials science from Duke University.