New University of Illinois President Timothy L. Killeen has been elected chairman of the board of directors of the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition.

The coalition is a statewide group of companies such as Caterpillar Inc., and State Farm Cos. and research institutions such as the university and Argonne National Laboratory. The group works to promote economic growth in the state.

Mark Harris is CEO of the coalition. He says that the new university president's mandate to help build the state's economy matches that of the organization.

Killeen took over at Illinois in May. He has talked regularly since being named president about the university's role in driving economic development in Illinois.