"He's got all the credentials you want,'' said philosophy professor Robert Pippin, chair of the faculty search committee that helped identify Zimmer from a pool of "a couple hundred'' serious candidates.

In a statement, Zimmer said he was "honored to have this opportunity . . . to advance the university.'' He was en route to U. of C. Thursday and plans to hold a press conference today.

Zimmer, 58, joined Brown, in Providence, R.I., in 2002 as the school was in the early stages of a plan to greatly expand its faculty. By the time he left, the school had hired 175 new faculty, and had seen a 10 percent increase in its ranks. He also strengthened the school's biology and medical programs, and launched a new humanities center, officials at the school said.

"He is someone who has moved us forward by leaps and bounds in a short period of time,'' said Rajiv Vohra, dean of faculty at Brown. "What he has down for Brown University is going to be evident for years to come.''

U. of C. colleagues also praised his time in Hyde Park, where he first started teaching in 1977. He eventually worked his way up to vice president for research and responsibility for Argonne National Laboratory, which the university is contracted to run by the federal government.

In that post he pushed to strengthen the ties between Argonne and U. of C. by establishing more joint appointments, said Bob Rosner, director of Argonne.

Officials said Zimmer's familiarity with the U. of C. culture helped him win the job, particularly because he will be charged with persuading alumni and others to donate to the school.

"He talks the talk,'' Pippin said. "He knows the university very well.'' He also knows Hyde Park well, and two of his three children attended University of Chicago Lab School.

Even as he rose through the administrative ranks, Zimmer continued research. He is a renowned expert in ergodic theory, which addresses how physical systems evolve over time. He has written two books and more than 80 research articles.

Colleagues said his zeal for learning was evident back to his days as a Ph.D. candidate at Harvard in the early 1970s.

dnewbart@suntimes.com