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campus news C h i c ag o Peoria Rockford U r b a n a - C h ampa i g n Mitchell S. King, MD, Named Rockford Interim Dean He succeeds Martin Lipsky, MD, who served for nearly a decade M photo: Br i a n T h o m a s itchell S. King, MD, has been named interim regional dean for the College of Medicine at Rockford. He steps into the shoes of Martin Lipsky, MD, who steps down after nearly a decade of achievements as regional dean. King, who has served since 2005 as associate dean for academic affairs in Rockford and a professor in the department of family and community medicine, has worked closely with Lipsky during their respective tenures, helping to lead the Rockford campus through a curricular transformation while continuing to teach actively. The chair of the Rockford Committee on Instruction and Appraisal, King participates in several other college committees. His clinical practice focuses on geriatrics, and he has served as medical director for a skilled nursing facility Rockford's new interim regional dean, Mitchell S. King (left), accepts the baton from Martin Lipsky, regional dean for nearly a decade. and a hospice agency. King received his MD from The Ohio State University College of Medicine, completed his residency at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, and served as residency program director and interim chair for family medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. During Lipsky's tenure as dean, the College of Medicine at Rockford has completed a 58,000-square-foot, $26 million renovation and expansion project; established a new master's degree program in medical biotechnology; and expanded the health science campus in partnership with the colleges of Pharmacy, Nursing and Public Health. "Dr. Lipsky has provided outstanding leadership in Rockford to enhance educational and research programs and ensure that the University of Illinois continues to produce top quality physicians and biomedical researchers," said Dean Dimitri T. Azar, MD, MBA. "He has worked diligently to ensure that the College of Medicine in Rockford maintains the highest standard of excellence in the region, and he has successfully done this through community partnerships and collaborations." $3M for Cell Regeneration Research Gift from CWB Foundation will fund multidisciplinary research center in Rockford | FA LL 2 013 Br i a n T h o m a s 4 or pioneering innovation that will enhance quality of life for people with spinal cord injuries, lost limbs or debilitating diseases," said University of Illinois President Robert Easter, PhD '76. "It will bring in top researchers who will partner with our experts in medicine, technology and other fields to pursue breakthroughs to improve the lives of people with disabilities." "This key gift provides the impetus for amazing research and development at the college," said Martin Lipsky, MD, recently departed regional dean at Rockford, who added that more funds will be sought for the center's programs. University of Illinois Chancel- photo: T he College of Medicine at Rockford plans to open a new multidisciplinary center for cell regeneration research thanks to a $3 million gift from the Rockford-area CWB Foundation. The center will train clinicians, students and scientists on the science of regenerative medicine. The gift will be used for two named professorships to direct the research program: the Cedric W. Blazer Professorship for cell regeneration research and the Michael A. Werckle, MD Professorship for cell regeneration research. "The center could yield cures On hand for the Jan. 29 announcement of the gift were (from left) University of Illinois President Robert Easter, UIC Chancellor Paula Allen-Meares, and College of Medicine Dean Dimitri T. Azar. lor Paula Allen-Meares, PhD '75, who spoke at the Jan. 29 announcement of the gift on the Rockford campus, said, "The interface between and among disciplines, and the promise this approach will bring toward greater solutions to the challenges faced by persons with disabilities, is what we are here to celebrate today." The CWB Foundation, established by the late Cedric Blazer, president of Zenith Cutter Co. and a leading philanthropist in the Rockford area, frequently supports projects that benefit people with disabilities. "We are committed to this endeavor, which would lead to an improved quality of life, something we all strive to achieve for ourselves and our community members," said Mark Blazer, CWB Foundation board member. "I am excited to see what is to come."