Illinois Medicine

Alumni Council Update f r o m Adr i e n n e S e g o v i a , M D ' 9 0 Photo: Thomas-McClellan Photo gr a p h y Photo: Kevin Lee Studio Los Angeles, California Ur b a n a - C h a mp a i g n , I l l i n o i s Dean Azar continues to travel, as far as Los Angeles and as near as Urbana, to meet with alumni and learn how a College of Medicine education has helped them to advance both their careers and the field of medicine. In Urbana (above) the dean met with such loyal alumni as Steve Irwin, MD '77, Res '82, and his wife, Kathy, at University of Illinois President Robert Easter's home prior to a U. of I. basketball game. at Urbana-Champaign. "It was a very elegant event," says Don Fischer, MD '62. "The dean made a very good presentation regarding changes accomplished and changes proposed for the medical campus in Chicago and the combined medical education of the downstate branches." On March 23, the dean returned to Naples, which he previously had visited last year. About 20 alumni and friends joined Azar in taking in the spectacular ocean views at the Naples Yacht Club and heard his update about the renovations to the College of Medicine building (see story, page 16). "For him to bring us up to date about what was going on on the campus was very instructive," says James Greer, MD '69, who attended the gettogether with his wife, Denise. "He's very enthusiastic and positive about the medical school and the direction they're headed." A special thank you to Bruce Gillis '69, MD '74, MPH, founder of EpicGenetics, for hosting a reception for UIC alumni, friends and faculty in conjunction with the 2013 Biotechnology Industry Organization International Convention in April. The College of Medicine is coming to your area soon! SAVE THE DATE for the following alumni events: February 20 Naples Alumni Reception February 21 St. Petersburg/Tampa Alumni Reception February 23 Miami Alumni Reception March 26 Phoenix Alumni Reception April 6 Los Angeles Alumni Reception April 27 Boston Alumni Reception May New York City Alumni Reception June 12 Milwaukee Alumni Reception If you have additional questions or would like to be involved with alumni programs, please contact Jenna Plakut, director of alumni relations, at (312) 355 -1171 or jplakut@uic.edu University of Illinois College of Medicine alumni are local, national and global leaders in medicine. The Alumni Council is committed to supporting the mission of the college to ensure that future alumni continue this tradition of leadership for years to come. The Alumni Council has participated in Adrienne Segovia many college activities, and it was our pleasure to celebrate with the Class of 2013 as they received their residency matches and were officially conferred their doctorate (and graduate) degrees at commencement. The educational experience at the University of Illinois has had a lasting impression on every individual that receives training at the college: be that as an undergraduate student in Chicago, Peoria, Rockford or Urbana, a graduate student advancing basic science knowledge that can be translated into effective new clinical treatments, or as a resident who hones his or her expertise in the expansive University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System. The Alumni Council aims to reach all students and alumni, near or far, to connect and engage them with their beloved alma mater. The online Alumni Network, a tool that we hope will be launched by the end of the year, will help to facilitate this important connection of alumni and students. Over the course of the past year we have been working on the design and functionality of this network to ensure it connects and otherwise meets the needs of our alumni and students. The network will allow us to share more regular updates with our alumni; allow alumni to update their contact information and create a network profile; and most importantly, allow alumni (and students) to search for fellow alumni based on specialty, area of practice, region, etc. We hope the network will become a great resource for alumni and allow them to interact, search for lost classmates, and be a resource to current students, aiding their continued success and professional development. This large undertaking has been a partnership between the Alumni Council and the University of Illinois Alumni Association. Stay tuned for additional updates and the official launch of the network. As I enter the final year of my term as chair of the Alumni Council, I look forward to supporting the new and transformational learning center renovation project that has started in the historic College of Medicine building (see page 16). The updated facilities are essential to meeting the enhanced curricular strategies that engage the modern medical student. I encourage each of you to consider making a contribution to this exciting project as we invest in future generations of medicine. I have thoroughly enjoyed my participation in the Alumni Council and invite all alumni who have new ideas and who wish to support the College of Medicine's mission to join the council. We are always looking for ways to engage more alumni, and our work takes place via Web conference to accommodate diverse schedules and regional representatives. Please contact Jenna Plakut, director of alumni relations, for additional information on how you can become involved, at (312) 355-1171 or jplakut@uic.edu. illinois medicine | 37

• Cover