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ouR aluMni seRve millions of people every day. Many of our 26,000-plus alumni are internationally recognized clinicians and scientists, advancing the field of medicine as they transform lives through advanced medical care and biomedical science. our alumni are the architects of medicine. you have helped build the largest independent group of orthopaedic physicians in the country, were among the first to carry out a successful robotic kidney transplant, and founded the field of clinical epidemiology, combining statistics to create a patient-centered model of care. you have pioneered work in elucidating the molecular mechanisms responsible for heart failure and determining how to use beta-blockers to treat it, and you have revolutionized the way practitioners learn about cardiac diseases by creating harvey ® , a life-sized and first medical mannequin that simulates cardiac conditions. you discovered apoptosis, or programmed cell death, and fundamentally changed our understanding of cell cycle regulation. you did groundbreaking work on angiotensin that led to the development of so- called ace inhibitors, blockbuster drugs to treat heart and kidney disease. last but not least, you have received numerous awards and recognitions — including the nobel Peace Prize in Medicine. and there are countless other examples of the great things that our alumni do. traveling across the country, it is a privilege to meet with our alumni and hear your unique stories of success. as an alumnus, you help shape both the landscape of medicine and this very institution through your contributions to healthcare. We take pride in our alumni and will continue to recognize and celebrate your achievements and accomplishments. all college of Medicine alumni are invited to join in our celebration for this year's homecoming on sept. 19-20. We encourage alumni, faculty and friends to return to campus to celebrate the monumental successes of the entire college of Medicine community. homecoming 2014 will offer an opportunity to see the renovation of our modern educational learning space in the historic college of Medicine West tower, attend lectures from world-class faculty and experience interactive educational simulations. We will also have special reunion activities and recognition for our graduates of classes ending in '4 and '9. finally, our weekend will end with a spectacular gala celebrating more than 130 years of excellence in medicine through the presentation of alumni and friends awards, recognizing your role as pioneers and architects of medicine. if you know someone who deserves special recognition and would like to nominate them, please contact me, Jenna Plakut, at jplakut@uic.edu or 312-355-1171. you may also nominate someone online at http://go.uic.edu/coMawards. thank you for all that you do to help advance medicine. you are our connection to our past, yet you help direct the future. Jenna Plakut P h o t o : l l o y D D e G R a n e i l l i n O i S M e d i C i n e | 33 n a P l e s , f l o R i D a At left, Dean Azar and his wife Nathalie (left) met with former College of Medicine Dean, Gerald Moss (center) during the alumni reception in Naples. P h o e n i x Alumni like Ernie Riffer '82, MD '86 and his wife Jody Reiser, MD, (left) in Phoenix gathered at the Musical Instrument Museum to reconnect with fellow college graduates and to meet Dean Azar. s t . P e t e R s b u R G , f l o R i D a Richard Norenberg '57, MD '59, and his wife Arlene (left photo) and Mark Smith '74, MD '78 (right photo), came together with other alumni at the Chihuly Collection at the Morean Arts Center in St. Petersburg, Fla., to learn about educational updates at the College of Medicine's four campuses. u R b a n a , i l l i n o i s University of Illinois President Robert Easter (third from left) welcomed the College of Medicine community to his home prior to a UI basketball game last spring. Pictured left to right: Urbana Regional Dean Michele Mariscalco, Rockford professor Mitchell S. King, President Easter, Dean Azar, Peoria Regional Dean Sara Rusch, Chief Development Officer Stephanie Grinage, and Allan Campbell '65, MD, and wife Marlene '63. the AlUMnI netWoRK