Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/530940
Michael D. Amiridis, PhD, previously executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, became chancellor of the University of Illinois at Chicago in March. He sat down with Illinois Medicine to talk about his vision for the campus and where the College of Medicine fits in. Oh, and if you're curious how to pronounce Amiridis, look here: http://news.uic.edu/how-do-you-pronounce-amiridis. How have your prior roles at University of South Carolina prepared you especially well to step into the chancellor's position at UIC? i'm coming in with significant experience at a similar institution, a public flagship university that includes all the health sciences with the exception of dentistry. i had two medical schools reporting to me as the provost — two accredited medical schools in different parts of the state. i also negotiated the formation of a new medical group between our own physicians and traditional partners. What are your priorities for the UIC campus, and what role do you see the College of Medicine playing? the quality of the student experience, the strength of the student experience, are paramount to me. very close to that is the quality of the research, the generation of new knowledge — and the traditional diversity and strength in community engagement. this is what universities are all about. in all of those areas, the College of Medicine is central, from the basic sciences to clinical and translational research. What collaborative research partnerships would you like to see the College of Medicine forge or strengthen at UIC? i would like to strengthen the relationships within the uiC family; first with other medical sciences colleges and then across the campus with schools like engineering—the bioengineering department is a good example—and with business, since primary-care providers and others are small businessmen and women. there are also nuggets you wouldn't expect: We have a good philosophy department, so if you're talking about medical ethics, i would like to see collaboration there also. How does the College of Medicine distinguish itself academically among other medical schools, and contribute to the health of the state and city? What i would like this university in general to be known for, and this applies to every college, is a place where new ideas are born and put into practice. With all the new ideas in terms of technology and medicine, and the way medicine is evolving, it's a wonderful opportunity. We contribute to the health of the state and city, first of all, by educating the new generation of physicians. it's also very important to remember the public mission of this university and hospital in providing care for the underserved. How do the College of Medicine's ever-increasing student diversity and opportunities to spend time abroad enhance students' experience? Who are these students going to serve during their practice as physicians? the answer is, a very diverse group of people. there is no better way to learn to understand them than to be among other physicians from different racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. on a similar note, i believe time abroad is extremely valuable. they become appreciative of what we have here. they are led to be more resourceful. and to take a step further, our goal as a university, and the goal of the College of Medicine, is to educate physicians not only specifically with their practice in mind but also to educate them as citizens of the world. Q A 5 QUestions 1 2 3 4 5 P h o t o : l l o y D D e g r a n e