The University of Illinois Board of Trustees on Thursday approved a series of measures that included a new name for University of Illinois Chicago College of Pharmacy, the appointments of a new dean at the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a new athletic director at the University of Illinois Springfield and a new CEO at University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics at UIC.
UIC College of Pharmacy named
Under a vote by trustees, the UIC College of Pharmacy will become the Herbert M. and Carol H. Retzky College of Pharmacy to reflect the Retzkys’ financial support of the college. Herbert Retzky is a 1946 graduate of the college, and the couple owned pharmacies in Chicago and later Oak Park. Carol Retzky was awarded an honorary degree in 2019.
The Retzkys have provided more financial support to the college and UIC than any other individual donors, more than $44 million in all. This includes financial backing for the Retzky Scholars Fund and the Retzky Career Development Fund, the UIC Herbert and Carol Retzky Deanship Fund, the Drug Discovery and Innovation Fund, the Simulation Center Fund, the Lester Weitzman Memorial Scholarship Fund and the Herbert and Carol Retzky Scholarship Fund.
Established in 1859 as the Chicago College of Pharmacy, the college became part of the University of Illinois in 1896 and is the oldest academic unit in the University of Illinois System. The Retzky College of Pharmacy is UIC’s first donor-named college.
New UI Health CEO
In other business, trustees appointed Mark I. Rosenblatt as the new CEO of the University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics at UIC, or UI Health, effective July 12. Rosenblatt is the G. Stephen Irwin Dean of the College of Medicine, professor and physician surgeon in the UIC Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, professor of pharmacology in the College of Medicine and associate vice chancellor for physician affairs in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs.
He has served as interim CEO since Sept. 16, 2023, and succeeds Michael Zenn.
New Gies College of Business dean
Trustees appointed W. Brooke Elliott as dean of the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, effective Aug. 16. Elliott is executive associate dean and professor of accountancy in the college. Elliott will succeed Jeffrey R. Brown, who serves as dean until Aug. 15 and will return to the faculty.
New UIS athletic director and women’s basketball coach
Michael Hermann was appointed by the trustees as the new director of athletics at the University of Illinois Springfield. He has served in a designate capacity since June 17. Hermann joins UIS from University of the Pacific, where he was senior associate athletics director, external operations. He succeeds Jamarco Clark, who served on an interim basis since November 2023.
Trustees also appointed Olivia Lett as head women’s basketball coach at UIS. She has served in a designate capacity since June 3. Lett was previously head women’s basketball coach at Millikin University. She succeeds Summer Quesenberry, who had been women’s basketball coach since July 2022.
New IGPA director
The appointment of Benjamin Superfine as senior director of the University of Illinois System’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs was approved by the trustees. Superfine is the assistant vice provost of faculty relations and a professor of educational policy studies at the University of Illinois Chicago. The appointment is effective Aug. 16.
New Urbana dean of fine and applied arts
Trustees appointed Jacob Daniel Pinholster as dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, effective Sept. 16. Pinholster will also be a professor of theatre. Pinholster will join UIUC from Arizona State University where he is executive dean of the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.
Public commenters
Also Thursday, trustees voted to increase the number of public commenters who can speak at the board’s regular meetings to 10 rather than the current six. Speakers will be allotted three minutes each rather than the current five minutes.
As has long been the case, anyone wishing to make public comments before the board must request to do so in writing to the board secretary at least three business days before the meeting at which they wish to speak. If more than 10 people request to speak, speakers will be chosen based on the order in which their requests were received.
