The University of Illinois Board of Trustees today approved a strategic expansion of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine, establishing four new departments that will sharpen its focus on specific areas of medicine and enhance the college’s interdisciplinary collaboration.
The new departments — obstetrics and gynecology; psychiatry; family medicine; and internal medicine — will reside within CIMED’s department of clinical sciences. The structure is also expected to strengthen faculty recruitment by offering candidates clearer homes within their specialties.
“The Carle Illinois College of Medicine is training the next generation of physicians at the intersection of engineering, science and medicine, and these new departments sharpen our focus in areas where Illinoisans most need outstanding care,” U of I System President Tim Killeen said. “It’s a meaningful step forward for the college and for the communities we serve.”
Each department will comprise faculty members who facilitate specialized education, clinical care and research initiatives.
Created in 2015 as a partnership between the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Urbana-based Carle Health, CIMED has 248 enrolled students and more than 700 affiliated clinical and academic faculty members. The college is educating a new generation of physicians trained to develop transformative health care solutions.
The first Carle Illinois graduating class entered residency in 2022.
Underwood contract extended
Trustees also approved the previously announced contract extension of Urbana-Champaign head men’s basketball coach Brad Underwood. His existing six-year contract expires June 30, 2032, but could extend through the same date in 2036 based upon team performance over the next four seasons.
UIS vice chancellor appointed
Trustees also approved the appointment of David Meredith as the University of Illinois Springfield’s vice chancellor for enrollment and retention management, effective June 16.
Meredith brings more than 30 years of leadership in enrollment management at public and private institutions. He most recently served as interim vice president of enrollment management at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in New York.
Presidential search committee convenes
The Presidential Search Committee held its first meeting today, marking a formal step forward in the search for the next president of the University of Illinois System. The committee will lead a national search to identify a successor to President Tim Killeen, who concludes his tenure on June 30, 2027.
As part of its engagement with the university community, the committee will host a series of town halls to gather input from students, faculty, staff and other stakeholders across the system’s three universities. Details are posted on the presidential search website.
