July 19, 2013

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that Jerry Bauman, dean of the College of Pharmacy at UIC, has been appointed interim vice president for health affairs effective Sept. 1, pending approval by the Board of Trustees at its July 25 meeting. Dr. Bauman will continue to serve as pharmacy dean on a partial appointment.

Dr. Bauman will serve as an interim replacement for VPHA Joe G.N. "Skip" Garcia, who has resigned effective Sept. 1 to pursue a new position as senior vice president for health sciences at the University of Arizona.  Dr. Garcia will continue to work with the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System (UI Health) through the end of August on an orderly transition.

I am deeply grateful to Dr. Bauman for stepping up yet again to serve the University in this important role. As VPHA, he will oversee UI Health, a health science and clinical enterprise; provide oversight of the University of Illinois Hospital; and connect the clinical mission of the hospital to the research and teaching missions of the university.

Dr. Bauman's distinguished career at University of Illinois at Chicago spans more than three decades, as a teacher, researcher and senior administrator. He joined UIC in 1979 as an assistant professor of pharmacy practice, and has served as dean of the College of Pharmacy since 2007. As dean, he has expanded the College's programs and its tradition of excellence, building on his service during nearly a decade as head of the Department of Pharmacy Practice.

When the University has needed him, he also has routinely volunteered his talents -- serving as interim dean of the College of Pharmacy for a year before his permanent appointment to the position and as interim vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost at UIC in 2011. Jerry has broad experience at UIC, understands the missions of the University of Illinois, and holds the respect of his colleagues and peers.

As a researcher, he earned the Russell Miller Award for Research for his study of the clinical pharmacology of cocaine and the proarrhythmic side effects of antiarrhythmic agents and other drugs. He has authored more than 100 original publications, 75 abstracts and multiple book chapters and is a fellow in the American College of Clinical Pharmacy and the American College of Cardiology.

He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois at the Medical Center (now UIC) and a Pharm.D. degree from the University of Missouri at Kansas City.

I also want to thank Dr. Garcia for his highly focused work since he joined the U of I in 2009, and I wish him well in his new position. His understanding and agenda for delivery of clinical health care services to an underserved population by a public university will have a lasting impact.

Dr. Garcia joined the U of I as vice chancellor for research at UIC in 2009 and in 2011 was named vice president for health affairs, a position established by trustees in 2010. He previously held senior leadership and faculty positions at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Chicago.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Bauman on his new and expanded role, and in thanking Dr. Garcia for his service to the University.

Sincerely,

Robert A. Easter
President, University of Illinois