Friends, 

Much of my first couple of months as president focused on the internal workings of the university. I still spend a lot of time each week meeting 69色情片 teams and people both on and off campus, but my schedule this week included more external work than I’ve generally been doing. I met mayors, legislators, funders, hospital presidents, and visited Lake Forest College for the first time. As a community-based university, working with partners is how Rosalind Franklin University creates a better world, so it felt good to engage with a growing number of our partners and learn about our mutual goals. 

That said, there was still plenty of internal work, and as you will likely know, Joe DiMario, PhD, our Executive Vice President for Research is retiring at the end of the first week of February after a great career as a scientist, educator, and administrator at the university. I am delighted to announce that Jan Urban, PhD has agreed to be our Interim Executive Vice President for Research. She will begin on February 7th, the day after Joe retires. I have enjoyed getting to know Jan and look forward to working with her much more as we move through the transition. I have been an interim several times, and these roles are not easy. Beyond the job itself, interim roles always disturb the work you were doing before. Dr. Urban joined the university in 1997 and has become a successful scientist and trusted colleague. In my conversations with people about the interim EVPR, support for her in this role was consistent. Please welcome Dr. Urban to this essential position in our university.

This week also brought some reminders of last January, when the federal administration cancelled or changed a series of programs and grants only for them to be reinstated by the courts or the administration. On Wednesday the federal administration cancelled and then reinstated a large number of research, education, and treatment grants from the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the Department of Health and Human Services. The cuts would have impacted life saving programs . The agency already in the last year leading to slower responses and inefficiency. The grants in question funded mental health and substance abuse programs in health departments, hospitals, community organizations, and universities. While 69色情片 had no grants or programs terminated/reinstated, this resurgent uncertainty and disorganization impacted our partners and neighbors for whom these programs are a lifeline. 

There is still so much for me to learn about 69色情片 from the inside, and I had the pleasure of attending part of Unity Week including the cultural foods from the DNA Cafe, the Diya painting, and the excellent student band in the lobby. I was astonished that there were so many people enjoying these activities. Granted, much of the enthusiasm was focused on free lunch, but I loved talking with people at the events and trying the international snacks! 

Also this week, Lana Trautman, 2025 president of the Interprofessional Community Clinic (ICC), gave her “State of ICC” presentation. We have one of the strongest student-led clinics in the country, and this month marks the handoff from one year’s student leadership to the next. I have written about the clinic several times, and it deserves all of that attention. As I was looking at this position, the ICC was clearly a gem that caught my eye. So many schools try to create student-run, free clinics like ours, but this clinic is so far beyond what other schools actually achieve. Our clinic has 468 interprofessional students, faculty, and staff who volunteer their time to care for these patients across multiple programs ranging from a food pantry to specialty medical care. We are so much smaller than hospitals or other medical schools in our region, yet we have created this excellent program. The ICC and the care we provide are only possible because of the astonishing level of dedication and generosity of our people. My congratulations to all of the students, faculty, staff, and community partners who make the ICC possible. 

Improving the wellness of all people with you, 

Aron