Dear Colleagues,

Season’s Greetings. It has been another busy year for faculty development, which remains a key priority in the College’s Strategic Development Plan. We integrate evidence-based programs and best practices, using a continuous quality improvement lens to develop and refine our faculty development initiatives. We are systematically designing and deploying our faculty development program in alignment with the UI COM Strategic Development Plan, following the “ASPIRE Criteria for Excellence in Faculty Development” that include:

We have continued to make advances this year and look forward to further building on our work to support you in attaining your professional goals and help you flourish to your maximum potential. A key accomplishment this year is the launch of the new “Mentor Training Workshop Series”. Many thanks to all those who support the professional advancement and well-being of our faculty, and special thanks to the COM Faculty Development Strategy Committee, Faculty Academic Advancement Advisory Council, Faculty Mentoring Facilitators Committee, and institutional leaders for their dedication, hard work, and contributions. We extend our thanks to Rohan Verma, Faculty Development Program Coordinator, and all the staff members across the college who provide crucial support to the faculty in numerous ways.

The Faculty Development Newsletter continues to provide resources and opportunities that support the professional advancement and well-being of our faculty, as well as highlight the wonderful accomplishments of our faculty; we welcome news that we can feature in future issues of the newsletter.

As we approach the end of 2025, I hope you will take some time to pause, reflect, and spend quality time with your loved ones. Wishing everyone a safe holiday season and a prosperous and healthy new year.

Memoona Hasnain, MD, MHPE, PhD
Associate Dean for Faculty Development
Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Medical Education, and Public Health

The University of Illinois College of Medicine celebrated its faculty on November 18 in the Faculty Alumni Lounge during the 2025 Faculty Recognition Ceremony. Dean's Awards, UIC Faculty Awards, Departmental Rising Star, and Faculty of the Year Recipients were honored. Congratulations to all the awardees.The full list of awardees, images from the evening, and a video of the ceremony will be posted on the faculty affairs website soon.

Dr. Evelyn Figueroa, Professor and Director of Community Engagement in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, was honored as the 2025 Dr. Tai R. Shin and Mrs. You H. Shin Humanitarian Awardee at a system-level ceremony on November 19. Recognized for her leadership, teaching, and advocacy, Dr. Figueroa’s impact extends across the university and community—learn more about her humanitarian work in the Shin Award news.

The UI COM Dean’s Office has announced a new competition cycle of the Thematic Project Grant Development Program to support impactful, interdisciplinary research aligned with the UI COM Strategic Research Plan. Applications must address one or more priority areas: neuroscience and visual science; cardiovascular and pulmonary disease; immunology and inflammation; diabetes and metabolic disorders; vascular biology; community engagement; or information sciences.

Projects must demonstrate a clear pathway toward a larger collaborative grant (e.g., Multi-PI, Program Project, or Center grant). Awards total $100,000, with 50% provided by the program and 50% in matching departmental funds.

Important Dates
Application deadline: December 12, 2025
Funding decisions announced: February 1, 2026
Project start date: March 1, 2026

For questions, contact Bellur S. Prabhakar at bprabhak@uic.edu or 312-996-1831.

COM researchers have free access to Persuasive Grant Writing through Nature Masterclasses. This course teaches practical narrative techniques to help you craft clear, compelling grant proposals that align with funder priorities and improve funding success.

The course includes 3 modules (approximately 7.5 hours total) with short, self-paced lessons. Access is available through COM’s institutional subscription—log in via the Nature Masterclasses website using your NetID and complete the one-time registration. Step-by-step instructions are available in the User Guide.

The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research has announced the 2025–26 UIC Research and Scholarship Annual Awards, recognizing individuals who demonstrate exceptional achievement and advance research and scholarship at UIC.

Awards include Distinguished and Rising Star honors across basic life sciences, clinical sciences, natural sciences and engineering, social sciences, and humanities/arts/design/architecture, as well as Postdoctoral Scholar of the Year, Faculty Mentor of the Year, and Champion of Research Support.

Nominations (including self-nominations, except for Faculty Mentor of the Year) and letters of support are due Friday, December 19.

Learn more and submit a nomination.

Please join us on January 22, 2026, for our next seminar in the continuum, which aims to address health disparities and advance health equity.

Speakers: Dr. Audrey Stillerman, Clinical Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Medical Director, UIC Office of Community Engagement's School Health Centers, and Elijah Kindred, Health & Wellness Department Director, The Urban Resilience Network (TURN) Center, Bright Star Community Outreach.

Join Zoom Seminar

Questions? Please contact: PCMProgram@uic.edu

The BRIDgE Program (Bias Reduction, Inclusion, Diversity, and a Guide to Equity) is a 2-hour virtual workshopoffered by the College of Medicine’s leadership and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in collaboration with the Department of Medicine (Chicago). The session helps participants recognize and address biases and microaggressions through interactive case studies, fostering a more inclusive environment at UI COM and UI Health. Physicians (MDs and DOs) can earn 2 CME credits upon completion.

Note: Beginning January 2023, Illinois healthcare providers are required to complete implicit bias training to renew their licenses or registrations [Illinois - Sec. 2105-15.7 (legislation)].

Register for the BRIDgE Program and view upcoming sessions.

The Office for Access and Equity is relaunching a Professional Development Series to provide faculty, staff, and students with valuable training on workplace rights, equity, and campus culture. Learn more.

Are you interested in participating in activities that help recruit gifted students to the University of Illinois College of Medicine? The UI COM Office of Admissions invites faculty from all disciplines to serve as interviewers for Recruitment Days, held September 2025 – February 2026. Faculty interviews are a highlight of the program, which also includes student panels and curriculum presentations. Faculty interviewers are trained on the interview process.

Format: Virtual interviews (Tuesday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.)
Length: 30 minutes each; faculty may select multiple slots

This is a great opportunity to engage prospective students and showcase our talented faculty. If you're interested in participating, please email Trevonne Thompson, MD, Associate Dean for Admissions, at tthomps@uic.edu.

Improve Your Mentorship Skills With STFM's “Mentoring in Medicine” Modules Series

The Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) has published “Mentoring in Medicine”, a series of five brief training modules for mentors in academic family medicine. The modules, freely accessible, are based on the literature on mentoring faculty; however, they can also be applied to faculty-learner situations. Each module takes approximately 15 minutes to view.

These modules are designed to:

The Mid-Career Leadership Accelerator Program is a six-month development experience for recently promoted associate professors, focused on building leadership excellence in academic medicine. Featuring webinars led by expert coaches and group coaching sessions, the program supports peer connection, accountability, and deeper learning. 

AMWA Annual Meeting in San Francisco on Mar. 27-29, 2026.
Theme: Thriving, Leading, Transforming: Rooted in Purpose, Rising in Power, Committed to Service
Registration opening soon: AMWA Annual Meeting - American Medical Women's Association
Speakers are still being accepted for the sex and gender specific presentation track through Nov 8th.

Available through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms.

Transitioning Identities: The Dual Identities of Medical Student Parents
Discussing a new study into how medical student parents navigate their dual identities as physicians-in-training and parents are author Emily Carroll, MD, MEHP, Research in Medical Education Committee member Gary Beck Dallaghan, PhD, and AAMC MedEdSCHOLAR Kiani Gardner, PhD. They also explore how medical schools can foster an inclusive learning environment for these learners. Listen Here →

College of Medicine Positive Learning Environment Policy
All UI COM community members, including faculty and staff, are subject to the Positive Learning Environment Policy. This policy reflects the college's commitment to providing and maintaining a safe and effective learning environment for all as we train the physician and scientist leaders of tomorrow. Read the full policy here.

Digital Accessibility Resources Update
We are less than six months away from the April 2026 deadline to comply with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires public institutions to ensure digital content is accessible to individuals with disabilities. Learn more about UIC’s digital accessibility initiative to help colleges and units meet the deadline. The College of Medicine is committed to this effort and has a team of liaisons working with UIC’s digital accessibility office to help implement the university’s initiative. Read the full message here.

Conflicts of Interest (COI) in the P&T Review Process
COI for UEOs and Deans:

*If a UEO or Dean is the candidate’s mentor or collaborator, they should provide a letter of support (mentor) or a letter of collaboration (collaborator).

In cases where the UEO or Dean has a conflict, a special request for an alternative UEO/Dean must be submitted for review and approval by the OVPFA.The alternative UEO will prepare the dossier and provide the UEO evaluation for the case.The alternative Dean may be an Executive, Senior, or Associate Dean in the college or a Dean from another college. Learn more about COI.

Campus Mentoring Resource
The new Faculty Mentoring Guidebook, a comprehensive resource designed to support the development, enhancement, and sustainability of mentoring programs across UIC’s colleges and departments. This guidebook offers practical tools, proven frameworks, and actionable guidance to help faculty mentors foster a culture where mentoring is visible, valued, and impactful.

P&T Resource: UI COM Guidance for Mentoring Documentation in Promotion Dossiers
Since 2024, the P&T Dossier requires a Mentoring Plan to be developed for faculty members based on the revised Mentoring Policy. To facilitate the documentation of the mentoring plan in the P&T dossier, we have developed guidance for promotion candidates and UEOs. The updated Guidance for Mentoring Plan Documentation in the P&T Dossier is available here.

We-CARE Faculty Peer Support Program - Compassionate Alliances for Resilience & Empowerment
The We-CARE program promotes faculty well-being and inclusion through confidential peer support from trained We-CARE Helpers. Adapted from a Harvard model, it offers a safe space to discuss burnout, conflicts, or career challenges while connecting faculty with helpful resources.

Stephanie Joe, MD, FACS & Memoona Hasnain, MD, MHPE, PhD, We-CARE Co-Directors.
See We-CARE Website for more info.

Faculty Mentoring Toolkits
The Designing and Leading Inclusive Faculty Mentoring Programs at UIC Toolkit is now available to offer best practices for designing and leading inclusive faculty mentoring programs across a breadth of departments and colleges nestled within the UIC landscape. This toolkit includes interactive resources, such as the UIC Mentoring Map and best practices checklists for Units, Mentors, and Mentees. These Administrator Toolkits were created to provide easy access to tools and resources to help administrators manage compliance, support unit operations, and improve workplace effectiveness. Requests for additional toolkit topics may be submitted through this contact page.

We welcome submissions for our newsletter related to faculty development updates, training and funding opportunities.

Contact: Rohan Verma, Program Coordinator UICOM Office of Faculty Development, rverma26@uic.edu or Dr. Memoona Hasnain, Associate Dean for Faculty Development, memoona@uic.edu.

Past UICOM FD Newsletters 

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