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A new approach to medicine

Loyola University Chicago broke ground Aug. 16 on a $137 million medical research and education building that will support nearly 500 scientists and staff working together to improve human health.

The Loyola University Chicago Center for Translational Research and Education is scheduled to open in April 2016 on the university’s Health Sciences Campus in Maywood. The five-story, 227,000-square-foot building is a collaboration among Loyola University Chicago, Loyola University Health System, and CHE-Trinity Health.

Michael J. Garanzini, S.J., president and CEO of Loyola University Chicago, said one of the biggest challenges in health care is acquiring new knowledge and producing great doctors and nurses. “This new Center will transform the practice of Catholic health care education and research for the benefit of students, patients, and our society as a whole."

Richard L. Gamelli, MD, FACS, senior vice president and provost of Loyola’s Health Sciences Division, told nearly 300 scientists and dignitaries: “It is almost certain that someone in your life – possibly you – will benefit from the work that is done at this health sciences campus. Patients right across the street and around the world will be able to enjoy healthier lives, thanks to Loyola health sciences. Excellence in research translates into excellence in patient care.”

Larry Goldberg, president and CEO of Loyola University Health System said: “This is about discovery, and translating that discovery to the patients who we serve. Bringing together this collection of researchers and clinicians to really build something great. . . will bring us forward for the next 10 to 15 years.”

The center will include open laboratory and support space for 72 principal investigators plus space for 40 lead scientists engaged in desktop research such as public health, health services, nursing, bioinformatics, and epidemiology. A 250-seat auditorium will provide a link with the local community, serving primarily as a showcase for health-related programming.

In 2011, Trinity Health (now CHE-Trinity) acquired the health system from the university. As part of this agreement, the university and CHE-Trinity will share the cost of a $150 million research enterprise, comprising the $137 million building and funding to attract and support leading researchers.

The center will accommodate principal investigators, postdoctoral trainees, physicians, nurses, fellows, graduate students, and students from Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine and Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing.

Researchers now scattered among buildings throughout the Health Sciences Campus will be centralized in the research and education center. The center will be built on what is now a parking lot between the medical school and an office building.‌

On hand for the groundbreaking ceremony were (from left): Larry Warren, interim COO, CHE-Trinity; Larry Goldberg, President and CEO, Loyola University Health System; Richard Kennedy, PhD, Vice Provost of Research and Graduate Programs, Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Division;  Richard L. Gamelli, Senior Vice President and Provost, Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Division; Michael J. Garanzini, S.J., President and CEO, Loyola University Chicago; Bill Laird, Senior Vice President and CFO, Loyola University Chicago; Jackie Taylor Holsten, Health Sciences Committee Chair, Loyola University Chicago Board of Trustees; Linda Brubaker, MD, dean, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine; and Vicki Keough, PhD, dean, Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing.

Why is Rome so incredible? Let Loyola count the ways

Loyola students talk about their time in Rome—and why it’s an experience they’ll never forget. Learn more about the John Felice Rome Center and how you too can be transformed by a semester in the Eternal City.

State of the University Address - Spring 2015

President Michael J. Garanzini, S.J., addressed students, faculty, and staff at his final State of the University addresses on April 7 and 9. To view the Lake Shore Campus address in its entirety, see the video above. Below, please find highlights from Father Garanzini's addresses.

Academic Additions — Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago and the new engineering program are both on track to launch in the fall. A new partnership with Universidad Loyola Andalucia, a Jesuit university in Spain, will soon offer a joint baccalaureate program to students.

Facilities Updates — The Quinlan School of Business will move to the Schreiber Center in September 2015, the Center for Translational Research and Education will open in February 2016, a new residence hall, chapel, and reception area are in the works at the John Felice Rome Center—and, after the past several years, all construction at the Lake Shore Campus is complete!

Financial Stability — As in past years, the budget is in the black and enrollment numbers are strong. Endowment funds also continue to support faculty chairs and student scholarships.

2015-2020 Key Priorities — The University is finishing up a new strategic plan that will leverage the University’s talents to help address local and global social justice issues. To advance this plan, the University will focus on student success, faculty development, multi-disciplinary collaborations, and partnerships.

New Leaders — New leadership appointments have been made including Steve Watson, director of athletics, Winifred Williams, PhD, vice president for Human Resources and chief diversity and inclusion officer, and Thomas Regan, S.J., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Searches are underway for provost of the Health Sciences Division, dean of the Quinlan School of Business—and a new University president. As announced in March, Father Garanzini will continue his service to Loyola as chancellor, beginning July 1, to help with external relations and special projects.

Following his address, Father Garanzini also answered questions on topics such as: his work as the Secretary for Higher Education for the Society of Jesus, the search for the next University president, commitment to environmental sustainability including the University Senate’s fossil fuel divestment recommendation, the next strategic plan, adjunct faculty, and the student government’s recent divestment resolution.

Questions regarding the addresses can be directed to Lorraine Fitzgerald at lsnyde2@luc.edu or 312.915.6400.

Arrupe Night to welcome students, their families to new Loyola college

Learn more about Arrupe College—Loyola’s new two-year school for students with limited financial resources—at the first-ever Arrupe Night on May 19.

Open to admitted students and their parents, Arrupe Night will let prospective students and their families learn more about the school, meet with advisors and current Loyola undergraduates, plus discuss the next steps for enrollment. (Please note: The event is full, so only people who have already submitted an RSVP can attend.) 

Check out the above video to see what some soon-to-be Arrupe students have to say about the college. You also can learn more at the Arrupe website and watch a WTTW “Chicago Tonight” feature about the school.

All admitted students can secure their spot at Arrupe by submitting a deposit by June 1 at LUC.edu/arrupe/status.

‘An Evening with Jackie Taylor’: Come see Loyola alum on campus

Jackie Taylor graduated from Loyola in 1973—and within three years started the Black Ensemble Theater in Chicago. The theater, which moved into a permanent home in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood in 2011, is a vibrant institution with a bold mission: to eradicate racism and its damaging effects through theater arts.

Come meet Taylor and members of the Black Ensemble Theater on Thursday, March 26, at the Lake Shore Campus for a discussion and musical dialogue. The event—“An Evening with Jackie Taylor: With Liberty and Justice for All”—starts at 7 p.m. in the Den at the Damen Student Center. It is free and open to the public.

Watch the video above to see Taylor discuss her time at Loyola and how a liberal arts education helped her focus on social issues. 

A day in the life of a Loyola athlete

By Anna Gaynor

Not many students are as busy as Loyola senior Joe Crisman.

He’s a member of the Maroon and Gold Society, he’s the financial chairman for the Green Initiative Fund at the Institute of Environmental Sustainability, and he’s a standout student at the Quinlan School of Business, where he’s maintained a 3.65 GPA as a finance major. He even spent last summer as a neuro-oncology research intern at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

And he’s managed all of this while being a key member of the Loyola basketball team for the past four years. But it hasn’t come easy.

“Thursday nights in college, everyone’s heading out or trying to figure out what they’re going to do, and you’re just waving at them as you walk into the library,” Crisman said. “It takes discipline, that time management skill—just knowing that you are in a different boat.”

Crisman, who is debating between medical school and a career in finance after graduation, is proving that the old stereotype of athletes breezing through easy classes doesn’t hold up at Loyola. And he’s not alone on campus.

A Top 20 program

The University has the highest Graduation Success Rate of any school in the Missouri Valley Conference, according to a 2014 report by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The GSR was developed by the NCAA to better assess the academic success and graduation performance of student-athletes. At 96 percent, this year’s score places Loyola tied at No. 16 in the national rankings and 14 percentage points higher than the national average. (Read more about Loyola’s latest GSR score here.)

“We’re making sure that we’re doing all that we can to set the foundation for success in life for our students,” said Betsi Burns, associate athletics director and assistant dean for academic services. “We are looking at the holistic development of our students and making sure that mind, body, and spirit are being nurtured during their time with us.”

For Crisman, though, it all comes down to discipline. He usually gets up around 8 a.m., then it’s off to classes, the library, the cafeteria, the weight room, the training room, a film session, and then practice—or a game, which can take him as far away as Las Vegas or San Antonio, Texas. But even after that grueling schedule, Crisman’s day is far from over: He’ll often grab a quick bite to eat and then head back to the library to finish studying.

Built for success

Having the Norville Center for Intercollegiate Athletics on campus is a huge help for Crisman and other Loyola athletes. The complex, which houses the sports medicine and training facilities, is also home to the student-athlete academic center.

“It’s connected to our gym where we practice,” said Crisman, who is a four-time winner of the Missouri Valley Conference’s Scholar Athlete of the Week award. “You take 10 steps, and you’re in your academic center with advisors and with computers in the study area. It’s definitely a very big help. It forces us to stay on top of things. Our advisors are always right there: ‘How’s your class? Did you talk to your professor?’ And everything like that.”

Burns, the associate athletics director, finds that the biggest obstacle facing student-athletes is time. With traveling for games and exhausting practices, students such as Crisman face a lot of emotional and physical demands. So the center makes sure students have access to the right resources by working with professors, advisors, and other Loyola staff.

“Just as we want all of our students to be successful, our student-athletes are representing Loyola, and we want to make sure that we are really valuing and putting into practice those commitments we make as an institution,” Burns said.

Looking back

Crisman, who grew up in Munster, Ind., and competed on the prestigious Indiana High School All-Star Team, has been a steady contributor during his career at Loyola. He’s appeared in more than 100 games and has averaged 5.4 points per contest. He’s seen Loyola improve from just seven wins during his freshman year to 18 regular-season victories as a senior.

But for Crisman, juggling practice, classes, games, and homework is about to come to an end in a few short weeks as Arch Madness approaches. In spite of all the hard work, Crisman has no regrets.

“After going through it for four years, that whole lifestyle—studying, playing basketball—I’d say I’m pretty accustomed to it right now so it’s going to be weird when it’s all over in a few weeks,” he said. “But it’s definitely something that I love and definitely something I wouldn’t change.”