Carle Illinois College of Medicine – With Illinois: The Campaign for Illinois
Alma Mater with lab coat

With Illinois Campaign

Carle Illinois College of Medicine

Celebrating the impact of your generosity

Carle Illinois College of Medicine, the world’s first engineering-based college of medicine, is off to a tremendous start because of donors like you who generously gave during the With Illinois campaign. With your help we were able to implement the paradigm-shifting vision of a medical school that is Carle Illinois. The impact of your gift will be felt for generations as we continue to change how medicine is taught and practiced.

As we close the With Illinois campaign, we graduated our inaugural class of incredible physician innovators. These students invented medical devices, engaged in cutting-edge research, and provided compassionate patient care. Each of our subsequent classes of students are equally amazing. None of this would have been possible without you.

Please join us as we begin our next phase of Carle Illinois, expanding medical innovations, research, technology, entrepreneurship, and education.

Thank you for being part of our Carle Illinois family!

With much gratitude,

Mark Cohen
SignatureMark S. Cohen, MD
Dean, Carle Illinois College of Medicine
Chief Academic Officer, Carle Health
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With Illinois Impact

As we mark the end of the With Illinois Campaign, the Carle Illinois College of Medicine has been transformed by donor support.

Alma104968861 Dollars Raised

Donors1108 Campaign Donors

Gift Box70000000 Largest Single Gift

Party81756014.57 Unrestricted Dollars Raised

EarthDonors from 40 States and 10 Countries

With Illinois Highlights

Your support has helped us continue to elevate the values that make Illinois distinctive: a sense of boundless aspiration, collaboration, and a global perspective.

Students walking in the wind

Together, We Inspire

When the University of Illinois began exploring founding a radically new medical school, one that educated physician scientists by incorporating engineering principals from the very beginning and the first new college at the Urbana campus in nearly six decades, we knew we needed a partner. Carle Foundation Hospital saw the value in building this college in Champaign-Urbana and pledged $100 million dollars over ten years to support us as we established ourselves and began to grow into the world’s best engineering-based college of medicine.

Rick & Jeanene Stephens at reception

Together, We Lead

Rick and Jeanene Stephens believe in the power of people working together for the greater good. That is why, early in 2021, the couple established the Rick & Jeanene Stephens Family Challenge, a $1.5 million donation to the Phyllis M. Wise Center for Student Excellence Fund, that challenges others to help reach an ambitious goal of $5 million. The endowment will support a wide range of crucial student-centered programs at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine and was inspired by the passion of former Chancellor Phyllis Wise, who championed the creation of Carle Illinois as a collaboration between the University of Illinois, the Champaign-Urbana community, and Carle Health.

Jump Simulation Center in Everitt Laboratory

Together, We Innovate

It’s no secret that perfect practice makes perfect. Simulation training is revolutionizing medical education, and financial technology firm Jump Trading’s $10 million gift has allowed us to build a state-of-the-art simulation center to allow our future physician innovators to practice their technical skills in a low-risk environment. The Jump Simulation Center in Everitt Laboratory combines a fully functional operating suite and clinical exam rooms with virtual reality, allowing students to enhance their technical skills in a low-risk environment. It’s as close to reality as possible without affecting a human’s health and safety while a student learns. Read more.

Jane Hays and Dave Downey

Together, We Give

Jane Hays and Dave Downey have been active members of the Illinois, Carle Health, and Champaign-Urbana communities their entire adult lives, so when former Chancellor Phyllis Wise unveiled her vision for an innovative engineering-based medical school, the couple was immediately on board. They were one of the first supporters, and when Rick and Jeanene Stephens challenged the community to raise an additional $3.5 million, Jane and Dave decided to help make the vision a reality with a $1 million donation to the Phyllis M. Wise Center for Student Excellence Fund. Their gift will support marrying engineering expertise with hands-on medical training, as well as help the college’s influence on healthcare grow regionally and nationally.

Dale and Chris Smith

Together, We Fuel Success

The prospect of a different kind of medical school, one that married the strength of Illinois’ engineering program and innovative medical education, was what drew brothers Dale and Chris Smith to Carle Illinois College of Medicine. As long-time supporters of the University, they chose to direct a part of their overall $20 million gift to support Carle Illinois’ fourth-year Capstone Innovations, as well as other innovations related to sports medicine.

With Illinois Moments

Take a look at a few of the moments that have shaped the culture and character of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine during the With Illinois Campaign.

Students in JUMP lab

Three undergraduate students enrolled in Carle Illinois’ REACH Program, visit the Jump Simulation Center and inspect one of our training manikins. The Carle Illinois College of Medicine REACH program is an intensive clinical and research immersion summer experience for undergraduate students interested in pursuing a career as a physician. Read more.

Class of 2026 gathered around the Alma Mater

Members of the class of 2026 pose in front of the Alma Mater after their white coat ceremony. Fifty-nine new physicians-in-training joined Carle Illinois, starting the four-year journey to become physician-innovators. Read more.

Aaron Brown

Aaron Brown, class of 2022, celebrates his residency placement at Stanford Health Care. The inaugural class had a 100% residency match rate. Read more.

A sculpture of a hand

A sculpture of a hand, the outer skin partially removed to expose the skeletal anatomy inside, stands outside the Medical Sciences Building, the new home of Carle Illinois College of Medicine. The building was rededicated on October 1, 2021.

Winners of the first Health Make-a-Thon

Dr. Ruby Mendenhall, Associate Dean for Diversity and Democratization of Health Innovation (center), Dr. Irfan Ahmad, Assistant Dean for Research (2nd from right), and Dr. Marty Burke, Associate Dean for Research (far right), pose with the winners of the first Health Make-a-Thon, held in April of 2019. Read more.

Alma Mater in winter hat and face mask

Alma Mater’s Learning and Labor statues set a good example as they masked up during the COVID-19 era. A student-led research study at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine providing new answers on which materials are best for constructing homemade and alternative personal protective equipment was cited in a fall publication by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on homemade face coverings. Read more.

Nicholas Wu

Nicholas Wu, Assistant Professor of Immunology at Carle Illinois, received support from the Gert Ehrlich Cross-Field Innovation Fund, to fund his research into viral evolution. An anonymous donor created the fund to honor their mentor Dr. Ehrlich, a professor of Physical Metallurgy who passed away in 2012. Read more.

A SHIELD employ collects saliva samples at an outdoor COVID-19 testing site.

University of Illinois President Tim Killeen honored five Carle Illinois faculty members for their leadership of the system’s COVID-19 response with the Presidential Medallion. These faculty members received the highest honor the system president can bestow for their exemplary efforts in developing the SHIELD test-and-trace system. Read more.

Dr. Ruby Mendenhall

A $500,000 MacArthur Foundation grant will help reduce disparities in healthcare through a unique new training program led by Carle Illinois College of Medicine’s Ruby Mendenhall. The programming will create a culture of innovation that centers around the health and wellness of mostly Black and Latinx high school students and young adults living in Chicago. Read more.

Two Carle Illinois College of Medicine students, Ariana Barreau (left) and Shonit Nair Sharma (right)

Two Carle Illinois College of Medicine students, Ariana Barreau (left) and Shonit Nair Sharma (right), were among the finalists for two prestigious campus-wide innovation awards through the Technology Entrepreneur Center in The Grainger College of Engineering. The Illinois Innovation Prize (IIP) for $20,000 is awarded annually to a creative and passionate student working towards innovative solutions that could have a positive societal impact. Read more.

Continue Your Support

Your continued support ensures the Carle Illinois College of Medicine remains a place where progress and innovation can flourish. Find your passion and help us dream even bigger!

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See More Impact

Philanthropy has benefited students, faculty, and staff in many ways. Browse the list below to learn more about how the With Illinois Campaign’s impact can be felt across campus.