AHS Gives

Gary Albrecht and Lawrence Pawola, emeritus faculty members, established funds that continue their support for the college’s mission. Vered Arbel and Eileen Doran offer their time and service as student mentors. Mary Keehn and Faith Thurmond have a long history of giving to AHS, and newcomer Abby Nobili has already made several donations since she joined AHS in 2020.

As Vered Arbel says, “Doing something is doing a lot.” We encourage you to join them in supporting AHS!

What motivates you to support AHS?
For two years, I studied young males who experienced traumatic spinal cord injury, observing their behaviors, interviewing them and spending time with their family and friends. One of the insights was the importance of having an opportunity. I also discovered that a person’s social network hugely influences their outlook and behavior.

This study led me to the emerging area of disability studies. I decided to try to provide opportunities for people with disabilities and those in their social networks to achieve the highest quality of life possible. This developed into a desire to bring top researchers in the international field to UIC to give a lecture and spend time with faculty and staff, so people at AHS could have an international and multidisciplinary view of the world they study.

How do your personal interests align with the college’s values?
Early in my career, I worked with the World Health Organization. Two principles quickly developed: “Break Down Barriers” and “Nothing About Us Without Us.” This heightened my passion for seeing disability and rehabilitation as global issues, learning from others, and exploring the disability world to better understand how to appreciate and help others. The sum of these experiences helped me to be comfortable and find a home at AHS.

How does being a donor contribute to your identity?
If we can help one person flourish, learn and grow, we have made a mark.

What would you tell others as they consider making a first-time gift?
Target the gift to have the greatest impact.

What makes your department unique?
I found great satisfaction in being part of a mul­tidisciplinary team that helped develop the De­partment of Disability and Human Development, the first PhD program in disability studies, the Handbook of Disability Studies and the Encyclo­pedia of Disability. These efforts helped grow a field that is important, vibrant and changing.

What do you hope will be the impact of your philanthropy?
To be but one example of how we can give back, work as a team, and make people’s world a better place to live.

How do your personal interests align with the college’s mission?
I always had a strong desire to expand my hori­zons. I had a long career as a professional dancer, traveling the world and exploring new cultures. I returned to school later in life to pursue my degree (I’m currently a PhD candidate in kinesiol­ogy). I’ve been involved in the health and fitness community in many ways: I owned a business, I educated professionals, created specialty work­shops for continuing education, and certified future health and fitness professionals.

How does being a volunteer, educator and mentor contribute to your identity?
Through exploration, giving, educating and creativi­ty, the journey of life is much more meaningful. Em­bracing others on your journey helps you embrace yourself and shapes who you are. I never feel that I have a job; what I do every day is who I am.

What would you tell others about giving back through service?
Nothing is minimal. Doing something is doing a lot. Sharing our own experiences and inspiring our students is giving.

What makes AHS unqiue?
The personal experiences of each member make the college unique. We bring many personal sto­ries, which weave together to create a powerful and continuous storytelling.

What do you hope will be your impact?
I hope my service will impact students to dare, try, explore and make their own stamp on the world, and do it with kindness, compassion and care. I would like to continue developing opportunities for students in science, research, community service and unique learning experiences overseas.

What motivates you to support AHS?
I have the opportunity to work with students throughout their time in AHS. With our new in­coming students, I hear firsthand the challenges many of them have overcome to attend college. I want to help them achieve their goals and expe­rience the pride our graduates feel as they walk across the stage at commencement.

How does your work contribute to your identity?
I am really proud to be a part of AHS. We have an outstanding community of brilliant and caring faculty, dedicated and hardworking staff, gener­ous and engaged alumni, and truly inspiring and talented students. I want to make AHS a place where we can all continue to grow and learn from each other to build a supportive community.

What would you tell others about giving back through service?
Sharing your talents, your experiences, your time, and really just yourself with the college can im­pact the community we create together.

What have been some pleasant surprises?
Sometimes you have a more lasting impact than you realize. When you receive an unexpected thank-you note or email acknowledging the difference you made in someone’s experience, you realize that sometimes just listening or sharing your time is more meaningful than you might ever know.

What do you hope is the impact of your service?
Each day I hope that I can positively impact the students we serve and faculty and staff we support and provide a space where they all feel comfortable coming back if they need assistance.

What motivates you to support AHS?
I stayed at UIC to start my career and became involved in the education program as a lab assis­tant, then guest lecturer, and eventually faculty and interim department head. I got to know the work of all of the departments and the import­ant contributions AHS makes to educating the workforce, advancing science and contributing to healthy communities. We have so many faculty who are doing amazingly important work.

How do your personal interests align with the college?
I am personally committed to decisions based on facts, and the scientific orientation of the college appeals to that part of me. There is also a huge commitment to justice and giving people oppor­tunity. I love the idea of helping people live their best self-determined life.

What would you tell others as they consider making a first-time gift to the college?
Make it a part of your normal behavior—it’s a healthy habit!

What makes the college unique?
The urban, public character of the university. The diversity of the students. Being part of a compre­hensive academic health enterprise.

What do you hope will be the impact of your philanthropy?
Improving population health, and providing op­portunity for students to understand the impact they can have on individual lives. I would like to see more emphasis on interprofessional educa­tion and collaborative practice.

How do your personal interests align with the college’s mission?
I am passionate about, and committed to, sup­porting students as they navigate their college experience. I want to be a positive resource they can rely on to help answer their questions and guide them through the ups and downs. I sought out a diverse environment to work in, and was very happy to land at UIC. I love and value the unique and wonderful makeup of our student body.

What would you tell others considering a first-time gift?
It may sound cliché, but every little bit counts.

What makes the college unique?
I truly love our students—how resilient they are, dedicated, hard-working and passionate about making a difference in the lives of others. We have amazing faculty who care about our students’ success both inside and outside the classroom, and we provide unique opportunities for engagement and gaining valuable experience. Our administrative team is one of the best I have ever worked alongside; I am grateful for their constant support and guidance. I am thankful to be part of this college and our KN programs.

What motivates you to support AHS?
I believe in the AHS programs to elevate health care to the next level of awareness, fitness and opportunity for all of our society. The college has always been an inclusive place for all students to discover themselves.

How do your personal interests align with the college’s mission?
I was an early advocate for utilizing technology to advance the delivery of patient care. Each department has contributed to these efforts and become a leader in their disciplines. I am proud to have contributed to these efforts and am en­couraged in the college’s continued efforts.

How does being a donor contribute to your identity?
UIC and the College of Applied Health Sciences was a great place for me to express my ideas and share my experiences with others interested in making health care better. Donating to AHS, and specifically BHIS, permits me to continue my lifetime work to effect changes that advance the delivery of efficient and high-quality health care.

What would you tell others as they consider making a first-time gift?
As retired educators, it is our responsibility to encourage and support those who follow. This encouragement can come in many forms. Since I can no longer educate in the classroom, I felt a gift to the college is my contribution.

What makes your department unique?
The department’s programs were among the leaders in their industries and innovative in edu­cating future professionals. As head, I searched for opportunities to collaborate with other depart­ments. We were among the first universities to of­fer online graduate degree education to working health care professionals.

What do you hope will be the impact of your philanthropy?
I often saw students having difficulty finding the funds to cover the cost of their education, much less having money available to travel to confer­ences. I am hopeful my philanthropy will help fu­ture students take advantage of networking and other collaborative opportunities to advance the great work UIC, the college and BHIS are doing.

What motivates you to support AHS?
I’m motivated by the life-changing education and services that AHS provides to students, the re­search community and staff. I’m honored to help fund these initiatives.

How do your personal interests align with the college’s mission?
I consider my regular donations as one of many opportunities to actively address health dispari­ties in my immediate environment and the wider UIC community.

What would you tell others as they consider making a first-time gift?
UIC payroll deductions make it easy to contribute as you earn. Both UIC and the University of Illinois Foundation provide us with annual records of our tax-deductible donations; this is extremely helpful. I can’t express the satisfaction that I feel as a sponsor of our AHS programs.

What makes the college unique?
I am most impressed by the application of the health sciences in our departments to community participants, patients and subjects.

What do you hope will be the impact of your philanthropy?
My most heartfelt hope is that my philanthropy will assure and escalate the continued success of all AHS programs!