Leadership Message
Building on Our Legacy – With an Eye to the Future.
Rosalind Franklin University is steering a course toward a future of health that will be shaped by a global pandemic, an economic recession and a national reckoning on racism. People are hurting. Communities are struggling. Frontline healthcare workers, including our own faculty and alumni, are risking their lives to care for their patients.
The human tragedies of COVID-19 and persistent health inequities compel us to act. Our first responsibility is to ensure the safety and well-being of our university community, and that responsibility radiates out to our neighboring communities, with particular attention to those most in need.
As SARS-CoV-2 surged in the spring, we expanded our Clinical Immunology Lab to accommodate the need for diagnostic and serology testing. Our drive-thru testing site continues to serve the RFU community and the community at large, including local social service agencies, public and private schools, and colleges. As the spread of the virus and death rates laid bare glaring inequities in health among people of color, we intensified our outreach to the underserved.
Times of crisis can plunge us into fear and uncertainty, but they also give rise to new opportunities and push us to find solutions. Our communities desperately need the essential health and biomedical professionals we’re training to offer compassionate, culturally competent care, discover new means of prevention and treatment — and lead the future of health.
Our pre-pandemic investments in information and simulation technology and academic support have paid off, allowing us to quickly deploy remote teaching and learning when public health depended on physical distancing. Digital platforms, online collaboration tools and expertise in telehealth also helped us safely reopen resources that had been closed and bring students back.
We are at the forefront of the education and training of professionals who will lead interprofessional healthcare teams that offer comprehensive, high-value care in the management of complex conditions. Our researchers, who have persevered in their investigations throughout the pandemic, continue to submit extramural grant applications, dive into data analysis and develop new collaborations.
What does our future hold? We aim to expand our nursing programs, housed within a new College of Nursing, in collaboration with regional academic and clinical partners. New course content will emphasize public and population health; race and health; and artificial intelligence and telehealth. Curricula in a new lifestyle medicine degree program will also be integrated across academic programs. These initiatives will build a stronger healthcare workforce, tackle health disparities, and improve the health and wellness of our most vulnerable populations.
RFU owes so much to so many. Your support helps us fulfill our mission, drive innovation and stay the course toward improved health and well-being. We thank you for your confidence and support throughout the years.
Very Sincerely,
Wendy Rheault, PT, PhD, FASAHP, FNAP, DipACLM
President and CEO
Elizabeth A. Coulson, PT, MBA
Chair, Board of Trustees
University Leadership
Board Of Trustees
Rosalind Franklin University’s Board of Trustees is the governing body of our institution, responsible for our mission as well as the financial health and welfare of the university. Our trustees bring a vast knowledge of higher education, law, government, the U.S. military, nonprofit management and marketing. The board provides leadership and guidance to RFU while shaping the university’s goals, policies and practices.
Seema Bhatia
Board of Directors
Rosalind Franklin University Health Clinics
Sandra Bruce
(Retired) President and CEO
Presence Health
Shaundra Clay
Managing Director
JP Morgan Chase
Allan Cohen
(Retired) Managing Director
First Analysis Corporation
Elizabeth Coulson
(Retired) State Representative
Illinois General Assembly, 1997-2011
Michael C. Foltz
Principal
Balasa Dinverno Foltz, LLC
Rosalind Franklin
Senior Vice President
Boyden
John Grady
Director of Podiatric Residencies
Advocate Christ Medical Center
Advocate Children’s Hospital
Elder Granger
(Retired) Army Major General
Commander, Task Force 44th Medical Command
President and CEO of The 5 P's, LLC
Cheryl Kraff-Cooper
Ophthalmologist
Kraff Eye Institute
Sylvia Manning
Chancellor Emerita
University of Illinois at Chicago
Karen Miller
Sr. Vice Chancellor, Dean and Professor Emerita
University of Kansas Medical Center
Thomas G. Moore
(Retired) President
Hospira USA
Wendy Rheault
President and CEO
Rosalind Franklin University
Lee Sacks
(Retired) Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer
Advocate Health Care
Pamela Scholl
Chairman and President
Dr. Scholl Foundation
Manuel von Schulenburg
Senior Vice President, International Wealth Advisor
Merrill Lynch
Alan Weinstein
(Retired) Executive Vice President
Illinois Hospital Association
Gail Warden, Trustee Emeritus
President Emeritus
Henry Ford Health System
University Administration
Wendy Rheault, PT, PhD, FASAHP, FNAP, DipACLM
President and CEO
Marc S. Abel, PhD
Dean, College of Pharmacy
James Carlson, PhD, PA-C, CHSE
Vice President for Interprofessional Education and Simulation
Moreen Carvan, EdD
Interim Vice President for Academic and Faculty Affairs
Archana Chatterjee, MD, PhD
Dean, Chicago Medical School, Vice President for Medical Affairs
Lee Concha, MA
Senior Vice President for University Enhancement, Chief of Staff
Joseph X. DiMario, PhD
Dean, School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Rebecca Durkin, MA
Vice President for Student Success and Inclusion
Ronald Kaplan, PhD
Executive Vice President for Research
Sandra Larson, PhD, CRNA, APN, FNAP
Interim Dean of Nursing, Vice President of Partnerships
Richard Loesch, MBA, CGEIT
Associate Vice President for Technology and Learning Resources, Chief Information Officer
Bret Moberg, JD, LLM
Compliance Counsel
John Nylen, MBA
Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration
Nancy L. Parsley, DPM, MHPE
Provost
Andrew Romero, COP ’22
Executive Student Council President
Chad B. Ruback, MSEd, MBA
Vice President for Institutional Advancement
John Vitale, PhD, MHS, PA(ASCP)
Dean, College of Health Professions
Carl White, PhD
Faculty Senate President
Stephanie Wu, DPM, MSc, FACFAS
Dean, Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine
Financial Report
Rosalind Franklin University ended fiscal year 2020 showing a $2.4 million operating deficit, which outperformed budgeted expectations by $1.3 million. On a cash basis (eliminating depreciation and adding capital expenses), RFU ended the year with a $1.9 million surplus. While the pandemic had an effect on the operational results, RFU was able to end the year financially strong without the need for layoffs or reductions in staffing or services.
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Research Awards
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Student Enrollment
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