Messages from the Executive Vice President

June 16, 2011

Transition

The legislative approval of Bioscience Connecticut and its transformative construction projects over the next six years will firmly place the UConn Health Center in a position to be a top-tier academic medical center, a destination place for health care and an economic driver for the region and the state. Assuring the long-term future for the Health Center was my number-one goal in coming to UConn and I'm excited it has been accomplished. Success in this arena is closely tied to our other successes: positive financial margins for the Health Center for the past two years, record setting grant awards over the past two years, and success in philanthropy. I want to thank the extraordinary teams of individuals who worked so hard with me to make all of this happen.

With the full support of President Herbst, beginning July 1 of this year, I will step down as Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine. I will then focus my efforts in three areas. First, I will serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (CICATS) to further develop cross-university and cross-community partnerships that are critical to advancing the clinical and translational research that is integral to the success of Bioscience Connecticut. I believe that CICATS has the potential of uniting the region as a force in the development of bioscience.

Second, the Institute for Regenerative Engineering, which I direct, has just received major funding from the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Foundation to further develop ways to regenerate large tissues such as limbs. This will further a goal my team and I have been working toward for many years and will also be a cross-campus, collaborative effort.

Third, I will continue to devote my time to clinical work involving the treatment of shoulder and knee injuries, and will continue to participate in educational efforts for aspiring physicians, researchers and surgeons.

I'm proud of the accomplishments we've had over the past three years. I believe that the future for the UConn Health Center is extremely bright, and look forward to working with you even more closely in the areas described above.

Sincerely,

Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D.
Vice President for Health Affairs
Dean, UConn School of Medicine