New Administrative Structure for Life Sciences...

In 1993, then Dean Larry Faulkner set in action a process to reorganize the School of Life Sciences. A part of that reorganization became official on July 1, 2000.

On that date, the School of Life Sciences became two schools—the School of Integrative Biology (SIB) and the School of Molecular & Cellular Biology (SMCB). Dean Jesse Delia has appointed Fred Delcomyn, professor of Entomology, as SIB’s first director and Charles Miller, professor of Microbiology, as SMCB’s first director.

SIB consists of the departments of Animal Biology (formerly Ecology, Ethology & Evolution), Entomology, and Plant Biology and the programs in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Physiological & Molecular Plant Biology.

"Reorganization of the life sciences at the University of Illinois has provided us with a unique opportunity to meld the departments mainly concerned with organismal and systems biology into a single, cohesive unit," said Delcomyn. "Each department retains its own identity, yet the School will act as a unit to determine future research and educational directions."

As a part of the reorganization, a new interdepartmental graduate program in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology has been established. This programs builds on the long tradition of excellence in ecological research at the University. The program admitted 13 new students for fall 2000.

SMCB consists of the departments of Biochemistry, Cell & Structural Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular & Integrative Physiology and the programs in Biophysics & Computational Biology and Neuroscience. Biochemistry transferred into the new school from the School of Chemical Sciences.

"No scientific discipline has changed more in the last 30 years than biology," said Miller. "Molecular and cellular biology is now an autonomous discipline in biology. By drawing together our nationally recognized faculty in SMCB, we can reinforce the ties between teaching and research."

As a part of the reorganization, new undergraduate curricula have also been approved by campus. These curricula, pending approval by the Illinois Board of Higher Education, will be offered beginning fall 2001.

Incoming biology freshmen will take two lecture courses, one offered by each School. These introductory courses will set out basic facts and ideas of biology that define the subject matter of each school. From that introduction, students then will elect to major in Integrative Biology or Molecular & Cellular Biology. The specialized curriculum in Biochemistry will still be offered, as will undergraduate degrees in Biology Honors and Biology Teaching.

This newsletter is published by the School of Integrative Biology and the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Editor: Jana Waite.  Send comments and suggestions to j-waite@life.uiuc.edu

Updated 12/07/00