Celebrating Our 2025 Retirees
Meet Our Retirees
After more than 25 years of dedicated service to the UIC School of Public Health, Jose Alvarez retired from his role as Facilities Operations Specialist. Jose’s tenure with SPH originates back when the school operated out of SPH-W. Jose started as an extra help employee and was eventually offered a full-time position. In 2000, SPH moved most operations out of SPH-W to SPHPI, and Jose continued his new role in supporting building and front desk operations at the new location. Jose has had a variety of roles at SPH and served under three different Deans. Most importantly, Jose’s leaves us a legacy of empathetic customer service. It is his compassionate approach that has allowed him to create bonds with many members at SPH and UIC. Jose always carried himself with a demeanor of willingness to serve and care for all people that came through the front doors of SPH. Jose was a dependable colleague; rain, snow, hail–you could count on him being there. Jose’s sincere passion and devotion to the School and his colleagues will forever remain in our minds and hearts.
Rachael Bandur retired this year from her role as Assistant Director for Research Operations at the Institute for Health Research and Policy (IHRP). Rachael first came to IHRP in 2018 and immediately impressed everyone with her depth of knowledge, strong work ethic, coupled with an outstanding level of dedication and ability to work with even the most challenging situations. She became a strong role model for many staff with her professionalism, and she raised the skills of all of those around her. Rachael always strove to do her best, cared deeply about making a difference in the workplace, and was extraordinarily valuable to us. We know that she will continue to enhance any organization that she is part of.
For nearly 15 years, Frank Borgers has dedicated his expertise and commitment to the Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) program in the Division of Health Policy and Administration at the UIC School of Public Health. Throughout his tenure, Frank wore many hats—serving as Clinical Assistant Professor, Assistant Program Director, and Capstone Director for both the Executive and Residential concentrations. Beyond the classroom, Frank guided the central campus Open School chapter of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) as Faculty Advisor and, in 2019, led the UIC team to a national victory in the Clarion Case Competition. His leadership, mentorship, and unwavering support have left a lasting impact on the MHA program and the broader UIC community.
Dr. DuBois served as Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Community Health Sciences at UIC, where he also held roles as Deputy Director of the Institute for Health Research and Policy and Director of the SPH Faculty Mentoring Program.
Dr. DuBois’s research focused on the protective factors that foster resilience in youth, particularly through mentoring relationships and self-esteem development. His work has been instrumental in shaping national discourse on youth mentoring, with his scholarship cited extensively in both academic and policy contexts. Among his most impactful contributions was leading the largest and longest randomized controlled trial of the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) Community-Based Mentoring program. This four-year study involving over 1,300 youth demonstrated significant reductions in delinquency and substance use among mentored participants, alongside improvements in mental health and life satisfaction.
As Associate Dean for Research, Dr. DuBois played a pivotal role in strengthening the School of Public Health’s research infrastructure. He led efforts to support faculty development, enhanced collaborative research environments, and guided researchers through a changing research funding climate. His leadership was especially vital during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he helped guide the school’s research response to emerging public health challenges.
He was known for being fully present, whether answering a call while grabbing coffee or staying late after meetings to ensure every question was addressed. His stalwart belief in others led him to nurture potential wherever he saw it, leaving a lasting impact on those fortunate enough to work with him.
Dr. DuBois’s legacy lives on in the programs he built, the research he advanced, and the people he mentored. His work has helped position UIC’s School of Public Health as a national leader in youth development and public health research. As Dr. DuBois bikes away into retirement, SPH will continue to flourish thanks to a foundation shaped by his vision, integrity, and enduring belief in the power of mentorship.
David Hinkamp, MD, MPH, retired after a distinguished career in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Board Certified in both Preventive Medicine and Occupational and Environmental Medicine, he has served as a consultant to government agencies, international labor associations, and health organizations worldwide. Dr. Hinkamp founded and co-directed the Health in the Arts Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Cook County Hospital, a pioneering initiative addressing health risks in the visual and performing arts. He also launched health programs for the Chicago Blues Coalition and Willie Dixon’s Blues Heaven Foundation, extending care to musicians and cultural workers. His editorial contributions to Health and Safety for Museum Professionals and research on hazards in museum and arts environments have shaped national standards. He continues to serve on the Board of the Performing Arts Medicine Association. Dr. Hinkamp’s career reflects a deep commitment to protecting those who create, perform, and preserve culture. His impact will resonate far beyond retirement.
Dr. S. Jay Olshansky’s retirement from the UIC School of Public Health marks the close of a career that has not only spanned decades but reshaped how we think about aging, longevity, and the role of science in public health. For over 40 years, Dr. Olshansky has been a persistent and provocative voice in the field, challenging assumptions and pushing for a more ambitious vision of what aging research can achieve.
Dr. Olshansky is internationally recognized as the ‘father’ of the Longevity Dividend Initiative, a concept he coined to advocate for extending healthspan—the period of life spent in good health—rather than simply increasing lifespan. His 2006 article, In Search of the Longevity Dividend, catalyzed the field of Geroscience, now a major NIH initiative focused on slowing biological aging to prevent age-related diseases.
With more than 130 scholarly articles, Olshansky’s work has consistently asked hard questions and offered bold answers. His recent publication in Nature Aging (2024), Implausibility of Radical Life Extension in the Twenty-first Century, argues that the dramatic gains in life expectancy seen in the 20th century are unlikely to continue without a fundamental shift in how we approach aging itself. It’s a sobering analysis, but one that also points to a new frontier where science targets aging at its root.
At UIC, Olshansky’s influence extended far beyond his research. His Epidemiology Literature course became a rite of passage for students, not just for its academic rigor but for the way it encouraged intellectual risk-taking.
He also played a quiet but critical role in shaping the department’s admissions philosophy. Hershow recalls Olshansky’s “uncanny ability to discover ‘diamonds in the rough’—degree candidates that might otherwise slip below the radar due to modest academic metrics, but whose personal statements and lived experiences reveal a passionate commitment to the goals of public health.” Many of those students went on to thrive, thanks in part to his advocacy.
His accolades are numerous: the Ellison Medical Foundation Award, the Irving S. Wright Award, the Donald P. Kent Award, and multiple nominations for the Maddox Prize, which honors scientific courage. He has given Congressional testimony, and served on editorial boards, NIH panels, and as a keynote speaker at global conferences from Riyadh to Rio.
But what stands out most is his ability to connect the dots between science, policy, and human experience. He didn’t just study aging; he asked what it means to grow older in a society that is rapidly changing, and how science can help us do it better.
As he transitions to emeritus status, the School of Public Health celebrates Dr. Olshansky’s retirement with admiration and gratitude. His work has changed the way we understand aging, and his influence will be felt for generations to come.
After 28 years of service, Dr. Nadine Peacock has retired, leaving an indelible mark on public health and higher education. A tenured faculty member at SPH and later Associate Vice Chancellor for Equity and Belonging, Dr. Peacock championed inclusive practices to foster belonging and create pathways to academic success for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds. Her work spanned from revising hiring practices to supporting students through leadership development and peer mentoring programs. As a researcher, Dr. Peacock brought a unique anthropological lens to public health. Her research focused on the social and cultural influences on women’s reproductive health, infant health, and health inequities. She conducted research in Africa and urban communities in the U.S., centering the voices and experiences of women—particularly women of color—to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities. Known for her engaging teaching style and methodological expertise, she inspired countless students through her popular qualitative research courses. Even in retirement, Dr. Peacock continues to serve her community as a board member of PING!, advocating for equitable access to music education. Dr. Peacock’s legacy is one of compassion, scholarship, and unwavering commitment to equity. Her influence will continue to resonate through the lives she’s touched and the systems she’s helped transform.
After more than 40 years of transformative service, Dr. Vicky Persky has retired from the UIC School of Public Health, leaving behind a legacy of groundbreaking research, dedicated mentorship, and unwavering commitment to community health.
Dr. Persky’s career has been defined by its remarkable breadth and depth. Her research spanned cardiovascular disease, cancer, asthma, and environmental epidemiology, with over 140 peer-reviewed publications that have influenced public health nationally and globally. Her work with Chicago communities—particularly in underserved areas—has been a model of community-based research. From championing mobile asthma care to advocating for environmental justice, Dr. Persky’s efforts have tangibly improved lives.
Her advocacy for Southeast Side neighborhoods exposed to industrial pollution—particularly from the General Iron car-shredding facility—played a pivotal role in the denial of its operating permit, protecting residents from harmful environmental exposures. The collaborative development by Dr. Persky of a smartphone app that enables residents to report environmental hazards in real time gave communities a powerful tool to safeguard their health. Dr. Persky also helped bridge the gap between academia and impacted neighborhoods through her pivotal role in the NIEHS-designated ChicAgo Center for Health and EnvironmenT (CACHET) Center, serving as the inaugural director of its Community Engagement Core.
Dr. Persky’s impact as a mentor is equally profound. Her courses in non-infectious and cardiovascular disease epidemiology have shaped generations of public health professionals. Many of her PhD students and early-career faculty continue to collaborate with her, certainly a testament to her enduring influence.
Within the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Dr. Persky has been a guiding voice for justice, integrity, and academic excellence. Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division Director, Dr. Ron Hershow, fondly referred to Dr. Persky as “Epi-Bio’s conscience” for “her willingness to speak truth to power [for] the benefit of our division, our school, and the communities we serve.” Dr. Persky’s leadership, too, extended across UIC through roles in the faculty union and Senate committees.
Though retired, Dr. Persky will remain active in mentoring PhD students, continuing to enrich the division with her wisdom and warmth. The faculty, students, and communities she served join in celebrating her extraordinary career and wishing her a joyful retirement.