DIVISION OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES STAFF
INSTRUCTION AND TESTING
Cindy Kirwan, M.A. (ED)
CATERPILLAR FELLOWSHIP
Meenakshy Aiyer, M.D.
Pat Vietti, M.S.Ed.
GRAPHICS
Mary Jean Dzurisin, B.A.
AUDIO VISUAL & MAILROOM
Nita Russell
BIOMEDICAL REPRESENTATIVE
Slim Vinyl
Meenakshy Aiyer, M.D., F.A.C.P.
(309) 671-8459 - aiyer@uic.edu
Meenakshy was born and raised in India. She attended medical school at Madurai Kamaraj University, in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. She completed her internship year at the University of Louisville, and both her internal medicine residency and chief residency at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria. Since 1996, she has served as a faculty member in the Department of Internal Medicine. Her faculty roles have included resident supervision, M3 and M4 clerkship director. She has also been very instrumental in the Resident as Teachers program. In 2002, she participated in the Faculty Development Fellowship: The Harvard Macy Program for Physician Educators and was invited back as returning scholar in 2005. She has received numerous awards, including the Raymond B Allen Golden Apple Award for outstanding contributions to teaching. Meenakshy joined DES in 2004 serving as the Co-Director of the Caterpillar Faculty Scholars Fellowship program.
Personal interests include music and spending time with her husband and two children.
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Mary Jean Dzurisin, B.A.
(309) 671-8448 - mjd@uic.edu
Mary Jean Dzurisin earned a B.A. degree in art and literature. Since 1989 she has worked as a Graphic Designer at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria. Mary Jean also works in fine art and especially enjoys representational landscapes and floral pieces in watercolor, acrylic, stipple, pencil, and colored pencil. Her stipple work is on display at the Wide Water Gallery in Ottawa, Illinois. Mary Jean also creates commissioned pieces of landscapes, homes, and portraits.
Personal interests and hobbies include: Hiking, photography, bicycling, poetry, water gardens, and traveling. (Return to Menu)
Cindy Kirwan, M.A. (ED)
(309) 680-8614 - CAK@uic.edu
Cindy Adams Kirwan is a native of Peoria, Illinois and a graduate of Bradley University where she studied educational administration, M.A. (Ed.). She is the Educational Measurement Specialist in the Division of Educational Services at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria where she has worked since 1996. Cindy was a teacher in the area of special education for ten years and high school principal for one before she joined the academic staff at the College of Medicine. Cindy enjoys working with the students, data and medical information which is involved in her daily routine.
Personal interests and hobbies include: travel, water sports and cooking. Cindy continues to be inspired by the students, faculty and staff with whom she works.
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Nita Russell
(309) 671-8471 - nita@uic.edu
Nita Russell was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Raised in California, she transplanted to Illinois in 1970. She earned a M.C.S. degree (Mostly Common Sense) from the University of the Real World. Nita is the Instructional Communications Technical Operator for the Division of Educational Services and is responsible for the delivery, set-up, and training for audiovisual equipment and aids the faculty, staff, and students. In addition, she oversees the mailroom at the medical school.
Hobbies include: fishing, camping, hiking, bird watching, scrap booking, reading science fiction books (Trekkie), and gardening.
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Pat Vietti, M.S.Ed.
(309) 671-8459 - pvietti@uic.edu
Pat Vietti was born and raised in Rock Island, Illinois. She moved to Iowa and graduated from the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, with a B.A. degree and state teaching certificates for Iowa and Illinois. Over the years she taught 3rd and 4th grade Reading/Language Arts/Math and a 4-5-6 grade science program. Pat received her MSEd from Western Illinois University in Macomb, IL. She moved to Peoria in 1991 and began a new career in the Social Services field. She assumed duties as Coordinator of the Caterpillar Faculty Scholars Program at the College of Medicine in August, 2004.
Personal interests and hobbies: Pat builds dollhouses, works in the hillside garden at the home she shares with her husband of 36 years, and enjoys the grandchildren.
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Slim Vinyl, Biomedical Representative
(309) 671-8460
Slim is a native of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. He earned a Bachelors Degree in Biology and Human Anatomy from Bradley University and began working as a Biomedical Representative at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria in 1984. In this capacity, Slim provides support at conferences on site and in the Peoria area. He also models UIC sports apparel.
Personal interests and hobbies include: basketball, fitness training, carolling, trick-or-treating, and traveling. Slim also volunteers as a motivational speaker at Blowin' In The Wind weight loss centers.
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