Giving Stories - Thomas and Cynthia Cycyota

Carle Illinois College of Medicine at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign announced the creation of a new professorship and an endowed fund to support students working in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

A generous gift from University of Illinois alumnus Thomas Cycyota (LAS ’80) and his wife Cynthia Cycyota will support the work of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Center, a partnership between Carle Illinois College of Medicine (CI MED) and The Grainger College of Engineering.

The gift advances the translation of the University of Illinois’ ongoing research into the use of biologics to develop new ways to treat, maintain, or restore damaged tissue or cells, including new drug delivery systems and scaffolds. The gift will establish two initiatives: the Cycyota Family Endowed Professorship in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine and the Cycyota Family Endowed Student Support in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Fund.

“Cyndy and I truly believe in the importance of tissue engineering research in creating new solutions for patient care,” Tom said. “As a proud alum, I am certain that the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and its engineering-based college of medicine have the expertise and energy to fuel new treatments and discoveries using tissue engineering techniques.”

Regenerative medicine is a vital piece of the puzzle in developing new treatments and even cures for diseases ranging from cancer to wounds to replacing dysfunctional organs and potentially even neurodegenerative conditions. “Carle Illinois College of Medicine is uniquely positioned to lead in this important field with innovative new regenerative medicine technologies being developed in the medical school as well as through collaborations across campus that harness engineering, biology, and medicine into paradigm-shifting regenerative innovations. This gift and the research it will support have the potential to impact new discoveries that advance patient care far into the future,” Mark Cohen, Dean of Carle Illinois College of Medicine, said.

The gift will continue Tom’s life-long work to leverage tissue engineering to improve patients’ lives. For 22 years until his retirement in 2022, he served as the president and CEO of AlloSource®, a non-profit that preserves human donor tissue to create transplantable allografts to heal living patients. 

“We are particularly pleased to support student work in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine,” said Cyndy, a retired professor of management from the US Air Force Academy.  “As a long-time educator, I’m excited to invest in students who will shape the field of medicine for decades to come.” 

Tom is a strong advocate for CI MED and its mission, serving on the Dean’s Advisory Committee. He has been honored with the Jeanne C. Mowe Distinguished Service Award for contributions to tissue banking and transplantation, as well as the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Alumni Humanitarian Award. Besides his bachelor’s degree from Illinois, Tom also holds an MBA from Loyola University in Chicago.