Welcome Judith L. Rowen, M.D., our first permanent associate dean for academic affairs, effective November 1, 2017. Dr. Rowen will oversee the development of the engineering-based medical curriculum and faculty affairs initiatives. She will provide leadership for curriculum development and implementation; assessment of students’ progress with the case-driven, problem-based, active-learning curriculum; faculty effectiveness; and curriculum evaluation in compliance with the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) standards.
Dr. Rowen joins us at a critical time as we actively develop cases and refine our unique curriculum to fulfill our vision of redefining medical education,” said King Li, dean of the college. “With her experience and visionary leadership, she will expertly shape our program and the faculty who deliver it,” he said.
Rowen comes to Carle Illinois with more than 20 years of medical education experience. She spent the last five years serving as the associate dean for Educational Affairs at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) where she oversaw the School of Medicine curriculum as a whole and worked to integrate basic science with clinical knowledge and skills through each of the four years. Rowen joined UTMB in 1996, and served as clerkship director for Pediatrics from 1999 to 2009, in addition to assistant dean for Educational Affairs from 2005 to 2012.
Well-versed in many active learning modalities, Rowen also has experience with major curricular change. She has authored several problem-based learning cases including cases for a new, competency-based pilot curriculum at UTMB. She also has experience with team-based learning (TBL) and has taught others how to write TBL units and facilitate sessions.
Rowen’s visionary leadership is evident in her ability to identify needs, conceive and execute ideas, and to inspire others as part of a collaborative team. She has a strong track record of hiring and training faculty and staff, and has successfully developed innovative programs and curriculum.
After attending medical school at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, Rowen served as resident, and chief resident, in Pediatrics at the University of California Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. She completed a fellowship in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX.