Distinguished Alumni Award – Dr. Bob Spear ‘77
Dr. Bob Spear ‘77 built his career in pediatric critical care and anesthesiology, focused on improving clinical care and outcomes for critically ill children. He was a biology major at Illinois Wesleyan University, where he was a three-time Academic All-American and a four-year member of the Titan men’s basketball team. He holds the IWU record for most men’s basketball games played, 115, and was a four-year teammate of Hall of Famer Jack Sikma. Spear credits Coach Dennis Bridges with supporting his academic priorities while he balanced athletics and preparation for medical school. He continues to support the Jack Sikma Hall of Fame Invitational and IWU men’s basketball.
After graduating from IWU, Spear attended Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, graduating in 1980. He completed a pediatric internship at Jackson Memorial Hospital at the University of Miami, followed by a pediatric residency at St. Louis Children’s Hospital at Washington University. He then completed an anesthesiology residency and fellowships in pediatric critical care and pediatric anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Spear is board certified in pediatrics, anesthesiology and pediatric critical care.
Spear served as Director of Pediatric Intensive Care at the University of California San Diego before joining Children’s Hospital of San Diego, where he worked as a pediatric ICU physician and pediatric anesthesiologist from 1989 until his retirement in 2018. Early in his career, Spear served on a large and historic surgical team led by pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson during the separation of conjoined twins joined at the head.
Throughout his career, Spear focused on advancing clinical care of children rather than conducting basic research, publishing more than 30 medical journal articles and book chapters. He was the first to describe the use of epidural anesthesia in premature infants for hernia repairs and other lower abdominal surgeries, helping reduce the need for general anesthesia in high-risk patients. He also contributed to studies on a new ventilator modality for critically ill children that significantly improved survival rates. Spear and his colleagues also performed the original studies on the use of propofol for pediatric procedural sedation, which later became widely used in procedures for children and adults.
Outside of medicine, Spear has led humanitarian efforts through Limbs of Freedom, a joint project of the Rotary Club in Coronado and Club Rotario of Calafia-Ensenada that has provided nearly 500 prosthetic limbs to amputees in Mexico over the past 20 years.
Spear’s career reflects a sustained commitment to improving pediatric care and expanding access to life-changing medical treatment; these values are recognized by the Distinguished Alumni Award.
Loyalty Award – Alice Gruber ‘62
Alice Gruber ‘62 was among the first students to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Illinois Wesleyan University's School of Nursing. She completed clinical training in pediatric nursing at Cook County Hospital in Chicago and psychiatry training at Peoria State Mental Hospital as part of her education. These experiences helped shape her commitment to patient care.
After graduation, Alice worked as a nurse at several major medical and research institutions, including Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Stanford University Medical Center, Rockefeller University Hospital and Denver Children’s Hospital. Later, she earned an MBA in International Business and Finance from Saint Mary’s College of California and started to work in hospital financial management.
During the final 15 years of her career, Alice focused on the development, training and implementation of electronic medical systems at the University of California San Francisco, Kaiser Hospitals, and as a consultant across many hospitals in the U.S.
In retirement, Alice and her husband, pediatrician Dr. Howard Gruber, worked for Global Healing, a nonprofit organization that operated a pediatric clinic in a public hospital in Roatán, Honduras, serving more than 30,000 children.
Alice has remained actively engaged with Illinois Wesleyan. She received the Distinguished Alumni Award for Excellence in Nursing from the School of Nursing at Illinois Wesleyan University in 2011, is a participating member in the Northern California alumni chapter, served on her 50th Class Reunion Committee and continues to volunteer in support of the University community.
Gruber’s career reflects a strong commitment to healthcare delivery and expanding access to care both in the U.S. and internationally. Her dedication to clinical innovation and engagement with Illinois Wesleyan exemplifies the qualities recognized by the Loyalty Award.
Robert M. Montgomery Outstanding Young Alumni Award – Dr. Keith Carter ‘17
Dr. Keith Carter ‘17 has built a career dedicated to advancing mental health care through clinical practice, leadership, innovation and mentorship. He earned the Caroline F. Rupert Nursing Award in his graduating class at Illinois Wesleyan, recognizing exemplary performance and leadership within the nursing program.
After earning his Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Carter joined Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, where he worked in Pediatric Behavioral Health and Community Health. He developed interdisciplinary behavioral health interventions for children and families, including a pill-swallowing program designed to improve medication adherence, while also supporting adults with chronic mental illness as they transitioned from nursing facilities to independent living.
While completing his graduate education as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), Carter was selected for the American Nurses Association Minority Fellowship Program, a national leadership initiative that prepares psychiatric nurses to advance behavioral health equity and strengthen the mental health workforce.
Now, Carter is a PMHNP at Mind Body Co-op in Chicago, where he provides evidence-based psychiatric care across the lifespan. Beyond his clinical practice, he supervises and mentors graduate nursing students and early-career clinicians as they transition into the profession.
Carter remains connected to Illinois Wesleyan by serving as a Nurse Buddy, where he guides future nurses as they begin their professional journeys. His commitment to patient care, leadership, innovation and empowerment for the next generation of mental health professionals reflects the qualities recognized by the Robert M. Montgomery Outstanding Young Alumni Award.