Welcome
to the Gies Alumni Family
“ Alumni have made such a positive impact on my Gies
experience that I want to pay it forward by mentoring students
”
and engaging with them at events like Gies Experience.
RON LEWIS, FIN ’17
Admitted students and their families came to campus in early 2020 for Gies Experience, an opportunity to meet with current students, faculty, staff, and alumni to learn more about life at Gies.
Your education was just the start. Your Gies Business degree is the key to building a career of purpose, and your experience as a Gies student is the foundation for discovering it. Here, you have forged meaningful connections with faculty, professionals, and peers who broaden the experience. As a Gies alum, you can deepen those connections by continuing to engage with students, faculty, and alumni, building a network that expands your experience and advances your career. While in-person events are currently limited, we are planning virtual connection opportunities and will look forward to connecting in person in the future.
Gies MBA alumni attend a February 2020 networking event.
Stay connected. Just like there are many ways to connect as a Gies student— from a lecture hall in Champaign, from a study abroad program in Europe, from an online classroom anywhere across the world—there are many ways to connect as an alum. Each year, we offer opportunities for you to connect with other alumni through various virtual and in-person events, including: • Homecoming • Spring Luncheon • Alumni receptions across the country and the world • Webinars and other lifelong learning opportunities • Networking events • Professional development opportunities By staying connected, you build new relationships, forge new business alliances, and expand your Gies experience. You prove that your education was just the start.
Judging case competitions, like this one held in 2018, is one way alumni share their expertise with students, build relationships with other alumni, and stay connected to Gies.
Get involved. All of us support what we value, and no one knows the value of a Gies Business education like our alumni. That’s why so many share their time and talent to support the efforts of our students, our faculty, and the Gies mission. Your involvement with the College is a powerful statement of your Gies pride and your interest in ensuring the development of tomorrow’s business leaders. As an alum, you can get involved, give back, and make a difference when you: • Volunteer as a guest speaker • Sponsor an experiential learning project • Serve as a case competition judge • Recruit Gies students • Consider a financial contribution • Participate in Gies research • Become a corporate partner
Engage in lifelong learning. The changing world of business requires leaders who evolve to meet new challenges. At Gies, we have been on the cutting edge of business education curriculum and delivery options. Our innovative approach and talented faculty built a program that ensured you were prepared when you graduated. That same commitment to innovation and excellence ensures you have a trusted partner that offers flexible, affordable, high-quality options when you want to further advance your skills. Gies provides lifelong learning opportunities, non-degree MOOC content, online graduate degrees, and traditional master’s and PhD programs that empower you to be a leader who is prepared to meet each new challenge. You trusted in Gies to build your business skills. You can trust us to help accelerate them in this changing world.
“I was able to immediately
apply what I learned in my online courses. The program equipped me with invaluable leadership tools, which I have put to good use in my professional and personal experiences alike.
JUDY SAFIAN, MBA ’20
”
Expand your network with GiesLink. As a Gies graduate, you join more than 70,000 alumni who make a difference in the world—and in the world of business. GiesLink is the College’s new professional networking platform for Gies alumni and current iDegree students. Join GiesLink and plug into the vast Gies network in order to: • Make connections • Participate in flash mentoring • Post or review openings on the job board • Participate in career discussion forums • Find professional resources and opportunities Join the Gies network at go.gies.illinois.edu/GiesLink
Stay plugged in Take advantage of additional opportunities to build your network: • Attend Gies Business events • Read the Gies Quarterly newsletter • Email us at BusinessAlumni@illinois.edu to share news • Update your contact information • Follow us on social media @giesbusiness
Share your Gies pride. We hope you’ll be a proud Gies ambassador, sharing our successes and your Gies experience with colleagues, friends, and talented high school students as we work to become the world’s most innovative business school.
Top 10
Public business school in the nation US NEWS & WORLD REPORT
550+
Students complete more than 150 company projects each year
8
#
Public business school POETS&QUANTS
Office of Advancement 1206 S. Sixth Street Champaign, IL 61820 BusinessAlumni@illinois.edu 217-244-6669 GiesBusiness.illinois.edu/alumni
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