2024 Annual Report

Office of Corporate Relations 2024 ANNUAL REPORT

A Message from Leadership

In the last year, our CRM users expanded to over 50 users and the Corporate Relations Network expanded to over 100 users, broadening our cross-campus collaboration. This collaboration turns ideas into action and delivers value to our partners. The OCR is proud to be your gateway to success at the University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign for our corporate partners. Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we are shaping a future defined by innovation, inclusion, and impact.

We are proud to share the remarkable progress and accomplishments of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Office of Corporate Relations in 2024. This past year has reaffirmed the strength of our partnerships, the power of innovation, and the incredible potential that emerges when academia and industry collaborate toward shared goals. We thank our 362 corporate partners for a total corporate investment of $135.7 million in 2024. At Illinois, we believe that impact is best achieved through deep, purposeful engagement, and these investments have broadened opportunities for our students, enhanced research, and drove innovation. In fact, over 7,000 unique employers hired Illinois students.

WELCOME TO ILLINOIS

Pradeep Khanna Executive Associate Vice Chancellor for Corporate Relations and Economic Development

Contents

06 Fast Facts 08 Areas of Engagement 10 Student Engagement 11 Technology Transfer 12 Research Institutes

14 Corporate Relations Network 15 OCR Support to Campus 16 Corporate Engagement 22 Economic Development 26 Our Team

World Class Students

Fast Facts

59,238 Students Enrolled #9 Top Public Schools (U.S. News) #16 Best College for Veterans (U.S. News)

CORPORATE IMPACT

$135,713,158 Total Corporate Support

92 Of the Fortune 100 Companies Recruited Illinois Talent

77 U.S. Patents Issued

362 Companies with Contracts

RESEARCH ENTERPRISE

129 Countries Represented 50 U.S. States Represented

16 Colleges and Schools

100+ Graduate Programs 1,900 Employees in Research Park

120 Companies in Research Park 150+ Undergraduate Programs

175+ Research Programs and Centers on Campus

Corporate Engagement

Empower your workforce

Leverage our entrepreneurial ecosystem Economic development efforts are implemented by units across campus and include the following major components: Research Park innovation centers Year-round access to high quality Research Park student interns Partnering with university start-up companies Access to highly-entrepreneurial faculty and students

A highly skilled workforce that is current in the latest technologies and techniques is key to staying competitive in today’s business environment. The OCR will collaborate with you to determine the most relevant programs for your employees including: Over 100 professional and graduate programs Online education programs Off-campus courses that develop executive leadership skills and training On-campus specialized events Customized courses or programs tailored to your business needs Commercially viable tech to drive your innovation The OCR can assist you in taking the innovative technologies developed at Illinois and transferring them into the marketplace through: Mutually beneficial licensing agreements Leading edge of science and technology Making advancements commercially viable Rapid prototyping and proof of concept under innovation

Connect with our brilliant students

The OCR is here to assist you in connecting with top talent at Illinois. Our students are more than prepared to work in a global environment. To build strong relationships with our students, the OCR will collaborate with you to: Recruit students for internships and full- time opportunities Interact with student organizations through classroom involvement, hackathons, case competitions, etc. Become a guest speaker for lectures or tech talks Engage in senior design projects and capstone projects

Gain access to our award-winning research Our corporate partners are an important source of research funding for the campus. Research opportunities are growing every day, and the OCR can connect you with our researchers through: Funded research Applied research projects Participation in our research centers Collaborative federal funding

Build your brand on campus The OCR can help point you to the

platforms that will help build your brand on campus and deepen your ties to the university, including: Naming rights for buildings, rooms, labs, etc. Faculty chairs/professorships Equipment donations Scholarships and fellowships

Student Engagement

The Office of Technology Management at the University of Illinois plays an instrumental role in moving the innovations that result from university research into public use by protecting and licensing university intellectual property. The OTM has played a critical role in fostering entrepreneurship and innovation by supporting 65 active startups that were founded on University of Illinois Urbana- Technology Transfer

Champaign IP, with 42 of these startups located within Illinois. These startups have created jobs, attracted investment, and helped to drive economic growth in the state. The OTM’s work has not only benefited the University of Illinois but has also contributed significantly to the Illinois economy, making it a vital component of the state’s innovation ecosystem.

7,777 unique employers posted 169,718 jobs/internships in handshake 92 of the Fortune 100 companies recruited through Handshake and/or career fairs 90% secured a first destination after graduation

1,073 unique employers participated in career fairs 18,125 students attended career fairs $75K average salary reported by full- time employed bachelor’s degree graduates across the university

688 Total inventors on 2024 Disclosures $5,421,826 in Revenue 42 65

42 active startups in Illinois (founded on University of Illinois IP)

active startups founded on University of Illinois IP

77 Issued U.S. Patents

210 U.S. Patent Applications

Research Institutes

iSEE – Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment Actionable research in sustainability, energy, and environment-related topics Prairie Research Institute Research, expertise, and data to steward our nation’s natural and cultural resources

Center for Social and Behavioral Science Social and behavioral science research addressing society’s most pressing challenges

National Center for Supercomputing Applications

Applications and computational expertise to develop simulations and models that cannot be created in labs C3.ai Digital Transformation Institute Accelerating the benefits of AI for business, government, and society Cancer Center at Illinois Cancer research and educational programs that unite campus strengths in science and engineering Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute Coordination and acceleration of campus- wide health research and innovation

Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology

Harnessing interdisciplinary collaboration to produce advances in imaging, molecular science, and intelligent systems that wouldn’t happen in individual units

Humanities Research Institute

Humanities, arts, and social sciences research into the cultural, historical, and imaginative boundaries of the human condition Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology Team-based fundamental and applied genomics research in health, energy, agriculture, and technology

Corporate Relations Network Connecting our campus community

OCR Support to Campus

Building relationships using data

Stewardship The OCR works diligently to steward critical university-corporate relationships built through the implementation of a deliberate stewardship program. Marketing Our team serves units on campus to help with their industry relations needs. We write stories, build and deploy marketing strategies, engage user-friendly designs, and a wide variety of channels to support campus needs.

The OCR supports campus by bringing together pieces of data for a holistic view of a company’s engagement with Illinois. A data-driven, strategic approach is used to build company relationships, identify new partners, and foster holistic communications about companies to our campus partners. We Support: Prospect Research: Targeted prospect research for campus initiatives Competitive Intelligence: Research into companies, industries, market analysis, and emerging trends Data Analysis: Corporate support to the university – Gauge historical company engagement through philanthropy, sponsored research, and recruiting data Resources: Contact us for access to Crain’s Chicago Business Data Center, LinkedIn Sales Navigator searches, various business databases, and more Corporate Relations Management: Manage a campus-wide CRM, add new data and review data quality, utilize data to provide actionable insights for corporate relations staff on the Illinois campus

The Corporate Relations Network is a connecting and coordinating body that addresses policy and practice in corporate relations between units at the Urbana- Champaign campus and corporate partners. The CRN serves as a forum for corporate relations practitioners from across campus so it can build a strong collaborative culture. Its membership, comprised of over 105 campus employees whose significant responsibility includes managing corporate relations, discusses current developments in the practice of engagement of universities with corporations as well as trends in the economy and environment that relate to emerging corporate engagement opportunities. CRN members also collaborate in defining and continuously refining practices to ensure that corporate relations staff across campus can effectively and efficiently serve units, faculty, corporate partners, and the university community.

In 2024, the CRN hosted its inaugural spring retreat which provided professional development and networking opportunities.

Illinois Neurodiversity Initiative Now in its third year, the Illinois Neurodiversity Initiative (INI) is a program designed to support college students who are neurodivergent from the time they start college until they graduate and find successful employment through academic, social, mental health, and job readiness support. The OCR has partnered with INI/The Autism Project and ACES to secure support from several companies for the HDFS 199: Pre- Employment Seminar. Companies such as Capital One, KPMG, Synchrony, State Farm, Ernst and Young (EY), bp, Kroger, Mentra, and Wells Fargo visited or showed interest in this class. These companies recognize the valuable skills that neurodivergent students can bring to their workplaces and are interested in creating neurodiverse hiring initiatives within their organizations. Synchrony has committed to co-piloting a neurodiverse internship program with INI students during the summer and has invested in this initiative. Meanwhile, State Farm has pledged to support the INI program with a large investment each year for the next five

years. They are excited to continue partnering with INI and help grow the program. To help students learn more about State Farm and its culture, they took a field trip to the company’s headquarters in Bloomington, IL. In addition, bp has brought guest speakers to help students enhance their chances to land an internship or even full-time jobs. The company also helped the program’s networking activities with financial support. The INI program is grateful for the support of our committed corporate partners as we work to support our neurodivergent students throughout their academic journey and into their careers.

CORPORATE ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES SUPPORTED BY THE OCR

Siebel Center for Design SCD is an interdisciplinary center committed to drawing students, staff, and faculty from various campus disciplines to support the creative and innovative development of ideas, practices, and research opportunities using the human- centered design approach. The OCR helped SCD secure company engagement with their annual UX Career Fair and UX Days. UX Days is an event designed to empower students pursuing careers in UX design and is packed with enlightening sessions, inspiring speakers, and networking opportunities. SCD launched a new UX Speaker Series where user experience professionals from across industries and disciplines will share their stories. In 2024, SCD also hosted a Chicago UX Day.

Magelli Office of Experiential Learning The Gies College of Business integrated experiential learning throughout several undergraduate and graduate programs. The experience that students gain working with clients allows students to graduate more prepared for the real world, more prepared to add value from day one, and more prepared to succeed in their careers.

Unit Operations Laboratory in Chemical Engineering The Unit Operations Lab in Chemical Engineering is a traditional senior- year course that has been revamped to emphasize innovation in surface science, electrochemistry, and rheology. Students attend lectures and participate in experiments that cover process design principles, equipment selection and sizing, engineering economics, and safety. Students use a bioreactor, sponsored by Dow AgroSciences, to grow yeast cells and study factors that can impact their growth curve. The polymer extruder, sponsored by LyondellBasell, is used by students to process low-density polyethylene pellets into plastic bag material.

Mechanical Engineering Projects Mechanical Engineering students in a Capstone Program course have an exclusive opportunity to complete a one-semester project in cooperation with an industry partner. Students are responsible for working with their industry partner to satisfy project requirements, communicate progress, and complete the assignment. Industry partners receive free entry, high ROI, leadership development, and fresh perspectives.

Gaming at Illinois

Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing Hub The iFAB Tech Hub allows Central Illinois to become a leader in precision fermentation and biomanufacturing. iFAB focuses on turning local corn and soy into high-value products like alternative proteins and biochemicals. With more than 30 partners and $51 million in federal funding, iFAB supports facility expansion, innovation, and workforce training.

Discovery Partners Institute

Health Sciences Our thriving health sciences ecosystem offers an interdisciplinary curriculum spread across six colleges, over 15 labs and institutes providing the tools and equipment necessary for our students and researchers to succeed, and over 20 registered student organizations. In this guide, you’ll find corporate success stories, details about our colleges and institutes supporting the health sciences, and ways to get involved. We’re proud to present this guide to help you navigate the thriving health sciences ecosystem at Illinois.

The University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign is at the intersection of technology, design, business, media, legal services, and more, making our institution a prime location for development and innovation in the gaming industry. Our award-winning faculty and state-of-the-art labs are superior resources when it comes to supporting companies in their research and development efforts, helping to drive innovation and advance the industry as a whole. The OCR is committed to supporting the gaming industry and keeping University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign at the forefront of this exciting field.

The OCR works closely with the DPI team on initiatives that are of interest to companies, and in 2024, those opportunities were primarily related to workforce development through the Pritzker Tech Talent Labs and the community education unit. The Digital Scholar’s Precollege Summer Program aims to build a deeper and more diverse pool of students pursuing computing and technology-related fields in Illinois. Students take courses in computer science, data science, mobile app development, or computer & electrical engineering, while building college and career-readiness skills, and increasing their exposure to and connectivity with Chicago’s dynamic tech community.

Economic Development 22

Association of Public Land Grant Universities Innovation & Economic Prosperity

1,900 Employees 120 Companies 570 Interns 48 EnterpriseWorks Startups

Research Park The University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign’s Research Park is a technology hub where tech companies of all sizes conduct research and development, and startups can grow into our thriving business ecosystem. The Research Park provides a friendly environment for businesses with easy access to university labs, faculty expertise, diverse student talent, and collaborative research.

The OCR manages the relationship for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities’ Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation. This designation outlines a plethora of activities the campus conducts related to economic development and community engagement, as well as how our university responds to economic changes in the region and the state. LabWorks LabWorks is a facility housed in the University of Illinois Research Park that offers turn-key wet lab and office suites for growth-stage startup companies in Research Park. LabWorks enables startups to establish roots and continue growing in the Champaign-Urbana community.

Defense Coalition of Champaign County

Founders Week The OCR assisted the University of Illinois Research Park in its inaugural Founders Week. This week celebrated our collective achievements in entrepreneurship and highlighted the innovative ecosystems that foster groundbreaking ventures, empower entrepreneurs, and will define the future of Illini Entrepreneurship. The OCR works closely with the Research Park to bring participants that work to build a legacy of innovation and growth at Illinois.

The Defense Coalition of Champaign County (DC3) is a curated group of local companies working on defense/space/cybersecurity related technologies to support the defense industry cluster in Champaign-Urbana. The group has met regularly over the last several years to better understand the companies locally in this sector and address challenges and opportunities of mutual interest. In 2024, DC3 met to understand our extensive research capabilities in the defense sector. The Office of Corporate Relations, University of Illinois Research Park, and the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation are organizational partners for this network.

Our Team

Pradeep Khanna Executive Associate Vice Chancellor for Corporate Relations and Economic Development

Megan Puzey Executive Director

Desiree Clayton Assistant Director, Marketing Communications

Adam Bear Assistant Director, Stewardship

Stephanie Larson Associate Director

Pedro Fernandes da Costa Associate Director

Alex Lake Client Relations Management Coordinator

Moira Nolan Senior Business and Financial Coordinator

Ulyssia Dennis Associate Director

Roxana Ryan Senior Associate Director, Research and Analysis

Arika Davis Office Support Associate

We unite students with research opportunities nurturing the next generation of innovators and scholars We combine engineering, biology, and medicine developing new ways of treating disease We bring together scholarly expertise and cutting-edge infrastructure enabling us to push boundaries of knowledge

We fuse disciplines and spark collaborations creating new ideas, companies, and industries

We are just getting started.

Office of Corporate Relations, University of Illinois 1901 S. First St., Ste. C, Champaign, IL 61820 corporaterelations@Illinois.edu| 217-244-3606

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