Corporate Engagement

What we do

The Corporate Engagement Committee is the primary point of contact for corporate partners related to IIN initiatives. It works to promote and support corporate engagement across the IIN, in close collaboration with other working committees and corporate relations representatives from IIN members.

The committee’s goals are

• Promote and support corporate engagement across the IIN in close collaboration with relevant working committees and corporate relations representatives of IIN members
• Serve as a primary point of contact for corporate partners related to IIN initiatives
• Recommend appropriate programs and initiatives  that benefit corporate partners and IIN member institutions
• Identify new models of technology transfer for IIN initiatives that appeal to corporate partners
• Identify new models for contractual agreements for IIN initiatives that appeal to corporate partners

Subcommittees

Best Practices

The best practices subcommittee shares best practices through monthly presentations from IIN hubs’ externally facing and sponsored programs in areas of research, program support, and talent development.

Chair: Jennifer Von Kaenel, director of development for corporate relations, Western Illinois University

Best Practices Speaker Series Presentations

Corporate Engagement – SIU Edwardsville (March 2022)

Experiential Learning at UIUC Gies College of Business (July 2022)

Industry and University Engagement – University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (November 2022)

Corporate Engagement for Research – Illinois State University (February 2023)

Working with State Agencies – University of Illinois Springfield  (April 2023)

Corporate Engagement – University of Illinois Chicago (September 2023)

Online Education – University of Illinois Springfield (November 2023)

Intellectual Property – Southern Illinois University System (February 2024)

Immersion

The immersion subcommittee designs and launches IIN joint programs such as student projects (capstone/senior design projects), student consulting projects and internship programs. It also identifies and engages with corporate partners to promote IIN joint programs.

Co-Chairs: Jonathan Komperda, Director of Undergraduate Studies and Clinical Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago; Elza Ibroscheva, Associate Provost, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville