Corporate Relations Network

The Corporate Relations Network (CRN) 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. 

To find contacts for a specific unit, use the dropdown options below.

Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB)

The Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB) is where science meets society - an interdisciplinary institute dedicated to transformative research and technology in life sciences using team-based strategies to tackle grand societal challenges.

Tracy Parish

Tracy Parish

Director of External Relations and Strategic Partnerships

(217) 265-0880

tparish@illinois.edu

Sarah Schwartz

Sarah Schwartz

External Relations Coordinator

sbingsch@illinois.edu

Celine Young

Celine Young

Program Manager, Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation

chyoung@illinois.edu

Carle Illinois College of Medicine

The Carle Illinois College of Medicine is a partnership between Carle Health system, an Urbana-based system of hospitals and physician groups, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, one of the country’s top public research universities.

Jessica Breitbarth

Jessica Breitbarth

Associate Dean for Advancement

jhbreit@illinois.edu

Dan Rodawig

Dan Rodawig

Director of Development

rodawig@illinois.edu

College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES)

The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences has a long history with the University of Illinois. Today, it is highly respected for its reputation of excellence in teaching, research, and outreach programs.

Amy Fruehling

Amy Fruehling

Senior Director of Corporate Relations

afruehli@illinois.edu

College of Applied Health Sciences (AHS)

The mission of the College of Applied Health Sciences is to advance research, instruction and public engagement that promotes the development of healthy, livable communities, facilitates optimal living with disability and promotes health and wellness across the lifespan and throughout a diverse society.

Jean Driscoll

Jean Driscoll

Assistant Dean for Advancement

jdris@illinois.edu

Harshal Prabhakar Mahajan

Harshal Prabhakar Mahajan

Assistant Director, Research, McKechnie Family LIFE Home, Community Health

mahajan6@illinois.edu

Cassandra Meinert

Cassandra Meinert

Assistant Director, Master of Health Adminstration Program

217-244-1075

cmeinert@illinois.edu

Laura Rice

Laura Rice

Associate Director, Center for Health, Aging, and Disability

ricela@illinois.edu

Jeffrey Woods

Jeffrey Woods

Associate Dean, Research

woods1@illinois.edu

College of Education

The College of Education addresses the challenges facing today's learners by advancing knowledge and impacting policy through research, teaching, and outreach.

Lisa Denson-Rives

Lisa Denson-Rives

Assistant Dean for Advancement

217-300-2752

lkdenson@illinois.edu

Ashley Souk

Ashley Souk

Assistant Director of Advancement

aasouk@illinois.edu

College of Fine and Applied Arts (FAA)

The College of Fine and Applied Arts at Illinois is singular in the nation for its diversity, innovation, and breadth. Home to creative thinkers in the performing, visual, design, and environmental arts, our college encourages daring collaborations and deeper cultural understanding.

Bethany Whoric

Bethany Whoric

Assistant Director of Advancement, Krannert Center Corporate Relations

217-300-6042

bbwhoric@illinois.edu

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

The College of LAS offers a number of opportunities for companies to engage with our outstanding students and faculty. With 615 tenure system faculty and nearly 15,000 students enrolled in 37 academic departments that offer more than 70 majors, the college offers many opportunities to connect with talented students and pursue groundbreaking research collaborations.

Meg Edwards

Meg Edwards

Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations

mbedward@illinois.edu

Kimberle Corbin

Kimberle Corbin

Assistant Director for Employer Connections and Community Outreach

kcorbin4@illinois.edu

Katie Kennealy-Pierczynski

Katie Kennealy-Pierczynski

Assistant Director for Career and Alumni Affairs

kennealy@illinois.edu

Patricia Simpson

Patricia Simpson

Director of Academic Advising and Career Services, School of Chemical Sciences

217-300-3384

plblum@illinois.edu

DGS

Doug Simpson

Director of External & Corporate Relations, Professor

dgs@illinois.edu

College of Media

The College of Media is focused on the study and exploration of media—how to develop content that is informative, accurate, strategic, persuasive, entertaining, creative, targeted, and sharable through any media platform.

Deanne Johnson

Deanne Johnson

Assistant Dean for Advancement

jhns@illinois.edu

Susan Muirhead

Susan Muirhead

Visiting Associate Director, The Hub for Brand Innovation and Advertising Technology

muirhea@illinois.edu

College of Veterinary Medicine

Part of the flagship campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, one of the world’s premier research institutions, the College of Veterinary Medicine is home to three academic departments, a full-service teaching hospital, the state’s veterinary diagnostic laboratory, and clinical, diagnostic, and research services in Chicago.

Christine Dietrich

Christine Dietrich

Associate Dean for Advancement

cdietric@illinois.edu

Kaylee Hillinger

Kaylee Hillinger

Associate Director of Industry Relations

kawilli2@illinois.edu

Division of Intercollegiate Athletics

The Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) impacts all areas of the University of Illinois, and serves as a powerful, wide-reaching marketing and advertising operation that is ideally positioned to boost the institution’s visibility. DIA is optimally positioned to positively impact the campus community, as well as Illini Nation at large.

Martin Kaufmann

Martin Kaufmann

Senior Associate Athletics Director, Business Development

mekaufma@illinois.edu

Gies College of Business

For more than 100 years, Gies Business has intentionally designed its innovative programs, leading-edge curriculum, and experiential learning opportunities to empower and prepare students to turn big ideas into meaningful actions.

Barry Dickerson

Barry Dickerson

Senior Director, Corporate Relations

217-244-1678

bdickers@illinois.edu

Andrew Wallen

Andrew Allen

Assistant Dean, Strategic Engagement & Experience

andrewa@illinois.edu

Elizabeth Chominski

Elizabeth Chominski

Director, Office of Corporate Partnerships

chominsk@illinois.edu

Lauren Curtiss

Lauren Curtiss

Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement

lcurtiss@illinois.edu

Rob Dalhaus

Rob Dalhaus

Assistant Director of Stewardship

rnd3@illinois.edu

Jessica Kant

Jessica Kant

Corporate Relationship Manager

jkant@illinois.edu

Samantha Koon

Samantha Koon

Director, Hoeft Technology & Management Program

skoon@illinois.edu

Madeline Mortensen

Madeline Mortensen

Associate Director of Corporate Engagement

mmorten2@illinois.edu

Marcus Phillips

Marcus Phillips

Associate Director of Business Development

marcusp@illinois.edu

Angie Powers

Angie Powers

Senior Corporate Relationship Manager, Office of Corporate Partnerships

apowers@illinois.edu

Salvatore Rodriquez

Salvatore Rodriquez

Associate Director of Business Development

sr31@illinois.edu

Kate Yeazel

Kate Yeazel

Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement

kyeazel@illinois.edu

Russell Zillman

Russell Zillman

Campus Recruiting Assistant

rzillman@illinois.edu

Ning Zulauf

Ning Zulauf

Corporate Relationship Manager, Office of Corporate Partnerships

hching@illinois.edu

Grainger College of Engineering

The world's top companies are drawn to The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign because of our global reputation for leadership in engineering research and education.

Kent Studer

Kent Studer

Senior Director of Corporate Relations

217-300-4671

kstuder@illinois.edu

Keely Ashman

Keely Ashman

Assistant Director of Alumni and Corporate Relations, Civil and Environmental Engineering

217-333-6454

kashman@illinois.edu

Melissa Belcher

Melissa Belcher

Associate Director Corporate Relations

(217) 244-5956

stierwlt@illinois.edu

Victor Cervantes

Victor Cervantes

Director of External Programs and Strategic Initiatives, Civil and Environmental Engineering

vcervan2@illinois.edu

Cynthia Coleman

Cynthia Coleman

Director of External Relations, Computer Science

ccoleman@illinois.edu

Brenna Conway

Brenna Conway

Director, Chicago Programs and Partnerships, City Scholars

conwaybw@illinois.edu

Mary Deering

Mary Deering

Assistant Director, Chicago Student Experience

marydeer@illinois.edu

Leigh Deusinger

Leigh Deusinger

Director, Engineering Career Services

217-333-1960

leighd@illinois.edu

Maria Dorofeeva

Maria Dorofeeva

Assistant Director of Employer Engagement, Engineering Career Services

217-333-6570

dorofeev@illinois.edu

Owen Doyle

Owen Doyle

Director of Industry and Innovation, POETS

odoyle@illinois.edu

L’y Feher

L’y Feher

Program Coordinator

feher2@illinois.edu

Chelsea Hamilton

Chelsea Hamilton

Director of Communications

clhamil@illinois.edu

Matt Hebron

Matt Hebron

Assistant Director, Corporate Relations

312-585-9130

mhebron@illinois.edu

Reid Lasley

Reid Lasley

Engagement Coordinator, Materials Science and Engineering

rlasley2@illinois.edu

Julie Murphy

Julie Murphy

Associate Director for Alumni, Corporate, and Student Relations, IESE

jdg5@illinois.edu

Dominic Saebeler

Dominic Saebeler

Senior Associate Director, Information Trust Institute

217-300-6109

dsaeb2@illinois.edu

Marissa Siero

Marissa Siero

Associate Director of Entrpreneurship Programming

siero@illinois.edu

Illinois Fire Service Institute

The Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) is the statutory State Fire Academy for Illinois. It serves as the oldest continuous fire training institution in the United States. Since 1925, first responders from across the state, nation, and the world have relied on IFSI to deliver hands-on, innovative, and top-quality training, education, and research.

Timothy Walsh

Timothy Walsh

Director of Corporate Relations

tmwalsh@illinois.edu

National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA)

The National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) is a hub of transdisciplinary research and digital scholarship where University of Illinois faculty, staff, and students, and collaborators from around the globe, unite to address research grand challenges for the benefit of science and society. Current research focus areas include digital agriculture, bio and health sciences, earth and environment, astronomy, plus many more.

Alaina Kanfer

Alaina Kanfer

Assistant Director for Strategic Partnership Development

(217) 244-0876

akanfer@illinois.edu

Office of Technology Management

The Office of Technology Management moves the innovations that result from University research into public use by protecting and licensing University intellectual property.

Michelle Chitambar

Michelle Chitambar

Assistant Director, Licensing & Senior Technology Manager

mchitamb@illinois.edu

Nathan Hoffman

Nathan Hoffman

Director, Office of Technology Management

217-244-4747

nhoffma2@illinois.edu

Nicole Nair

Nicole Nair

Associate Director, Marketing & Communications

nnair@illinois.edu

Svetlana Vranic-Sowers

Svetlana Vranic-Sowers

Associate Director, Senior Technology Manager

svsowers@illinois.edu

Prairie Research Institute (PRI)

The Prairie Research Institute conducts transformative science that benefits the people, economy, and environment of Illinois, the nation, and the world.

Angela Coy

Angela Coy

Coordinator, Stakeholder Engagement

wisehart@illinois.edu

Brian Pianfetti

Brian Pianfetti

Associate Director for Research

217-244-6979

bpianfet@illinois.edu

Research Park

The Research Park at the University of Illinois is a leading innovation hub for technology commercialization with a unique environment that cultivates startups and increases capabilities for established companies. The mixed-use composition promotes creative collisions and interdisciplinary collaborations, strengthening the bridge between campus and community.

Laura Appenzeller

Laura Appenzeller

Executive Director at the University of Illinois Research Park

217-333-8323

lfrerich@illinois.edu

Laura Bleill

Laura Bleill

Director of External Engagement and Communications

Lwbleill@illinois.edu

Cynthia Faullin

Cynthia Faullin

Associate Director, Operations at EnterpriseWorks

217-300-5803

cfaullin@illinois.edu

Gerald Wilson

Gerald Wilson

Director of Entrepreneurship

gwilson@illinois.edu

School of Information Sciences

When you engage with the iSchool, you make a difference. Whether you’re an employer or an alum—or both—your expertise, perspective, and feedback add a valuable dimension to our programming and to our students’ experiences. These connections change lives and shape the future of information in the workplace and beyond.

daniellewilberg

Danielle Wilberg

Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations

217-333-9829

dwilberg@illinois.edu

J. Stephen Downie

J. Stephen Downie

Associate Dean, Research

jdownie@illinois.edu

 Michele Plante

Michele Plante

Assistant Director of Employer Relations

(217) 333-1102

mplante@illinois.edu

Eileen Prillaman

Eileen Prillaman

Assistant Dean for Advancement

prillamn@illinois.edu

School of Labor and Employment Relations (LER)

A recognized leader in education and research, the School of Labor and Employment Relations (LER) prepares students for exciting careers in human resources and industrial relations.

Nell Madigan

Nell Madigan

Associate Dean, External Relations and Operations

(217) 333-1534

nellm@illinois.edu

School of Social Work

We prepare future social work leaders and help empower people and communities. We work for social justice and equity and are tireless in our pursuit of positive change. Our innovative research establishes evidence that transforms social work practice. 

Nathan Goebel

Nathan Goebel

Senior Director of Advancement

ntgoebel@illinois.edu

Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA)

Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) is a service unit under the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, supporting the research enterprise throughout the entire lifecycle of an externally sponsored project, from proposal submission to award closeout.

Robin Beach

Robin Beach

Director, Pre-Award

beach@uillinois.edu

Mikel Storm

Mikel Storm

Assistant Director, Special Research Facility

217-300-0241

mdstorm@uillinois.edu

Technology Services

Technology Services under the Office of the Chief Information Officer is your guide to technology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Tracy Smith

Tracy Smith

Deputy CIO, Innovation and Technology Strategy

217-244-2032

tracys@illinois.edu

University of Illinois Foundation

The University of Illinois Foundation is the official fundraising and private gift-receiving agency for the University of Illinois.

Jennifer Carroll

Jennifer Carroll

Senior Director of Gift Planning Operations

217-244-6765

jmcarroll@uif.uillinois.edu

Cassi Wildman

Manager of Gift Administration

217-244-0792

cwildman@uif.uillinois.edu

Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement

Transforming Lives Through Your Support.

Elizabeth Birlet

Elizabeth Birlet

Senior Director of Foundation Relations

e-birle@illinois.edu

David Bruns

David Bruns

Senior Executive Director of Principal Gifts

dbruns@illinois.edu

Erin Kirby

Erin Kirby

Senior Director of Advancement

ekirby2@illinois.edu

Betsy Rodriquez

Betsy Rodriquez

Director of Advancement for Research Initiatives

epowers2@illinois.edu

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

Student Affairs is a community that fosters belonging, imagines possibilities, enhances learning, and makes a societal impact.

Nikki Mercer

Nikki Mercer

Senior Assistant Director, Employer Relations and Professional Connections

217-333-0820

jny@illinois.edu

Jennifer Neef

Jennifer Neef

Director, Career Center

jneef@illinois.edu

Jordari Rene

Jordari Rene

Assistant Director, Employer Relations and Professional Connections

jrene2@illinois.edu

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