Social Impact
Business has the power—and responsibility—to drive meaningful change in society. Through a focus on social impact, we prepare you to become a leader who prioritizes people, planet, and purpose alongside profit. Whether tackling climate challenges, promoting health and well-being, or strengthening corporate accountability, our community is actively shaping a more equitable and sustainable future.
Environment and sustainability
At Gies, we’re committed to shaping leaders who prioritize sustainable growth and environmental stewardship. As a Gies student, you can take courses that help you have a positive impact on the environment, and you can gain hands-on experience through an RSO or an experiential learning project. Through their research, our faculty are tackling critical issues such as natural disasters, pollution, sustainable value chains, and more.
Courses
- FIN 490: Special Topics in Finance – Explore how sustainability is transforming the future of commercial real estate through smart buildings, energy efficiency, and green building certifications. Students will learn to contribute to the creation of a more sustainable built environment and leverage knowledge to help navigate greenwashing pitfalls.
- Sustainability Reporting: From Regulation to Implementation – Develop a comprehensive understanding of sustainability reporting and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) practices. Students will learn to navigate ESG ratings, optimize sustainability initiatives, and apply best practices in reporting to improve corporate reputation and investor confidence.
Podcasts
- Tatyana Deryugina (Launching August 2025)
Research
- Sustainability or Greenwashing: Evidence from the Asset Market for Industrial Pollution (Qiping Xu)
- Gies researchers cited in latest CBO Climate Change Report
- 2024 Hurricane Season highlights number at risk, opportunities for change
- Economist Julian Reif unpacks the “Economics of Clean Air” and its profound impact on Illinois
- Wildfires affecting lives even a thousand miles away
- Environmental Discourse and Firm Value: Evidence From Conference Calls (Andrea Rozario)
Health and wellness
We believe that thriving individuals build thriving organizations and societies. Gies students enroll in courses on the healthcare ecosystem, healthcare innovation, insurance, and more. Our Health Care Research Initiative brings together our top faculty conducting critical research on issues such as how the environment affects our health, pharmaceutical production, AI health screenings, and expanding access to quality healthcare in underserved areas.
Courses
- BADM 375: Operations Strategy – Learn how organizations in various industries, such as healthcare, can gain and sustain competitive advantage through their operations capabilities. Cases and examples will be used to explore technologies such as blockchain and internet of things (IOT), issues such as supply chain risk and social responsibility, and business models such as alliances and sharing economy.
- MBA 571: Identify – Healthcare Ecosystem and Need Identification – Develop a broad understanding of the healthcare ecosystem and the healthcare innovation process, with an emphasis on efficiently designing and managing healthcare delivery systems. This course emphasizes critical thinking and creativity and prepares students to recognize and select opportunities that can be developed into successful innovations.
Research
- Obligatory responses to FDA inspection outcomes and future drug shortages (Gopesh Anand, Iris Wang)
- Paper: AI-human task-sharing could cut mammography screening costs by up to 30%
- New analytics-driven framework aims to improve care of chronic disease
- New report from Gies College of Business reveals more employees are languishing than flourishing at work
- Study: Default testing for COVID-19 in K-12 schools more effective than voluntary testing
Trust and corporate responsibility
In an era of increasing scrutiny, trust and integrity are the cornerstones of long-term success. Our curriculum includes courses in business ethics, stakeholder governance, and social impact strategy that challenge you to lead with accountability. Faculty research explores transparency in corporate reporting, inclusive decision-making, and ethical leadership. Together, we’re contributing to a culture of responsibility through initiatives such as consulting for mission-driven organizations and dialogues on equity, justice, and ethical business practices.
Courses
- BUS 101: Professional Responsibility and Business – This course introduces all first-year Gies Business students to the concept of professional responsibility within a personal and interpersonal context. Students learn to develop a professional identity and skills, preparing them to represent the College and the University with integrity and confidence in their careers.
- BADM 340: Ethical Dilemmas of Business – Learners examine business decision making and the role ethics plays in that process. Develop a deep understanding of how managers behave and whether ethical choices are knowingly made or only realized thereafter. The object is to increase awareness of the moral dimension of business activity.