Gies College of Business

Gies Business News and Stories

Explore the ideas, people, and impact shaping Gies College of Business. From faculty research and student experiences to alumni achievements and donor impact, these stories highlight how our community is advancing business knowledge and creating real-world change.

From Sales Rep to Strategist: How Gies iMBA helped Roberto Martinez make career pivot

Apr 02, 2026

Roberto Martinez has navigated a series of pivots, restarts, and a moment of reckoning on his way to earning an MBA from Gies College of Business and a 40% return on investment.

Alumni Business Administration Student

Life in Parallel: How Gies Business iMBA program helps women lead without putting life on hold

Apr 01, 2026

Gies Business' fully online iMBA program enables women to advance their careers while balancing family and personal responsibilities, allowing them to learn and apply skills in real time.

Alumni Business Administration iMBA

Investment Management Academy posts strong fall gains, outperforming S&P 600

Mar 31, 2026

The Investment Management Academy (IMA), a program within the University of Illinois’ Gies College of Business, returned 5.66%, outperforming the S&P 600 by 2.06%.

Faculty Finance Student

iVenture team, Credence Cleantech, moving forward with energy pilot in India

Mar 30, 2026

Less than a year after participating in the iVenture Accelerator, Credence Cleantech is embarking on a pilot energy project in India. The ambitious initiative could potentially launch a cost-effective net-zero alternative for plants and bring in $1.5 million for the startup.

Alumni Entrepreneurship

Gies Business MSF transforming finance foundations into elite career paths

Mar 27, 2026

Meet four alumni who successfully transitioned from their undergraduate majors into specialized roles at some of the world’s most prestigious institutions.

Alumni Finance

Study finds workplace leaderboards can encourage – or undermine – employee generosity

Mar 26, 2026

A new Gies Business study, published in The Accounting Review, finds leaderboards that rank recognition given spur more helping—while “recognition received” can backfire. Here’s why and what to do.

Accountancy Faculty Research

PODCAST: The Pollution Shell Game - Why Divestment Doesn’t Always Leave the Planet Greener

Mar 24, 2026

Firms can sell their dirty plants but keep using that plant's output. Gies Business Professor Qiping Xu reveals the "cosmetic redrawing" of corporate boundaries and why divestment sometimes fails the planet.

Faculty Finance Podcasts Research

Gies Business ranked #4 public business school by Poets&Quants

Mar 23, 2026

Gies Business is ranked #4 among public business schools and #15 overall. For this ranking, Poets&Quants considers factors such as admissions standards, the college experience, and career outcomes.

Accountancy Alumni Business Administration Faculty Finance Student

Why media attention on climate action can backfire for clean companies

Mar 19, 2026

New research from Gies College of Business finds that for already low-polluting public companies, increased media attention on their climate actions can reduce financial performance - even when coverage is positive.

Business Administration Faculty Research

Gies Business pioneers future of healthcare with new iMBA specialization

Mar 18, 2026

Developed in partnership with the Carle Illinois College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, and the University of Illinois’ Siebel Center for Design, this collaborative effort is designed to equip the next generation of leaders with the skills to transform healthcare delivery.

Business Administration Entrepreneurship Student

Orange & Blue Ventures to collaborate with Illinois Ventures

Mar 17, 2026

Gies College of Business is teaming up with one of the largest and longest-running university-based venture capital firms in the country – Illinois Ventures – to offer students a new hands-on learning experience.

Accountancy Alumni Business Administration Entrepreneurship Faculty Finance Student

Study reveals which factors are important in identifying cross-industry competition

Mar 16, 2026

New research from Gies College of Business explains how cultural embeddedness and social salience predict cross-industry competition.

Business Administration Faculty Research

Gies College of Business
515 East Gregory Drive
Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: 217-300-7327