Gies College of Business

Changing the game: Gies MSM grad Sam Phillips advocates for LGBTQ+ athletes

Aug 20, 2026

Sam Phillips (MSM '26) transformed his experiences as a collegiate gymnast and LGBTQ+ advocate into a career with Athlete Ally, where he promotes inclusion in sports while applying the business skills he gained at Gies College of Business.

Alumni Business Administration iMSM Student

Gies Business alumna and Culver's CEO Julie Fussner named to Forbes 50 Over 50 list

Aug 18, 2026

The first woman to lead Culver’s, Fussner credits her broad University of Illinois education with helping shape her approach to leadership and problem-solving. Since joining Culver’s in 2017, she has helped drive the brand’s growth and evolution while maintaining its Midwest roots and people-first culture.

Alumni Business Administration

How Gies Business iMBA elevated Butrymovich’s career from a mountaintop

Aug 17, 2026

Olivia Butrymovich (MBA ’26) balanced a demanding role at Colorado’s Copper Mountain Resort with Gies Business’ flexible online iMBA program, applying what she learned immediately to lead projects and manage teams.

Alumni Business Administration iMBA Student

At 2026 Cozad Lecture, Kent Dauten shares insights on the investing field

Aug 14, 2026

Private equity veteran Kent Dauten drew on more than 40 years in investing to share career and leadership lessons with Gies Business students, encouraging them to approach networking with curiosity, seek early-career roles with steep learning curves, and value diverse perspectives when making major decisions.

Accountancy Alumni Business Administration Faculty Finance Student

Two Gies Business iMBA Graduates Named Poets&Quants’ 2026 ‘Best & Brightest’

Aug 10, 2026

Melissa Cummings and Patrick Surrett earned their spots by translating business theory into immediate results. Both used their studies to tackle complex operational challenges – Cummings in nonprofit workforce development and Surrett in defense healthcare systems.

Alumni Business Administration Student

Agentic AI Build-a-thon delivers systems innovation for Gies Business operations

Aug 06, 2026

The intensive 24-hour “build-a-thon” attracted 72 undergraduate and advanced degree students who formed teams to create agentic AI solutions alongside industry mentors.

Accountancy Alumni Business Administration Faculty Finance Student

Two Big Ten business deans on AI disruption of higher ed: It's not just about the tools

Aug 03, 2026

Gies Business Dean Brooke Elliott and Nebraska Dean Kathy Farrell recently discussed how business schools should evolve over the next decade. The conversation ranged from AI's effect on classroom pedagogy to its murkier implications for academic research, energy costs, and equity.

Accountancy Alumni Business Administration Faculty Finance Student

MSF alum Reddic applies Gies-inspired learning approach to leadership role at Syracuse

Jul 29, 2026

Willie Reddic credits Gies Business with helping shape the resilience and hands on teaching philosophy that have defined his career. After overcoming significant academic challenges through persistence and mentorship, he earned a PhD and has risen into academic leadership.

Alumni Finance

University of Illinois launches campuswide Entrepreneurship Minor

Jul 22, 2026

For the first time ever, students from across the University of Illinois can now pursue an entrepreneurship minor. Beyond core courses from both Gies Business and Grainger Engineering, the minor allows students to choose from more than 70 elective courses from within their respective colleges to round out the minor.

Accountancy Alumni Business Administration Entrepreneurship Faculty Finance Student

Elliott: The AI question colleges need to address now

Jul 14, 2026

In an article published by Crain's Chicago Business, Gies Business Dean Brooke Elliott argues that organizations that succeed with AI won't simply adopt new technology; they'll rethink how work gets done while keeping people at the center.

Accountancy Alumni Business Administration Faculty Finance Student

A different kind of MBA, built for a different kind of career

Jul 14, 2026

Traditional MBA programs are facing growing pressure as AI reshapes hiring, salaries soften, and graduates take longer to find jobs. The Gies Business iMBA was built for this environment by focusing on experienced professionals who apply AI, analytics, and leadership skills directly at work while earning the degree.

Accountancy Alumni Business Administration Faculty Finance iMBA Student

Bridging the divide: 20 years of leading technology management at Gies Business

Jul 09, 2026

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Master of Science in Technology Management (MSTM) program at Gies Business continues to prepare professionals to bridge technology and business strategy.

Alumni Business Administration Faculty Student

iVenture alumni DeepWalk listed among Forbes’ Accessibility 200 list

Jun 25, 2026

Forbes Accessibility 200 highlights products, software, and services that allow people with disabilities to have equitable access to information, content, public spaces, employment, and life experiences.

Alumni Entrepreneurship

The benefits of being an outsider in trade wars

Jun 22, 2026

When two giants fight a trade war, the real winners might be playing from the sidelines.

Alumni Business Administration Faculty Research

PODCAST: Business leader and Gies Business namesake Larry Gies

Jun 17, 2026

Larry Gies discusses leadership, philanthropy, innovation, and the future of business education.

Accountancy Alumni Business Administration Faculty Finance Podcasts Student

iVenture alumnus DoubleSpot modernizes recreation management for campuses and communities

Jun 10, 2026

Inspired by his internship with the Los Angeles Dodgers and supported through the iVenture Accelerator, Sean Chang built software that streamlines scheduling, registrations, events, rentals, and facility operations into one platform.

Alumni Entrepreneurship Student

What the MBA "Fire Sale" conversation is missing – and what we've learned from doing this differently

May 26, 2026

What we hope is that affordability becomes a permanent feature of more programs, not a temporary response to enrollment pressure.

Accountancy Alumni Business Administration Faculty Finance Student

The future of business education with Dean Brooke Elliott & Poets&Quants Founder John Byrne

May 13, 2026

What’s next for business education in the age of AI? In this unique conversation, Gies College of Business Dean Brooke Elliott sits down with Poets&Quants Founder John Byrne to discuss affordability and innovation in higher education, the future of MBA programs, online learning, artificial intelligence, global talent.

Accountancy Alumni Business Administration Faculty Finance Student

Driven by Experience, United by Purpose: Gies Business seniors launch lasting scholarship initiative

May 13, 2026

Four Gies Business seniors, whose friendships formed through case competitions, consulting organizations, and business fraternities, raised more than $33,000 to establish a need-based scholarship for incoming students.

Accountancy Alumni Business Administration Finance Student

How Ibeabuchi (iMBA ’19) is building scalable legacy at Major League Soccer

May 12, 2026

Chidozie Ibeabuchi’s career has evolved from supporting individual athlete transitions in the NFL to leading large-scale, proactive player engagement initiatives as Vice President at MLS, guided by his “Human First” philosophy.

Alumni Business Administration iMBA

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