2025–2026
Building for impact
2
Reflections from the dean As I look ahead to the new academic year, I’m also reflecting on the amazing progress we’ve made over the past several months. The 2025-2026 school year was a year of growth for the College in nearly every way imaginable. From new programs and new partnerships to opening a brand-new building and welcoming our largest freshman class to date, we’ve pushed forward in our unwavering commitment to creating access and will carry that momentum forward as we continue to grow. One of my favorite parts of being dean is opening the door to new opportunities for our learners. I’m incredibly proud to say we’re doing that, and this past year is full of excellent examples. As a College, we think holistically about access – breaking down barriers to business education, like cost, location, and life circumstances. We also think about access as opportunity, ensuring our learners can take advantage of the experiences we create. This year, we’re celebrating 10 years of one of our biggest accomplishments in expanding access, our online MBA (iMBA®) program. More importantly, we’re continuing that innovative thinking with new programs in our undergraduate and graduate spaces. As you read through the following stories, you’ll see the intentionality we’re bringing to our new offerings and how we’re finding new ways to reach more learners where they are in their educational journey. And as we expand access, we’re also maintaining our focus on purpose – teaching our learners to make an impact. You’ll see the mindset of “Business on Purpose” highlighted throughout these stories as well. I’m as excited for what’s to come as I am of all we’ve accomplished. Thank you all – our learners, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends – for another unforgettable year at Gies College of Business.
W. Brooke Elliott Josef and Margot Lakonishok Professor in Business and Dean
3
Hear more from the dean in our podcast Listen as Dean Elliott shares her thoughts on expanding access in her episode of The Gies Download at go.gies.illinois.edu/ GiesDownloadDeanElliott.
4
The future of learning is here
Learn more about Wymer Hall at GiesBusiness.illinois.edu/WymerHall.
Wymer Hall boasts two large soundstages – the first new soundstages on campus in over 25 years – along with five live studios and six control booths. Ten student team rooms provide more opportunities for team-based project collaboration than ever before. One soundstage and one team room are shown to the right. Learn how these features and more are a new leap in learner-centric education at go.gies.illinois.edu/LearnerCentricWymer.
In Fall 2025, we took learning to the next level, welcoming students from Gies Business and across campus to Steven S. Wymer Hall. The nearly 100,000-square-foot facility features state-of-the-art classrooms, recording studios, and collaboration spaces designed specifically with experiential learning in mind.
5 August 25
Thank you to our donors and collaborators
We welcomed students for the first day of classes.
Thank you to Gies Business alum Steven S. Wymer (ACCY ’85) and the 100+ donors who made our new space possible. Thank you to the university for this collaborative effort, and thank you to the Student Sustainability Committee, which helped fund the building’s geothermal system through the Sustainable Campus Environment Fee & Cleaner Energy Technologies Fee. You can join us in other efforts to expand education. Find ways to give at go.gies.illinois.edu/giving.
October 9 We celebrated with our generous donors.
“A project like this does not happen on its own. It takes a vision, a commitment, and the hard work of countless people.” -Dean Elliot
October 10 We dedicated Wymer Hall.
6
Creating real-world experiences for learners Real-world opportunities are a key component of a Gies Business education. We’re continuing to create new touchpoints for our students through experiential learning, including access to entrepreneurship.
1,000 client projects and counting This past year, we celebrated our 1,000th classroom-based experiential learning project. Gies Business offers the nation’s largest experiential learning course, with over 850 students now completing BUS 301 yearly. This course is centered on a real client project and ensures that all Gies Business undergraduates take an experiential learning class before graduating. Experiential learning is also embedded in our on-campus graduate programs.
“Being able to get feedback from a client and from a real business is really impactful.” -Kaila Marshall (ACCY ’27) “At the end of the day, when I saw their final presentation, I was absolutely blown away.” -Dakota Thomas-Wilhelm, Co-owner, Good Judys Espresso & Bagel Bar
Hear directly from a BUS 301 team who worked with Good Judys Espresso & Bagel Bar last fall in this video at go.gies.illinois.edu/GoodJudys.
7
U of I’s first student-led venture capital fund With the help of a generous donation from Douglas (ACES ’90) and Debbie Ackerman (FIN ’90), we’re launching Orange & Blue Ventures, an experiential learning program that gives undergraduates the opportunity to learn about funding ventures from the investors’ point of view. Under the guidance of faculty and industry professionals, learners will source investment deals, perform due diligence, and manage fund portfolios. The program is supported by the Origin Ventures Office of Entrepreneurship, the Department of Finance, and Illinois Ventures. Read the full story at go.gies.illinois.edu/ LaunchOrangeBlueVentures.
Kickstarting new careers in finance Financial services provider Morningstar Inc. announced a nearly $5 million collaboration with Gies Business, including the donation of licenses to its proprietary financial software. This partnership will allow learners to get hands-on experience with state-of-the-art financial technology and give them direct experience analyzing securities, evaluating fund performance, and applying market data just as professionals do on Wall Street.
Podcast episode explores experiential learning Check out The Gies Download episode featuring Andrew Allen, assistant dean of strategic engagement and experiential learning, as he discusses our College’s approach to “learning by doing.”
Listen now at go.gies.illinois.edu/ GiesDownloadAndrewAllen.
8
Innovating across the decades We’re committed to creating access to business education and finding innovative ways to open doors to new opportunities. In 2026, we’re looking back at two game-changing programs and looking ahead to what’s next.
10 years of our iMBA® program This year marks 10 years of our award-winning online MBA program. What started as a vision to bring world-class education to more learners has now changed the way people think about MBA education – making it possible to learn from anywhere, at your own pace, without having to pause your career.
iMBA By the numbers 114 learners when the program started 4,000+ current learners 12,000+ total learners served 50 states represented all time 113 countries represented all time 65% received a promotion, job offer, or new position during the program iMBA timeline 2016- Program launch 2020- Biggest Business School Innovation of the Decade by Poets&Quants 2022- MBA Program of the Year by Poets&Quants 2026- iMBA® program becomes registered trademark, recognizing the uniqueness of our approach
Learners and alumni from our online programs, including the iMBA, attend iConverge each fall.
9
20 years of our MSTM program
“Gies Business’ forward-thinking approach to technology means they teach us how to use our own minds. You will never be underprepared or under-confident, no matter what career path you choose.” -Harvin Patel (MSTM ’26)
We believe technology and management should not be taught in isolation, so 20 years ago, we created a solution. The College launched the Master of Science in Technology Management (MSTM) to prepare learners to translate technical disruption into strategic growth. The MSTM program was the first master’s degree built by the Department of Business Administration and has served as the blueprint for our specialized master’s degrees ever since. In that time, more than 1,600 graduates have earned an MSTM degree, typically pursuing high-impact roles as project managers, technology consultants, data analysts, and supply chain managers. Read the story at go.gies.illinois.edu/MSTM20.
New program combines analytics and AI Our newest fully online degree program, the Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBAi), builds AI into every core analytics course so students learn to use emerging technology throughout real analytics workflows. The program is project-based, with each course contributing to a portfolio of practical work, and is ideal for professionals looking to upskill, as well as career pivoters seeking to transition into analytics and AI-driven roles. We will welcome our first cohort in Fall 2026. Learn more about the program at go.gies.illinois.edu/LaunchMSBAi.
Undergraduate microcredentials enhance access We’re expanding our undergraduate offerings through microcredentials – short, skills-based credentials designed for learners pursuing majors outside the College. Issued as digital badges and certificates, these credentials help undergraduates build and showcase careerrelevant business skills while offering a flexible pathway into the business minor. The Business Fundamentals microcredential is currently available, and we’re developing five additional microcredentials to launch soon. Learn more about these offerings at go.gies.illinois.edu/microcredentials.
10
Bringing a human focus to AI In a world where AI impacts nearly every industry, we’re committed to bringing a human-centered focus to AI adoption. Through experimentation, thought leadership, and research, we’re steering businesses and society toward meaningful interactions with new technology.
Educating in the age of AI In the September 2025 issue of AACSB Insights, Dean Elliott shared how Gies Business stays agile and relevant in a constantly evolving world. Some of the key ways our College embraces new technology include: • Leveraging industry partnerships to enhance experiential learning • Shifting from infrequent, major curriculum overhauls to continuous updates • Using digital avatars to streamline the delivery of online course content
Read the article at go.gies.illinois.edu/ DeanAACSBinsights.
“The initial goal shouldn’t be to master AI, but to learn to use it meaningfully. Faculty must be the trusted guides into a world where AI influences how knowledge is produced, shared, and valued.” -Robert Brunner, Professor of Accountancy and Chief Disruption Officer
Examining AI’s impact on knowledge work As chief disruption officer, Robert Brunner helps faculty in our College – and elsewhere – explore the possibilities and navigate the pain points of integrating AI into teaching.
11
Investigating auditors’ aversion to AI
Rethinking AI through the lens of empowerment
A recent study from Gies Business professors Mark Peecher and Sebastian Stirnkorb and PhD student Isaac Yamoah revealed that many seasoned auditors’ resistance to AIassisted practices may be linked to the lack of confidence they feel in their technological skills rather than to the technology itself. The study, highlighted in an article by the Illinois CPA Society, showed that auditors who feel affirmed in their professional skills were less likely to discount quality advice from AI tools. Their work encourages firms to reinforce traditional audit competencies alongside digital skill-building initiatives to improve outcomes.
Gies Business researchers Aric Rindfleisch, Myoung Kim, and Erica Lee led a study that found AI can amplify students’ confidence and engagement in class projects when used in a way that aligns with learning goals.
Read the article at go.gies. illinois.edu/2025_RethinkingAI.
Read the article at go.gies.illinois.edu/ 2026_AI_in_Auditing.
Find more ways we’re implementing AI in the classroom at go.gies.illinois.edu/ ArtificialIntelligence.
12
Collaborating campuswide and beyond This past year, we launched bold new programs through strong partnerships across the university.
Expanding healthcare access Gies Business is helping deliver a network of digital health kiosks to communities that lack adequate access to primary care through a collaboration with Carle Illinois College of Medicine, OSF HealthCare, and Tata Elxsi. Our College is driving the project’s data analytics, identifying key rural healthcare needs through county-specific data. Learn more about this initiative at go.gies.illinois.edu/2025_ DigitalHealthKiosk.
“For people in remote and underserved areas, basic healthcare often means long travel or no care at all. This network is going to improve quality. It’s going to expand primary care access, and it’s going to reduce costs.” -Ujjal Mukherjee, Associate Professor of Business Administration
13
Tackling healthcare challenges In Spring 2026, we announced our new specialization in the iMBA® program: Healthcare Innovation, Design, and Entrepreneurship. This three-course specialization, which can also be taken as a certificate, was developed with Carle Illinois College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, and the University of Illinois’ Siebel Center for Design. It equips learners with the mindset and abilities to solve critical challenges facing healthcare today, including inequitable access in rural areas, workforce shortages, rising costs, and fragmented care systems.
“This program recognizes that healthcare innovation isn’t just about technology or new products; it’s about understanding people.” -RAVI MEHTA, WALTER H. STELLNER Professor of Marketing and Associate Dean of Graduate Programs
Learn more about the specialization at go.gies.illinois.edu/Healthcare-iMBA.
Growing expertise in the agriculture industry We recently launched the Agribusiness and Sustainable Food Production Economics Graduate Certificate to help learners enhance their expertise in agribusiness management, food production economics, and sustainability. The four-course certificate dives into financing and risk management in agricultural production and explores various contemporary challenges in the food and agriculture sector. Learners can also apply the credit to our online MBA, online master’s in accounting, and online master’s in management programs. The certificate is a partnership with the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences (ACES).
More U of I partnerships Cozad New Venture Challenge: Each year, many of our learners collaborate with students campuswide through initiatives like the Cozad New Venture Challenge, an event allowing campus startups to compete for a pool of $700,000 in funding. This year, Gies Business returned as a sponsor alongside The Grainger College of Engineering, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation.
Capstone Project:
Learn more about this certificate at go.gies.illinois.edu/AgGradCertificate.
Expanding access to entrepreneurship coursework We’re managing and launching a new campuswide academic minor in entrepreneurship that will give undergraduates in Gies Business and other colleges throughout the university the chance to develop skills and an entrepreneurial mindset across a variety of fields. The minor, which is co-developed with Grainger Engineering and launches Fall 2026, also aims to elevate the university’s reputation as a leading producer of startups and innovators who create strong societal impact.
Our iMBA students have the opportunity to participate in a capstone project focused on solving real healthcare challenges with engineering and medical students.
Third Coast Foundry: Through a joint initiative between Gies Business and Grainger Engineering, Illinois has joined seven other leading Midwestern research universities in launching Third Coast Foundry, a collaborative San Franciscobased innovation hub to accelerate startup growth and strengthen the Midwest-Silicon Valley pipeline.
14
First-rate research shaping a better world Purpose underlies everything we do in our College, including our thought leadership. Acclaimed research from Gies Business has revealed new insights about global health and wellness – and is helping us in our endeavor to serve the greater good.
Improving nursing home patient outcomes Postdoctoral Research Associate Alden Cheng’s study revealed that nursing home room assignments can significantly influence patient mortality rates. These findings provide policymakers with critical information for addressing care quality concerns without raising costs. They were published in “Patient Peer Effects: Evidence from Nursing Home Room Assignments” in the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Measuring how food tech impacts world hunger Focusing on the app Flashfood, Sandeep Srinivas, a PhD student in Business Administration, compared food insecurity rates between areas with and without food tech operations, finding that rates are lower in places where operations are located. The research was published in the paper “From Waste to Welfare: The Effect of Foodtech Platforms on Food Insecurity,” which won the Doctoral Research Showcase Award at the Decision Sciences Institute Conference last fall.
Developing smarter scheduling for chronic care A new framework from Gies Business Associate Professor Ujjal Mukherjee combines machine learning with scheduling optimization to tackle one of healthcare's toughest problems: the most at-risk patients are often the least likely to get time with a doctor.
Listen to the Research Reverb episode at go.gies.illinois.edu/2026_ChronicCare.
15
Evaluating pharmaceutical drug testing procedures Assistant Professor Hanu Tyagi identified the safety monitoring mechanism that is most effective in offsetting the risks associated with expediting innovative and experimental therapies. His research in “The Impact of Breakthrough Therapy Designation on Drug Safety,” published in Production and Operations Management, led to a recommendation for evidence-based policies that could improve drug safety.
Investigating the pollution problem Where does pollution go when a company divests the plant producing it? Gies Business economist Qiping Xu won the Journal of Finance Dimensional Fund Advisor’s Distinguished Paper Prize with her research showing how corporate divestment often moves pollution around rather than cleaning it up.
“The questions that motivate my work – how financial markets interact with environmental risks and sustainability challenges – are topics I care deeply about. It really means a lot that something I’m genuinely excited to study is being recognized and shared.” -Qiping Xu, Assistant Professor of Finance Listen to the Research Reverb episode at go.gies.illinois.edu/ 2026_Pollution.
See other ways we’re driving meaningful change in society at go.gies.illinois.edu/SocialImpact.
16
Celebrating excellence throughout our College Each year, our Gies Business community amazes us with its talents. This year was no exception.
Alum wins Pulitzer Prize Marla Dickerson, a finance alum who is now an enterprise editor at Reuters, recently became the first Gies Business graduate to win a Pulitzer Prize. Dickerson and her team were recognized with the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting for a series on the international trade of the chemicals used to make fentanyl. The team used Bitcoin and burner phones to purchase chemicals from websites catering to the illicit drug trade. The reporters secured the ingredients needed to make $3 million worth of fentanyl for just $3,600. Their series has gained global attention from policymakers, regulators, and law enforcement.
Read the full story at go.gies.illinois.edu/ PulitzerPrizeFeature.
College namesake earns state’s highest honor and honorary degree Governor JB Pritzker awarded Larry Gies (ACCY ’88) the 2026 Order of Lincoln, citing Gies’ ability to turn visionary ideas into impactful realities throughout Illinois and beyond. This is the state’s highest honor, recognizing individuals for their outstanding professional achievement and dedicated public service. Gies also received an honorary doctorate from the university at the May 2025 commencement ceremony. Gies is the founder and CEO of Madison Industries, one of the largest and most successful privately held companies in the world. It is dedicated to making the world safer, healthier, and more productive by creating innovative solutions in industries including filtration, medical diagnostics, life sciences, and safety equipment.
17
Award-winning real estate team Students from our Reichard Real Estate Academy won a Financial Feasibility Award at the annual Eisenberg Foundation Real Estate Challenge, a premier national real estate competition. This year’s competition featured 24 teams from across the country. The Reichard Real Estate Academy provides Gies Business learners with industry-integrated experiences in commercial real estate.
National recognition for our student-athletes Marketing alum and Illini wide receiver Hank Beatty was named an Academic AllAmerican following the 2025 football season, becoming the 27th player in Illinois football history and first since 2008 to earn the honor. Beatty boasted a 3.87 GPA while leading the Illini with 1,123 all-purpose yards and was the only player in the nation to record a passing, rushing, receiving, and punt return touchdown during the 2025 season. Listen to his episode of The Gies Download podcast at go.gies.illinois.edu/GiesDownloadHankBeatty.
“I’ve never felt that I was alone on this journey, whether that be on the basketball court or here in the business school. There are so many people that are here to help you, both staff and students.” -AJ Redd (FIN ’26)
Basketball player and finance alum AJ Redd earned this year’s NCAA Elite Scholar-Athlete award. The honor is awarded to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at the finals site for each NCAA championship. He received his award at the 2026 Final Four. Courtesy of Illinois Athletics
Undergraduate rankings In Fall 2025, U.S. News & World Report ranked our undergraduate accounting program #1 in the nation. Gies Business ranked #6 among public business schools and #12 overall. Each of our majors ranked highly as well.
Undergraduate rankings #1 Accounting
#9 Insurance/Risk Management #9 Marketing #12 Management #15 Finance #17 Management Information Systems #18 Supply Chain #19 Analytics
18
Our legacy: Expanding opportunities
This past year, our entire community came together to create life-changing opportunities for students at Gies Business.
Learners explore how purpose leads to impact Last fall, Dean Brooke Elliott, Clinical Professor Rob Metzger, and Larry Gies (ACCY ’88) cotaught an honors seminar all about legacy. This course gave learners a chance to reflect on their values and the impact they want to make as they step into the next phase of their career. Each week, Gies Business alumni spoke with the class, sharing stories of how they’ve built their own careers and lives rooted in purpose.
“The legacy I hope to leave is one of empathy and compassion. I try my best every day to be an active listener and make everyone feel heard. I want to be remembered as the person who doesn’t just give advice, but who actually cares about the outcome.” -Izabella Angulo (BADM ’26)
Class of 2026 gives back with a new scholarship Graduating seniors Lalit Gurrapu, Owen Krajecki, Christine Leung, and Dhwani Patel, shown left to right, led an effort among their peers to raise $25,000 to establish a new scholarship for incoming Gies Business learners. They organized events and networked throughout the academic year, exceeding their goal by more than $7,000 and paying their gratitude forward.
19
“Love Like Sean” memorial scholarship
Leave your own legacy
Sean Richards was a gifted, kind-hearted boy whose compassion for others inspired his family to create the Love Like Sean Foundation after his tragic passing. His father, Brian, is a 1989 Gies Business alum with a degree in finance. Through the foundation, the family has committed $1 million to fund a scholarship at Gies Business to uplift future learners who lead through kindness, build community through compassion, and live each day with purpose and love. The family also organizes races, and clothing and book drives, and they partner with Ty Inc. to deliver “Love Like Sean” Beanie Babies to children in hospitals.
Read the full story at go.gies.illinois.edu/ LoveLikeSean.
Each year, our generous alumni play a major role in shaping the lives of learners and helping us provide countless opportunities. Whether through financial support or other engagements, they truly make a difference. Here are just some of the many ways to engage with us after graduating: • Financial support (no matter the size) • Classroom speaking engagements • Experiential learning projects • Career fairs, guest panels, or networking events • Continuing education
Learn how you can make an impact at GiesBusiness. illinois.edu/alumni.
“The education we received at Gies, both inside and outside the classroom, has been transformative. As we become alumni, we want to ensure that those who follow in our footsteps have access to the same opportunities that shaped our experience.” -Class of 2026 Gift Initiative Committee
1206 S. Sixth Street Champaign, IL 61820 217-333-2747 GiesBusiness.illinois.edu