With
The campaign for
Illinois
WITH ILLINOIS
Join us in building a brighter future for Illini engineers.
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We lead the way together
We set extraordinary minds free to solve our world's most important challenges. Your support is essential to ensuring that Illinois continues to set a global standard for engineering research and education.
Together, we can do the impossible every day.
Investing In the Next Generation of Illinois Engineers
Merging Robotics and Neuroscience to Develop 3D Printed Prosthetics
COZAD New Venture Competition Propels Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
Innovating Freshman Education Energizes Students and Faculty
Campaign Priorities
Together, we give the brightest minds an opportunity to thrive. The Engineering Visionary Scholarship makes an Illinois education accessible to the most-deserving and highest-achieving students. Now through the end of 2019, The Grainger Foundation will match all donations up to $25 million to Engineering at Illinois' scholarship endowments. With Illinois, amazing young people become incredible engineers.
Together, we do the impossible every day. We envision a future in which new solutions from our best engineers bring nuclear and cyber security, global access to clean water, cures and treatments for diseases, effective health care, and a sustainable environment. We make this possible by building state-of-the-art learning spaces and labs to cultivate breakthrough research and innovation. Strategic investments in our faculty and facilities allow us to recruit and retain the brightest minds. With Illinois, we are tackling the toughest challenges.
Together, we aggressively drive the economy. We create opportunities for faculty and students to bring their innovations to market through our Faculty Entrepreneurial Fellows program. The Innovation, Leadership, and Engineering Entrepreneurship program expands these offerings and integrates them into every student's experience. We are building the Chicago tech pipeline with a new City Scholars internship program. With Illinois, new industries are defined, and new economic powerhouses are built.
Together, we ensure our engineers are ready for the world. Beginning on day one, every student learns the power of interdisciplinary thinking through programs like the Illinois Engineering First-Year Experience. The Academic Redshirt in Science and Engineering program provides point-of-entry opportunities for top students from educationally underserved backgrounds. We connect faculty and students to the most innovative teaching and learning methods through the Academy for Excellence in Engineering Education. The world is changing, and it is changing fast. With Illinois, the best engineers are ready.
Our Progress
So far, we have raised $314.8 million of our $550 million campaign
goal thanks to the help of donors like you!
When Illinois rises, humanity advances. Join us in building a better world With Illinois.
"The democratization of education to produce better problem solvers is a noble concept. Many institutions benefit from private donations, which when put to effective use, create invaluable opportunities. If my scholarship fund can help more students launch effective careers and add value to society, that is a meaningful outcome for me."
Arielle Gross
Materials Science and Engineering '11
"I'm thrilled to be able to give something back, so that future computer scientists and engineers will have the same solid starting point that has served me so well."
Paul Nash
Computer Science '98
"I am 'With Illinois' because I have such fond memories of being in Urbana-Champaign. This really is where my adult years started and where I kind of grew up, discovered what I cared about and what I wanted to be. I made friends in Illinois that I stay in touch with still today, and I like to come back to talk with people who were a really important and pivotal part of my life."
Parisa Tabriz
Computer Science '05, '07
"My father went to Illinois and played football. He started there in ’51. I ended up going and my two brothers did as well. All three boys went there. Both of my boys are at Illinois. I go there all the time. We spend a lot of time and have a lot of history. It is a great school and I’d love to see it keep going."
Terry Sopkin
Mechanical Engineering '82
"Since we have retired Linda and I have focused our efforts on supporting three of our passions: women in engineering, feeding the hungry, and helping immigrants to sustainability. We feel that each of us is called to give as we are able out of the many blessings we have received. It gives us a great deal of personal satisfaction to help immigrants, see the number of families we feed, and witness the accomplishments of the women engineers we have supported over the years."
Bruce and Linda Koe
Mechanical Science and Engineering '66
"The university has the best students, and it’s the best engineering school in the country, why not have the best facilities? So it was an easy decision to support the addition to the Mechanical Engineering Building."
Tom White
Materials Science and Engineering '81
"I know for a fact that everything I've done has had its foundation back here at Illinois. So I feel a moral obligation, a personal obligation, a professional obligation to want to go back and appreciate everything I've had a chance to do, and to help do anything I can to make sure that groundwork stays firm for the next generation of engineers that come out of Illinois. I want to give back because I know everything started here."
Lee Archambault
Aerospace Engineering '82 '84
"I came to Illinois because I wanted to attend the best engineering school in the country. My years at Illinois were some of the best years of my life... creating long-lasting memories and friendships all while gaining an amazing education. I highly believe I would not be thriving in my dream job as a Mechanical Engineer at Walt Disney World, if it were not for my education and experiences at Illinois."
Natalie Scott
Mechanical Engineering '13
"The engineering education really prepares you for anything. Even though I’m not in engineering at this point in my career, I thought it was important to support the program."
Joe DiCola
Mechanical Engineering '84
"I toured the Illinois campus in 2011, the day after the biggest snowstorm that had hit in over 30 years. It didn't deter me from wanting to come here because campus is beautiful and I met so many wonderful people. The evening after my visit, I went back to the hotel and accepted my offer to attend Engineering at Illinois."
Jamie Padilla
Electrical Engineering '16
"The Engineering Visionary Scholarship allowed me to explore opportunities I may not have otherwise had. Because of the financial burden it lifted, I was able to spend more time focusing on things like undergraduate research, studying abroad, and extracurricular activities."
Jamie Kelleher
Materials Science and Engineering '13
"Receiving the Kirkwood Scholarship allowed me to finish school in a reasonable timeline, almost debt free. I knew about The Grainger Matching Challenge and knew I wanted to take advantage of it. What tipped me over the edge was that my employer, Motorola, participated in Giving Tuesday and offered an additional 50% matching opportunity. Combining everything tripled what my contribution would have been alone, and that felt so meaningful."
Katherine Coles
Electrical Engineering '09
"It was a tremendous experience and really exposed me to the best education, the greatest amount of competition, collaboration with intelligent people, and really is the foundation from which I’ve been able to build a career. I’ll be eternally grateful for that forever. It’s hard when you’re in school and when you recently graduate, to appreciate what you have from the university. As you age and get older, you begin to appreciate it more and more."
David Wright
Mechanical Engineering '82
Ways to Give
Your support ensures that we remain a leader in engineering education, discovery, innovation, and sustained excellence.
Your investment will change lives. Please join us in supporting the next generation of Illini engineers.