Ways to Give

Contact Todd Holister if you are interested in supporting a specific departmental priority.

Alumni Support

There are lots of ways for alumni to support ISE, stay involved, give us a hand, or host an event. Read more about ways to support ISE as an alumni.

Annual Support

The ISE Unrestricted Fund adds value to the student experience and allows the department to use funds where the need is most critical. As state funds continue to decrease, annual support is vital to providing operational support for the department.

These resources help to cover the day to day costs of educating our students and allow our award-winning faculty to continue to conduct their world-changing research. Your gift, at any level, impacts our ranking as a department and is often the margin of difference for meeting operational needs. Your annual support helps:

  • Research Experience for Undergraduates Program
  • Infrastructure and renovations
  • Student travel
  • Student conference registration
  • Student interactive opportunities
  • Departmental operations
  • Engineer in Residence Program

Student Support

Educating the brightest and the best engineering students requires an enormous investment, one that returns valuable dividends to ISE. In order to maintain our preeminence among leading institutions, we must offer competitive financial awards to incoming freshman, underclassman, and graduate students. For more information, contact Julie Murphy (jdg5@illinois.edu, 217-333-5169).

Engineering Visionary Scholarships

The ISE Engineering Visionary Scholarship Fund has been established to give ISE alumni and friends the opportunity to support this initiative and provide support directly to ISE students. The Engineering Visionary Scholarship initiative has a goal to raise $100 million in endowment funds to enhance recruitment efforts and offer competitive awards to the nation’s best and brightest incoming freshman engineering students.

Fellowships

Fellowships are a key element in the recruitment of the most distinguished graduate students. As we compete with other leading institutions, fellowships help to provide a pipeline of academic excellence for the next generation of faculty members and practitioners, as well offer prestige, honor, and recognition.

Named Scholarships

Scholarships are an important tool in bringing the best students to ISE. They provide an opportunity to students who may not have otherwise been able to afford the exceptional education that we offer.

Infrastructure and Modernization

To provide the best environment and tools for learning and research, ISE seeks to enhance it physical plant and offer the very best instructional and research facilities on campus. Top-notch facilities not only aid in the recruitment of the best students and faculty, they also provide the best possible resources for discovery and learning. As we strive to restore our landmark Transportation Building, we look to enhance the department’s infrastructure in order to provide the best possible experience for our students and faculty.

Naming Opportunities

Laboratories, classrooms, lecture halls, reception areas and the ISE Department each are worthy of a naming opportunity. Modernizing our facilities and providing lasting recognition for these capital investments are a top priority. Each distinct area addresses departmental needs for delivering quality instruction for our students. 

Named Department

A named department endowment fund provides impact in multiple areas. The support will lead to building improvements, faculty enhancements, and student support. 

Laboratories

Hands-on laboratories allow ISE to revolutionize education. In order to provide students with application opportunities, ISE needs to build laboratories that simulate real world industrial environments, and challenge students to push themselves beyond what they knew they could do. 

Student Collaborative Spaces

Quiet and friendly learning spaces equipped with advanced teaching tools and media enhances the educational experience of ISE students. Naming classrooms, lecture halls, and reception areas is a lovely way to show your support. 

Faculty Support

World-class faculty are critical to the success and future of ISE. In order to attract and retain top faculty members, ISE must compete with peer institutions who not only offer competitive salaries, but start-up funding. As ISE positions itself to be at the forefront of engineering innovations and global leadership, supporting our faculty members at a high level is paramount to our continued success.

Faculty Startups

The potential of young faculty is boosted through funds that enable them to begin their work with students and research. Startup packages support such things as lab and IT equipment, furniture, and graduate assistants. 

Faculty Chairs 

A named chair allows the honored faculty to conduct innovative research and deliver novel teaching opportunities. There is no higher honor for our distinguished professors—it provides an incomparable tool with which to recruit and retain scholars of brilliance.

Named Professorships 

Endowed professorships in a benefactor’s name allow ISE to continue to attract and retain the best academic talent available by helping accomplished scholars in their pursuit of knowledge and in their education of engineers of the future.

Faculty Scholars 

The promise of young faculty members is nurtured at the outset of their careers with faculty scholar awards. With these awards they are given the freedom to refine their expertise in the classroom and push the limits of their research. For more information, contact Todd Hollister (toddh@illinois.edu, 217-333-5169).

Contact Todd Holister if you are interested in supporting a specific departmental priority.