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Why does the College of Engineering and the TEC need my support?

State funding for higher education accounts for less than 19% of the University’s total budget—a significant decline from the nearly 50% in the early 1980s. Without the support of alumni, the college and its departments cannot continue to provide education, research, and public service at the standard of excellence that is associated with Engineering at Illinois.

The Technology Entrepreneur Center was created in 2000 to provide the education, experiences, and resources that engineering students need to become successful entrepreneurs through leadership and the creation of new ventures. TEC's 11 courses and co-curricular activities expose students to the complex concepts inherent in the simultaneous processes of technology innovation and market adoption. The TEC also offers on-site and online certificate programs for education and professional development, as well as hosts outreach activities for students and alumni, such as the Illini-TEC forums, in several major cities. The TEC also hosts the annual Cozad business plan competition, as well as the Lemelson-Illinois Student Prize for Innovation. Although part of the College of Engineering, the Center is interdisciplinary, having affiliated faculty members from several departments and colleges. TEC faculty members have produced an impressive body of collaborative research and publications in both theoretical and applied disciplines.

As it expands to provide more experiential learning opportunities for engineering students, and to help the College of Engineering to be as successful and well-known for the successes of its entrepreneurs as it is for its engineers, the TEC needs the help and support of alumni and friends.

Please refer to the information below to learn more about the online giving opportunities available to Technology Entrepreneur Center alumni and friends.You may give online using a secure University of Illinois server.

There are several opportunities for sponsorship of TEC programs and activities, including:

• V. Dale Cozad Business Plan Competition
  Awards are donated by supporters of this business plan competition.
• Illini-TEC Forum
  Sponsors of the Illini-TEC Forum are often guest speakers at forum events.
• Distinguished Entrepreneur Lecture Series
  Illustrious entrepreneurs will visit the University of Illinois campus to deliver a lecture on an annual basis.
• Innovation Hall of Fame
  Through the TEC, the College of Engineering will honor one of its remarkable innovators in an annual induction.
• Student Entrepreneur Learning Lab
  Students can utilize the tools that they need to pursue prototype development in an entrepreneurial environment.

For more information about these and other sponsorship opportunities with the Technology Entrepreneur Center, please contact:

Rhiannon Clifton
Assistant Director
Technology Entrepreneur Center
rclifton@uiuc.edu
(217) 244-4035