Gies investment accelerates progress towards being the best and most innovative undergraduate business college in the country
On
October 27, 2017, the College of Business at the University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign became known as the Gies College of Business after
an unprecedented investment from a distinguished alumnus. The gift will
accelerate progress towards being recognized as the best and most
innovative business school in the nation.
This monumental gift
comes from Chicago businessman and College of Business alumnus Larry
Gies (Geese) and his wife Beth. Their intent is to create an immediate
and lasting impact for current and future students of the college
through their $150 million investment.
“We are incredibly
grateful and proud to have two successful U of I graduates reinvest in
the very place where their entrepreneurial journey began. This ranks
among the largest gifts to any business school in U.S. history,” said
Dean Jeffrey R. Brown, College of Business, University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign.
“This gift is the result of strong
confidence in the excellence of our students, the innovative spirit of
our faculty and staff, and the vision and determination to make the Gies
College of Business the best undergraduate business college in the
country,” Brown added.
The investment will grow and strengthen
the College of Business’ key initiatives: deliver undergraduate
excellence, create exceptional graduate programs, expand the boundaries
of theoretical and applied business knowledge, and use technology to
democratize education.
“The College of Business at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a very special place to
me. It is on this campus that I developed a foundation for success. We
are honored to give back to the college that gave so much to us and I
hope our choice to make a decisive investment encourages others to do
the same,” said Larry Gies. “This investment is, and always will be
about the students here and what we can become together – the greatest
business school on earth, where purposeful leaders get the tools to
pursue their passion to make the world a better place. I’m truly excited
for our students and the future of our College.”
Read more about this amazing gift
