ILIR Alumni. Building Connections ... Creating Opportunity.
ILIR alumni are an active and important part of the Institute. In the more than 50 years of its history, ILIR as an institution and faculty, staff, and students have maintained a wonderful, ongoing relationship with alumni. Even before "networking" became a household word, ILIR alumni were touching base with faculty, staff, and other alumni to announce career developments, to discuss theoretical and practical applications, and to share developments in the workplace.
With more than 1,500 alumni across the country, and this solid alumni base serves to enhance student opportunities at ILIR. Students are able to meet alumni from across the country to cultivate contacts and learn more about the current climate in the field of HR. ILIR alumni are currently working in all aspects of human resources in companies and organizations from Boston to San Diego, and even abroad. In the end, our alumni recognize ILIR's strong student talent and they like to return to campus to recruit new employees from that pool. No matter where they live and work now, they remember with fondness what it's like to be an ILIR student.
The first ILIR Alumni Board of Directors was elected in 1979 under the auspices of the Institute and the University of Illinois Alumni Association. Official alumni activities, advisory boards, U.S. and international alumni conferences and events, publications, and resource development started and continue to this day. Former Director and Professor Melvin Rothbaum initiated the formation of the charter ILIR Alumni Board of Directors. Alice Vernon was the first ILIR staff liaison to the board and continued in that capacity until her retirement in 2002.
For information on alumni events, activities of the ILIR Alumni Board, or giving to the ILIR, please contact Gentz Franz at (217) 333-1488 or gfranz@uiuc.edu.