UIC Alumni Association Year in Review ’25

• #1 in Illinois and Top 10 nationally in Social Mobility – U.S. News & World Report
• #1 in Illinois and Top 20 nationally for Social Mobility – The Wall Street Journal
• #1 Illinois and #6 (tied) nationally for Bachelor of Nursing Programs – U.S. News & World Report
• #1 for best bang for the buck in the Midwest – Washington Monthly
• Top 50 among U.S. public universities – U.S. News & World Report
• Named one of 25 “best-in-class” colleges – Washington Monthly

View more UIC Pride Points.

UIC prepares leaders across law, healthcare, education, business, and engineering. Key UIC contributions include:

• 1 in 3 pharmacists and dentists in Illinois
• 1 in 9 Chicago Public School principal
• Over 8,000 nurses statewide
• Nearly 2,900 STEM graduates annually

UIC strengthens U.S. competitiveness in high-growth sectors like AI, robotics, and biomedical innovation.

In 2025, the UIC Alumni Awards Celebration brought our community together to honor the remarkable achievements of alumni who exemplify the bold, innovative spirit of UIC. This year’s honorees represented excellence across industries and disciplines, demonstrating the impact of a UIC education on Chicago, the state of Illinois, and communities around the world. Their stories continue to inspire our students, energize our alumni community, and affirm UIC’s mission to produce leaders who advance the public good.

Our exceptional Alumni Admissions Volunteers contacted 2,097 admitted students between March and April 2025. The volunteers contacted 346 of the students committed to attending UIC in Fall 2025. The UIC Alumni Admissions Volunteer Program is a collaboration between the UICAA and admissions that facilitates a platform for alumni to share their experiences and success stories with prospective students. The goal is to inspire potential students to enroll at UIC. We invite alumni to participate in this fun and impactful program – it will open again this winter – please go here to find out more.

In June 2025, the UICAA hosted its second recent alumni social, Sparky’s Summer Kickoff, at UIC’s Millennium Lanes, bringing together new graduates and recent alumni for an evening of connection and camaraderie. Attendees enjoyed reminiscing about their time at UIC, forging new relationships, and strengthening their ties to the university. Besides bowling, the event featured networking opportunities and an exciting raffle.

The UICAA joined in the Homecoming festivities in November 2025 by hosting a table at the Homecoming Tailgate prior to the men’s basketball game. To help cheer on our Flames, alumni registrants received access to the tailgate, game tickets and commemorative UIC Alumni-branded items as part of the experience. It was an exciting evening and having alumni cheering on our UIC Flames helped them secure a huge victory over St. Francis University with a final score of 98 to 55.

In 2025, the UICAA partnered with the UIC Student Centers to host two graduation fairs for spring and winter graduates. The events offered a one-stop shop to gather information about graduation and an opportunity for graduating students to learn about the alumni association. The UICAA also welcomed UIC’s over 6,000 graduates to the alumni association through various print and digital marketing efforts, including a special UIC pin provided to each graduate at the commencement ceremonies.

Affinity networks bring alumni together in ways that are most meaningful to them through their strong connections while at UIC.

Umoja: Black Legacy Alumni Coalition works to provide networking and community to UIC alumni, support student recruitment and retention, honor history and build traditions. Umoja supported UIC’s Black History Month programming by hosting a Men’s Basketball game reception in February 2025. The group also hosted an Ice Cream Social in July 2025, participated in the Black 2 School Barbecue hosted by the African American Academic Network in August 2025, and assisted the UICAA in welcoming back Grammy Award-winning alumnus Matt B in September 2025.

Unidad: Society of Latine/a/o/x Alumni aims to build an alumni community, support student success, invest in a student-to-alumni-to-leadership pipeline, and establish and celebrate history and traditions. Unidad leaders attended the LARES graduation celebration in April 2025 and hosted its second annual reception in September 2025.

Lavender Circle engages LGBTQ+ alumni and allies of UIC, aims to build alumni community, support student retention and success and create a safe and inclusive UIC community. They hosted their inaugural reception in October 2025 in conjunction with the Gender & Sexuality Center’s 30th Anniversary celebration.

We are working to expand our affinity networks – please contact Janette Guzman, Assistant Director, Alumni Affinity Programs if you are interested in learning more.

On December 13, 2025, the UIC Alumni Association welcomed 31 graduates from the class of 1975 to campus to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their graduation. Golden Graduates donned golden regalia during UIC’s December Commencement Ceremony, during which fellow Golden Graduate William M. Daley JD ’75 offered a keynote address. Following the ceremony, Golden Graduates and guests enjoyed food and fellowship at brunch, during which Ed Cohen BS ’75, immediate past president of the UIC Alumni Board, was presented with the Lou Liay Spirit Award for extraordinary alumni service.

UIC Connected, our online mentoring and networking platform exclusive to the UIC community, continues to provide alumni and students an avenue to connect and explore career development opportunities. In 2025, UIC Connected saw a 52 percent increase in student users and a 23 percent increase in alumni users.

We are excited to continue growing in both numbers and impact for the upcoming calendar year. Update your profile or join today.

More than 270 alumni volunteered their time to serve as judges at the 2025 Undergraduate Research Forum. This annual program recognizes the work of our undergraduate students and offers an opportunity for them to present their research to the public. Alumni judges evaluate the quality of a student’s presentation and help identify the top presentations that will receive awards. The event exposes alumni to the academic rigor of UIC’s current students, and feedback from alumni judges helps students to further develop their research and presentation skills. Save the date for Tuesday, April 21, 2026, to join us at the next Undergraduate Research Forum.

Across UIC’s colleges, alumni engagement flourished through signature events, milestone celebrations, and new initiatives designed to strengthen alumni connections to UIC. CUPPA’s first-ever Firm Crawl brought nearly 150 students into direct conversation with alumni working across Chicago’s planning and public service sectors, while its annual awards reception recognized graduates whose careers exemplify the college’s mission. The College of Business Administration strengthened its growing finance network with the Second Annual Finance Reception, uniting alumni, students, faculty, and industry partners.

In Engineering, alumni helped celebrate the opening of the state-of-the-art Computer Design Research and Learning Center and welcomed the college’s new dean, Professor Omolola “Lola” Eniola-Adefeso, at a spring mixer. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences marked the Chemistry Department’s 60th reunion, honoring distinguished alumni and faculty whose work continues to shape the field.

Health sciences alumni reconnected through events like the College of Dentistry’s gathering during the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting and the UIC Retzky College of Pharmacy’s Class of 1975 golden graduates’ celebration in May. Colleges across campus also created meaningful opportunities for alumni to support student learning and career development through UIC Connected and the College of Applied Health Sciences’ plans for an alumni–student mentoring program.

The University of Illinois College of Medicine expanded engagement efforts on behalf of more than 33,000 alumni. This year, the College launched Alumni Rounds, a new digital newsletter highlighting activities, events and achievements from its campuses in Chicago, Peoria and Rockford. The College also hosted alumni gatherings in conjunction with national conferences, including the NMA Alumni and Faculty Reception as well as Alumni Reunion 2025; revitalized its awards programs to recognize distinguished alumni; and connected alumni and students through a series of panels and conversations.

Together, these college-based efforts demonstrate UIC’s deep commitment to fostering an engaged and supportive alumni community.

Dear UIC Alumni and Friends,

As I reflect on the past year, I am filled with gratitude for the remarkable spirit of our UIC alumni community. Together, we have celebrated milestones, supported students through mentoring and networking, and strengthened our shared connection to our alma mater through meaningful engagement in UIC Alumni Association programs and events.

To highlight these accomplishments, I am pleased to share the UIC Alumni Association Year in Review ’25 – our annual report.

This academic year, we focused our efforts on greater alignment—ensuring that our board governance initiatives closely supported the university’s priorities for student success. As chair of the board of directors, I am proud to recognize the extraordinary leadership of our 39 dedicated alumni board members. Their service has been exemplary. They have championed critical initiatives, elevated the visibility of our alumni network, and ensured that the Alumni Association remains a strategic partner to the university.

Each board member plays a vital role—not only as an ambassador of UIC but as a driving force behind our momentum. Their diverse expertise informs our governance, their engagement strengthens our programs, and their passion fuels the progress needed to advance our mission. This year, the board’s strategic stewardship led to stronger committee structures, clearer priorities, and expanded opportunities for alumni involvement. Their commitment continues to shape the future of the association in meaningful and lasting ways.

The UIC Alumni Association also broadened its reach through signature events, including the long-standing UIC Alumni Awards Celebration and our Flames Connect programming. We launched a new mentorship initiative and saw record engagement on UIC Connected, which now links thousands of alumni across the globe.

This year also marked a high point in alumni participation in our scholarship efforts—support that has opened doors for students to pursue their dreams. Our networking events continued to bridge generations of UIC graduates, fostering collaboration, career development, and lifelong friendships.

None of this progress would have been possible without you. Whether you volunteered your time, contributed financially, or shared your UIC story to inspire others, your engagement ensures that our collective legacy continues to uplift and empower generations.

As we look ahead, we remain committed to deepening our impact, strengthening inclusivity, and creating even more meaningful opportunities for connection. I invite you to stay involved, share your ideas, and help us shape the next chapter of UIC’s alumni story.

With heartfelt appreciation,
Kerl LaJeune
President, UIC Alumni Board
BArch ’92, Architectural Design
BArch ’92, Architectural Structures