Walmart teams with colleges to improve student skills

Walmart is the newest corporate affiliate of The Hoeft Technology & Management program, the undergraduate minor degree that bridges the College of Business and College of Engineering.

“Within the College of Engineering, we consider leadership, impact, and collaboration as key measures of excellence,” stated Ilesanmi Adesida, dean of the College of Engineering. “The Hoeft T&M program helps our students develop the skills that will allow them to lead and work with others. As a one of the nation’s top retailers, Walmart’s business model provides another dimension to our students’ experiences.”

Larry DeBrock, dean of the College of Business focuses on the many benefits realized through corporate sponsorship.

“The College of Business depends on supporters such as Walmart to energize our connection with the community. Its support enables our programs to better engage students as they develop their skills during this critical stage in their professional learning.”

Walmart has appointed Michael Fung, senior vice president finance and strategy and Art Alderson, vice president financial systems to serve as co-members of the Hoeft Technology & Management Corporate Affiliate Board to whom the program looks for strategic advice and direction regarding the relevance of all program activities. Walmart joins representatives from Abbott, BP, Boeing, Bosch, John Deere, Motorola and State Farm who all currently serve on the board. 

“It is a great opportunity to have Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, representing the retail industry," remarked Darcy Sementi, director of the Hoeft T&M program. "Walmart is an inspiration to students from both business and engineering who value supply chain management, accounting, marketing, and especially IT infrastructure.”

Based in Bentonville, Ark., Walmart employs more than 2.1 million people and operates more than 8,300 retail locations in 15 countries. It is a recognized leader in the areas of information technology, supply chain management and retail operations.
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Contact: Darcy Sementi, director, The Hoeft Technology & Management Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; 217-333-7412; dsementi@illinois.edu

If you have any questions about the College of Engineering, or other story ideas, contact Rick Kubetz, Engineering Communications Office, 217/244-7716, editor.