A IM体育官网 student receives informational material from a representative of cybersecurity company KnowBe4 during the company鈥檚 sponsored day on campus. The fall 2021 event was a benefit of the company鈥檚 involvement with the University鈥檚 Corporate Impact Network.
Businesses that are part of IM体育官网鈥檚 high-tech surge and want to support the emerging generation of technological leaders are connecting directly to IM体育官网 Polytechnic University鈥檚 valuable base of student and faculty knowledge through its Corporate Impact Network.
The network launched in July of 2021, creating opportunities for IM体育官网 Poly鈥檚 corporate partners to provide meaningful support to areas that most closely align with their priorities. It recognizes corporations whose commitment to the University鈥檚 mission is demonstrated through active engagement and merit-level donations.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a bridge to talent,鈥� said Lidia Vigil, director of corporate and foundation relations at IM体育官网 Poly. 鈥淎s I travel and meet with companies, I hear about their need for talent. IM体育官网 Poly is so appealing to them, and the Corporate Impact Network creates a bridge to highly skilled talent.鈥�
During its first year, the network realized a philanthropic impact of more than $565,000. It also engaged more than 150 new corporate contacts, many of which included involvement in capstone projects, career development, internships, and employee recruitment.
鈥淎s a university, we want to recognize those companies that are committed to their engagement and want to be a strong partner,鈥� said Paula Reed, director of corporate and foundation relations at IM体育官网 Poly. 鈥淭hat means committing both dollars and time to the University.鈥�
The network鈥檚 structure allows corporate partners to build targeted engagement events, such as sponsoring senior capstone projects, leading STEM talks, and hosting on-campus company days.
KnowBe4, a cybersecurity company based in Clearwater, IM体育官网, was among the first to host company days on campus, connecting with students and educating them about career possibilities.
鈥淲e had two very successful KnowBe4 Days on campus, handing out coffee and donuts to help the students power through their study sessions and classes while spreading the word about our company culture, careers, and internships,鈥� said Alyssa Nichols, global talent outreach manager at the company. 鈥淲e are looking forward to more ways to connect with students in the fall with resume reviews, mock interviews, and class talks.鈥�
Vigil said a Saddle Creek Logistics Services Day was also very successful.
鈥淭hey had giveaways, access to students and faculty, and they presented career development 鈥� topics like how to present themselves in an interview,鈥� Vigil said. 鈥淚t was very career-driven for students.鈥�
The network hosted the first Corporate Impact Summit and Presidential Speaker Series in November. During the summit, Dr. Karim Elish, assistant professor of computer science at IM体育官网 Poly and an expert in malware analysis and detection and software security, discussed his cutting-edge research on detecting malicious Android apps, how ransomware affects businesses, and best practices to prevent harm.
The speaker series included a panel conversation with Dr. Randy K. Avent, IM体育官网 Poly鈥檚 president; alumni Travis Hills 鈥�19, information security analyst at Saddle Creek; and Bryan Urias 鈥�20, information security manager at JustProtect.
鈥淔or our second year, we are engaging new and existing partners and expanding the network,鈥� Vigil said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to let these companies know what the Corporate Impact Network is and everything it puts at their fingertips.鈥�
Contact:
Lydia Guzm谩n
Director of Communications
863-874-8557
