Share these talks and lectures with your colleagues
Invite colleaguesCase study
Multisector fundraising: A partnership ecosystem
Journal of Education Advancement & Marketing,
2
(4),
336-345
(2018)
Abstract
To create successful research initiatives in today’s environment, universities must develop an ecosystem of partners that can contribute to, and benefit from, the execution of the proposed projects. Faculty are adept at the conception and conduct of research, for example, but corporate partners can play a crucial role in shaping research and educational programmes for practical application and commercialisation. Partnerships with local, state and federal government can aid in policy and regulation decisions. The Business Engagement Center (BEC) at the University of Michigan (U-M) has created a successful model for developing such multisector partnerships. This paper shares some examples that may be adapted to the needs of other institutions and communities.
Keywords: corporate engagement; multidisciplinary research; industry-academia partnerships; economic support
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Stella Wixom is Executive Director, University of Michigan Business Engagement Center (BEC). Stella oversees the campuswide strategy for corporate interactions at the University of Michigan. She works as a direct liaison between the business community and the university, identifying corporate partnership opportunities and matching university assets to industry needs. The uniqueness of the BEC is that Stella reports to both the VP of Research and the VP of Development giving her team the true ability to talk with a company on any topic from recruiting, to research, to philanthropy. This represents an holistic approach that is the blueprint for success. Before joining the BEC, Stella was the national sales director for CFI Group, a customer and employee satisfaction research and consulting firm. Prior to CFI, Stella worked for Nortel Networks for 20 years. During her tenure in a variety of senior management roles in marketing, sales and customer service, she acted as a strategic university team leader and served as corporate liaison to the University of Michigan. Stella is an alumna of the University of Michigan, where she received a bachelor’s in general studies with a focus on business and communications. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber and is the co-chair of SPARK’s Business Development Committee.
