Outreach effort focuses on international alumni

1/18/2017 Kristina Shidlauski

Written by Kristina Shidlauski

In an effort to develop closer connections to international alumni, new CEE at Illinois staff member Poyi Hsueh is reaching out to CEE alumni abroad. Focusing on China, Hsueh — who speaks fluent English and Mandarin — is using popular Chinese social media platforms such as Renren and WeChat, as well as LinkedIn, to reconnect with international alumni who have lost touch with the department.

Poyi Hsueh
Poyi Hsueh
“Our international alumni are an important part of the CEE at Illinois family,” Hsueh said. “It’s easy to lose touch with people who have moved overseas, and we want to reconnect with as many of them as possible.”

CEE at Illinois has many alumni who remain actively engaged with the department by attending alumni social events, presenting seminars to current students, recruiting, and making gifts for scholarships, programs and infrastructure improvements. Additionally, the professional success and achievements of alumni contribute to the reputation for excellence that CEE at Illinois holds.

“The relationship between the department and students doesn’t end at graduation,” Hsueh said. “We want to hear about their professional careers, and share their accomplishments with other alumni. We also want them to know what’s going on in our department: research, awards, events and so forth. A lot of this information is transmitted through newsletters and the alumni magazine, which is why it’s so important to stay connected and keep addresses up-to-date.”

Hsueh will spend approximately two months on the outreach effort. She can be reached at phsueh@illinois.edu.


Tomorrow’s international alumni are today’s international students. Read more about the impact these students are having on the department in the latest issue of CEE Magazine.

Is your contact information out of date? You can update it here: https://illinois.edu/fb/sec/3208153


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This story was published January 18, 2017.