The Illinois Swine Industry Leadership Center was developed out of a need for the swine industry to have access to the next generation of leaders in agriculture. The Center focuses on developing undergraduate students into knowledgeable, professional, and connected leaders of tomorrow for the swine industry.

The primary objectives of the Illinois Swine Industry Leadership Center are to:

• Develop the next generation of leaders for the Illinois and US industry through a targeted educational program combined with increased opportunities for a broad range of practical experiences.
• Allow students to increase their knowledge and experience of the modern industry.
• Develop a network of contacts within the commercial swine sector that will facilitate their transition into careers in the industry.
  These objectives will help to provide the experiences and qualifications employers are searching for in today’s job market.

“[My internships] not only helped me with the day to day experiences of getting in/out and about production facilities and providing me with a technical base, but also gave me a unique ability to interact with employee groups…It also allowed me to see multiple ways of doing things, and probably most importantly today, gave me contacts that I can call on to bounce ideas off of or learn from…”

– Carrie Pollard, Technical Services Manager for Bethany Swine Health Services (U of I Alumni, 2003, 2005)