Marquette finds innovation in corporate collaborations

Marquette University creates mutually beneficial and sustainable partnerships by taking a holistic approach to corporate engagement. From corporations like Kohler Co. and Omron Automation, to a Shark Tank-style pitch competition, Marquette links organizations to the full breadth and depth of resources across the university, connecting faculty, staff, students, facilities and programs. 

Through the economic engagement team in the Office of University Relations, following are some ways Marquette has added to its transformative educational experience through corporate partnerships, while helping these partners with their own innovation. 

Corporate connections

• Marquette and GE HealthCare signed a strategic engagement agreement in 2024 to strengthen their existing relationship and enhance collaboration, talent development, and joint opportunities. This agreement is the second of its kind for Marquette, further aligning the university with industry-leading corporations and expanding campuswide opportunities for students, faculty and staff.   
• Milwaukee Tool and Marquette partnered after recognizing the need for formal training to increase efficiency and innovation. That vision helped launch a partnership with the Opus College of Engineering to develop an 18-month systems engineering graduate certificate program tailored to Milwaukee Tool employees.   
• The Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute hosted its second annual artificial intelligence symposium in April 2024. The symposium brought together community leaders, experts in data science and AI, faculty and students from Marquette University and UWM, and Northwestern Mutual employees for a series of presentations and discussions focused on topics centered on the ever-evolving AI landscape.    
• Northwestern Mutual, Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee deepened their commitment to the NMDSI by extending their partnership through 2028. 

Student engagement

• The NMDSI mentorship program continues to offer students a unique opportunity to build valuable relationships, expand professional networks and learn from the perspective of industry experts. These mentorships can range from frequent connections for career advice and technical project support to one-time career conversations for networking, resume review or interview preparation sessions. Read more about the mentorship program here.  
• Marquette Nursing students will now have a head start on learning how to complete essential documentation, such as electronic health records, thanks to a collaboration with Epic, a leading global EHR company based near Madison. Starting in spring 2024, Marquette Nursing students have been using Epic’s Lyceum platform, an educational version of the EHR software used in many hospitals. The College of Nursing is the first nursing school in the country to have Lyceum available for its students.  
• Kohler and Marquette continued their work offering entrepreneurial-minded students a chance to develop their own innovative ideas and compete in the M-Prize (Marquette Prize) Challenge. The M-Prize Challenge helps Marquette students learn about innovation through lectures with a front-row seat through the long-term partnership with Kohler Co. 
• The 707 Hub Brewed Ideas Challenge is a Shark Tank-style pitch competition hosted annually by Marquette’s Kohler Center for Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation Initiative in partnership with Brady Corporation. The event in 2024 awarded thousands of dollars in seed money to first and second-place winners. 
• Marquette University’s College of Nursing, Office of University Relations and Froedtert Hospital continue their clinical training partnership, “Froedtert Scholars,” which develops graduate nurses who are “practice-ready” and reduces orientation time as they enter the workforce.