Our NACRO 2024-2025 Co-Past Presidents Priya Baboo (Sr. Director of Corporate & Industry Engagement, College of Engineering, Penn State University) and Tim Hausman (Executive Director, Principal Gifts and Corporate Giving, University of Texas at El Paso) reflect, in a recent video, on their completed leadership tenure (2024-2025). 

Priya and Tim highlight how NACRO is strengthening member value by expanding professional development, improving processes and investing in community, communications and career support to meet the evolving demands of corporate relations. Together, these efforts position NACRO to equip members with critical skills to advance their careers as the importance of corporate relations continues to grow. 

“The NACRO community is full of wonderful people who give you advice you can actually take back and implement — not just best practices, but also what not to do, which you don’t typically get from other organizations,” says Priya.

For our next "Quick Text With," we're delighted to feature Ann Brentlinger, Director of Industry, Government & Community Engagement with South Dakota Mines! 

NACRO: Hi Ann, Happy New Year! What's a new CR project or recent big win at South Dakota Mines?” 

Ann: “Thank you! I coordinated our first Industry Visit Days event, leading 30 faculty and students to engage directly with six Sioux Falls–area companies (5 hours from campus). These immersive visits built meaningful industry relationships and generated new opportunities for internships, career pathways, research partnerships, and student projects.” 

NACRO: “Ann - this is terrific to hear! Kudos to you and your team – keep us in the loop on your work in the year ahead!” 

Ready to kick off 2026 with the skills, connections and confidence to drive your career in academic corporate relations? Register and participate in NACRO’s Virtual Corporate Engagement Bootcamp on February 17–18 (11:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. ET) — a high-impact, foundational program designed for professionals working in or alongside academic corporate relations.

This virtual bootcamp is ideal for new CR professionals (under three years of experience), those new to Higher Education, new NACRO members and anyone exploring a career in corporate relations.

Check out our NACRO white paper — CORPORATE RELATIONS REIMAGINED: How Academic Institutions Can Build Sustainable Industry Partnerships — centering on a simple, powerful idea: corporate relations must be holistic and integrated.

NACRO’s report outlines "seven essential elements" for successful corporate engagement — elements that go well beyond traditional corporate relations models. Read more.

In the NACRO Blog, we’re delighted to feature David Myers, Executive Director, Office of Corporate Relations with Kent State University, and his new blog piece on “No Map, No Problem: Navigating the Launch of a Corporate Engagement Office.” 

In his post, David reflects on the challenges and lessons learned in building Kent State University’s new Office of Corporate Engagement from scratch. “There was no perfect blueprint, only a shared belief that we could better connect the university’s expertise and energy with the needs of the business community,” David writes. Read more.

Only about 15 % of corporate–startup partnerships endure long-term, often faltering not for lack of promise but due to fixable issues like misaligned expectations, poor communication and bureaucracy, according to a University of Cincinnati guide on building lasting collaborations. Successful alliances hinge on frequent, candid feedback, streamlined decision-making and a shared definition of success. Read more. 

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has added 15 new organizations to its Corporate Partnerships Program, expanding a network that supports employee access to higher education through tuition discounts and other benefits. The initiative enables partner employees to start or complete undergraduate, graduate or certificate programs while working. New partners include the Arkansas Department of Transportation, several school districts, healthcare providers and local businesses, reflecting UA Little Rock’s effort to strengthen community ties and workforce development. Read more. 

Chris Wirth, Case Western Reserve University Associate Professor of Engineering, is leveraging corporate-sponsored research to forge “win-win” collaborations with industry partners, applying his expertise in complex fluids engineering to real-world product challenges while enhancing academic impact and student training. His partnerships with companies like PPG Industries and Sherwin-Williams have tackled issues from automotive coatings to novel imaging technologies and his sabbatical at Dow Chemical strengthened ties with industry. Wirth emphasizes meeting industry partners on their terms by identifying technical problems that align with his lab’s capabilities. Read more. 

Corporate Engagement Bootcamp

February 17-18,11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. ET

Take your university's corporate relations to the next level with our virtual corporate engagement bootcamp - a foundational course that gives you tools to succeed. This program includes peer learning and networking and is a great fit for a range of professionals.

February Regional Meetups

Topic: CRM & Data Management

February 25

Midwest: 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. CT

Western: 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. PT

Southeast: 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. ET

February 26

South Central: 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. CT

Northeast: 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. ET

Interested in posting your open position(s)? The cost is $50 for members and $75 for non-members for a one-time posting in our monthly e-newsletter. Should you wish to re-run your ad, simply resubmit the posting, along with payment.

Job posting forms are due to Aubryn Shivers no later than the 1st of the month to be included in that month's NACRO News. 

Yvonne Devineni, Dartmouth College

Megan Howie, Johns Hopkins University

Audrey Lero, Texas A&M Foundation

Robert Liddell, Florida State University

Anthony Radspieler, Santa Clara University

Travis Rutt, Glendale Community College

NACRO has launched one of our most frequently requested member resources – a member-only discussion forum, hosted as a private, unlisted LinkedIn group.

NACRO members can find information on how to join the group at the Discussion Forum page in NACRO's Member-Only Content section.