Kellogg School of Management Launches ‘Full Circle’ Fundraising Campaign, Announces New Building Geared for Global Business Leaders
MBA Blog / 16th October 2024
Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management today announced plans to create a new state-of-the-art, technology-enhanced building on its Evanston, Illinois campus. The facility will usher in a new era of collaboration among students, faculty and the global business community – and serve as the centerpiece of the Full Circle Campaign – a comprehensive $600 million fundraising campaign aimed at reinventing business education and further establishing Kellogg’s position as an elite MBA school.
“The concept of Full Circle highlights the crucial role that alumni play in creating the virtuous circle that allows Kellogg to thrive and be distinctively different,” said Kellogg Dean Francesca Cornelli. “The teaching and experience that faculty and staff deliver allow us to send out into the world Kellogg Leaders who will have an impact and open new frontiers. These leaders come back as alumni, bringing firsthand knowledge of the business landscape and new perspectives on how it is evolving. Through these insights, our faculty uncover novel research opportunities and create leading-edge programs for all students, and the Full Circle continues.”
Kellogg has a network of more than 71,000 alumni, including 12,000 international alumni across 126 countries. Kellogg alumni are among the most elite business leaders in the world, with 20 CEOs leading Fortune 500 companies, while others are heads of government, entrepreneurs and global leaders. These alumni return to engage with Kellogg through lectures, hiring graduates, mentoring students, funding research and sending learners back to Kellogg to attend executive-level courses.
The Full Circle Campaign has key priorities to set new standards of excellence:
Building Kellogg’s future: The catalyst for achieving the Full Circle vision is a new state-of-the-art facility on the Evanston campus. The building will create an enhanced learning experience that seamlessly integrates in-person and virtual education to bring together students, alumni, corporate leaders and elite faculty around the world. It will serve as the signature location for Kellogg’s Executive MBA and non-degree Executive Education programs, allowing the school to meet the exceptional and growing demand among executives for cutting-edge business education. It will be utilized by students across Kellogg’s programs, enhancing the entire Northwesternecosystem.
Replacing the current Allen Center, the new building will live on the majestic Evanston lakefront alongside Kellogg’s Global Hub. Built to support the most advanced technology, the new building will position Kellogg as a trailblazer in hybrid education models, creating an environment where virtual participants from around the world can fully engage as teachers and learners. The new facility will provide nearly double the number of seats, adding capacity in dynamic classrooms.
Construction of the new building is anticipated to begin in winter 2025, and the building is expected to be in use by fall 2027. Like the platinum LEED-certified Kellogg Global Hub, and in alignment with Kellogg’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality across its operations by the year 2030, the new building is expected to earn LEED v4 status from the US Green Building Council.
“Kellogg has always been at the leading edge of business education, creating exceptional experiences for students while driving groundbreaking research that shapes business and society,” said Northwestern President and Kellogg Professor of Finance and Real Estate Michael Schill. “The new building and Full Circle Campaign will bring that work to new heights, enriching Kellogg’s facilities on the Evanston campus and attracting students from around the world.”
“Our design for the new building celebrates the beauty of the lakefront and further establishes a Kellogg campus at the University,” said Hana KassemFAIA, Design Principal at Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF). “Our concept is based on connections to nature that promote well-being by incorporating natural materials and organic textures throughout the interior spaces, combined with cutting-edge dynamic learning and collaboration environments that further the mission and reach of Kellogg.”
Creating Kellogg Leaders: Opportunities for students to fully engage with business leaders, faculty and their peers around the world are at the heart of the Full Circle Campaign. Support will expand scholarships and will broaden access to impactful student experiences, including opportunities for cultural exchange and immersion in global markets.
From a curriculum perspective, Kellogg will continue to integrate the latest advancements and pedagogical innovations, enriching offerings in areas like healthcare, sustainability and entrepreneurship. It will leverage Kellogg’s focus on teaching and research that bridges business with science, including the school’s exploration of complexity science to unveil business solutions. It will borrow methodologies from the hard sciences to maximize the potential of big data and artificial intelligence. Enabled by the technology and environment of the new building, Kellogg will enhance and increase engagement with leading business executives and corporate partners from around the world through more robust education offerings and increased technological flexibility.
“Kellogg has long provided experiences for students and executives that are unparalleled across business schools,” said Northwestern Provost and Kellogg Professor of Finance Kathleen Hagerty. “The new building will expand that capacity and further enrich the Northwestern campus by bringing perspectives and engagement from around the world to students and executives.”
Empowering research: Kellogg nurtures an ecosystem where inventive faculty thrive, meaningfully engage with students and conduct revolutionary research that challenges existing paradigms and establishes a new status quo. Kellogg faculty are known worldwide for their expertise, innovation and creativity. By investing in faculty who are creative, with the ambition to pursue new areas of research and willing to take risks, Kellogg champions an environment where innovation thrives, further enhancing its reputation as a leader in cutting-edge business research and education.
“Investing in the Full Circle Campaign is more than a critical investment in Kellogg’s future – it’s about directly connecting students, alumni, faculty and all who live in Kellogg’s ecosystem to the specific requirements and challenges that the future will ask of us,” said W . James McNerney, Jr.chair of the Kellogg Global Advisory Board. “This campaign represents a commitment to the next generation of leaders, innovators and thinkers. “I’m honored to support this transformative vision.”
“The Full Circle Campaign brings together the benefits of faculty interacting with experienced executives and staying on the cutting edge of what’s happening in the real world, whether it’s AI, cybersecurity or other issues,” said University Trustee Bon French ’75, ’76 MBA . “Those faculty then bring those insights to their research and students. This feedback loop keeps our faculty at the forefront of what’s latest in the real world.”
Kellogg is grateful for its community of alumni and friends who have generously supported the campaign during its quiet phase through philanthropic gifts at all levels. Donors who have made visionary gifts of $10 million or more include University Trustees Bon French ’75, ’76 MBA, Mike Shannon ’83 MBA and Kimberly Querrey ’22, ’23 P. Leadership gifts from Northwestern Medicine and the Zell Family Foundation will bolster key Kellogg programming as part of the Full Circle Campaign. Through the campaign, Kellogg has already reached 50% of its fundraising goal specifically for the new building.
For more information about the new building and the Full Circle Campaign, visit www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/alumni/give/full-circle-campaign
