Hawk Talk: Alumni Career Management Seminar Series

The Illinois Institute of Technology Alumni Association's Hawk Talk seminar series brings career management skills and advice to alumni on a variety of topics. Most events are hosted as webinars, to allow alumni to participate wherever they are. These events are archived below for easy viewing.

Please note that some videos require an Alumni Association website login for viewing. If you do not have a login, please follow the instructions for new user registration after clicking on the presentation.

Contact alumni@iit.edu or 312.567.5000 for more information, to suggest Hawk Talk series presenters, or to learn about serving as an alumni career services ambassador to accelerate and advance the professional careers of the Illinois Tech alumni community.

Find upcoming Hawk Talk events on the Illinois Tech Alumni Association events calendar, and visit Career Services for more information about resources for alumni.

Friday, March 8, 2019
Women in STEM

Join alumnae Dr. Suruchi Thakore and Crystal Trauner for a two-part discussion, which will be conducted both online and in person.
First, how can women balance a career in STEM with plans for a family? Dr. Suruchi Thakore will discuss fertility options for working women. In the second half, Crystal Trauner will discuss what it's like to be a young woman working in a male-dominated STEM field and how young alumnae can navigate the first few years of their career.
Monday, December 3, 2018
Deciding on a Graduate Degree

Many people want to get out there and start earning money to pay off those college loans or begin saving. Oftentimes, within the first 3 – 5 years after graduation you begin to look at your career and where it is headed. If you want to move up in your organization that will often require that you get a graduate degree, either in your field of undergraduate study or in a management related field. In some cases, there may be an aligned technical field that would give you more career and advancement options.
The presenters at this webinar are all Illinois Tech alumni and all have graduate degrees. They will relate to you their thought process in deciding to pursue a graduate degree and provide insight on when you need to do it.
Thursday, November 9, 2017
Gus Lawson (AE '94) | Taking Control of Your Future: Sustaining the Personal Change Within You

Know a better future is possible, yet wondering how to create it? Join us as Gus Lawson (AE '94), president of strategy and change consulting services division at Juncture Consulting, walks through a simple framework to help you identify and achieve the outcomes you want to see professionally and personally. Lawson will also help you develop your personal mission statement, recognize beliefs potentially holding you back, and explore ways to create healthier and more positive beliefs.
Friday, October 27, 2017
LGBTQ Panel Discussion: A Conversation About Inclusion

The Illinois Tech Alumni Association hosts a panel discussion addressing LGBTQ issues in the workplace. Many companies have adopted inclusive corporate policies regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer employees but still encounter legal, cultural, and organizational challenges. The discussion is moderated by Brian Ippolito (AE '92), alumni board member and president of Orbis Technologies, Inc. The panelists will help us elevate the LGBTQ issues to make them part of our mainstream discussion. Panelists include:
- D. Paola Arce (ARCH '14), Permitting Department Manager, Construction – CAD Solutions, Inc.
- Kylie Brewton (CS '17), Vice Chair – Illinois Tech LGBTQ Alumni Network
- Ryan J. Gann, (ARCH '14), Designer – Ross Barney Architects
- Anthony Michael Kreis, J.D., Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor – Chicago-Kent College of Law
- Mindy Rueden, Executive Director – Maria Kaupas Center
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Manu Vora (M.S. CHE '70, Ph.D. '75) | Chairman and President, Business Excellence, Inc.
"Leadership Excellence"

In this seminar, Illinois Tech Alumni Medal winner Manu Vora (M.S. CHE '70, Ph.D. '75) will discuss leadership excellence by reviewing various leadership characteristics and models. He will sketch out a roadmap for leadership excellence and development. You will learn key concepts, best practices, practical tools to enhance your leadership excellence and finally, examine your own leadership characteristics.
Monday, May 8, 2017
Mark Wallace (EE '88) | Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales, Keysight Technologies
"Leveraging an Engineering Education to Develop a Successful Business Career"

Mark Wallace (EE '88), senior vice president of worldwide sales at Keysight Technologies, will describe how he leveraged an engineering education to develop a successful business career. He will share his experiences, successes, failures, and coaching techniques for new engineering graduates who are interested in exploring how their background can help them grow beyond the lab.
Friday, April 28, 2017
Andy Kaufman, PMP | Project Management Keynote Speaker, Author, and Coach
"Four Steps to Making Better Decisions"

In this interactive webinar, Andy Kaufman, PMP shares why the familiar pros-and-cons approach seems to make sense—but is profoundly flawed. He discusses how our biases influence the options we consider and the choices we make and how we can fight those biases. Kaufman shares examples of how team leaders can influence team decisions in positive and negative ways. Is our problem with decisions that we are overconfident?
March 24, 2017
From the Perspective of Powerful Women - Women's History Month Panel

The Illinois Tech Alumni Association welcomes five dynamic female executives for its March Hawk Talk event. The panelists will cover a wide-range of topics, including work-life balance, overcoming obstacles, networking, and mentoring. The panel will be moderated by Frances Bronet, senior vice president and provost, and include the following panelists:
- Marguerite Clark | Vice President, CZ Consulting Services
- Thuy Pisone | Cheif Operating Officer, Orbis Technologies, Inc.
- Sherrie Littlejohn (M.S. CS '82) | Executive Vice President of Internal Innovation Strategies, Wells Fargo
- Jill York | Vice President; Executive Vice President of Specialty Banking and M&A, MB Financial
- Dawn Schuette, FAIA (ARCH CRP '92, M.A.S. CRP '93) | Partner, Threshold Acoustics, LLC
February 21, 2017
George A. Schutter CPA, CPCM (ACCT '92) | Chief Procurement Officer for the District of Columbia & Director of the Office of Contracting and Procurement
"Public Service in Finance and Procurement"

George A. Schutter CPA, CPCM (ACCT '92) will discuss his background and experience in the public and private sector. He will then detail the contracting function and give an overview of the responsibilities of the District of Columbia's chief procurement officer as an example of public service. Finally, Schutter will provide career recommendations for students and recent grads interested in public service.
January 27, 2017
Prasad S. Kodukula, PMP, PgMP (Ph.D. ENVE '84) | CEO, Kodukula & Associates, Inc.
"Leadership Journey: From 'Doing' to 'Leading'"

In this webinar, Prasad S. Kodukula, PMP, PgMP (Ph.D. ENVE '84) will walk you through the leadership journey, focusing on the skills you must master and illuminating the transformation you must swiftly make from a technical specialist to an effective leader.

Note: This presentation is no longer available for viewing.
December 6, 2016
Arun Prakash (AE '99) | Managing Director, Carbon Arrow
"From Engineering to Investing"

Arun Prakash (AE '99), managing director of Carbon Arrow, discusses his educational and career paths. He started his career by working on complex control of satellites, which led him to learn about the world of private investments. Prakash will compare and contrast his various roles and provide insight and guidance.
November 17, 2016
Vinu Mahon (BAAS '11, CHEM '11) | Strategy Consultant, Galt & Company
"From Technical Degree to Management"

This seminar is presented by Vinu Mohan (BAAS '11, CHEM '11), who completed his undergraduate studies at Illinois Tech in chemistry and business administration. Mohan shares the story of his career evolution from a chemistry background to working as a strategy consultant for Galt & Company and provides tips and tricks on how to leverage a technical background to make a positive transition into business or management. The last portion of this seminar includes how to continuously develop leadership abilities to become an influential and integral part of any organization.
October 27, 2016
Jeffrey J. Lampe, CFA | Managing Director, Midwest at Square 1
"From Technology to Entrepreneurship"

This presentation is an introduction to tech start-up companies and the professional networks that can be used to support them. Jeff Lampe will share with tech savvy entrepreneurs how to navigate through multiple business channels to develop a successful company.
June 15, 2016
Baily Budka | Staffing Executive, Robert Half Technology
"How to Navigate Office Politics"

Are office politics helping or harming your career? Politics are at play in virtually every organization, but how you handle sensitive workplace situations can make or break your professional prospects. This presentation reviews the common typs of "political players" in the workplace, how to navigate office politics without compromising your career, and how managers can "lobby" for a winning workplace.
May 4, 2016
Hilary McCafferty | Branch Manager, Robert Half Technology
"How to Land Your Next Job"

We all know that looking for a job can be difficult and confusing. This presentation can make the process easier by giving you valuable insight and advice for attracting the attention of hiring managers. It covers all aspects of the job hunt—from uncovering employment opportunities to negotiating starting salary—to help you jump-start or re-energize your search.
April 6, 2016
Peter Giaimo | Permanent Services/AVP, Robert Half Technology
"How to Get What You Want At Work"

In this presentation, you'll learn how to become a savvy negotiator on the job. In addition, you'll discover some key qualities of great negotiators and tips for getting what you want, whether you need to negotiate salary, client fees, or project deadlines.
March 8, 2016
Hilary McCafferty | Branch Manager, Robert Half Technology
"Business Etiquette: The New Rules in a Digital Age"

This presentation provides guidelines on digital protocols in the workplace, including LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, as well as traditional communication tools such as email.
February 18, 2016
Brian Ippolito (AE '92) | President and CEO, Orbis Technologies, Inc.
"Big Data Truths and Myths – A Practitioner Perspective"

This presentation discusses lessons learned in an attempt to help sort out numerous truths and myths associated with big data. Orbis technology is currently being used to integrate enterprise databases to create virtual enterprise data repositories.
February 10, 2016
Hilary McCafferty | Branch Manager, Robert Half
"Social Media and Your Career"

This presentation offers a crash course in using social media to advance your career. It provides specific tips on using LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter for business purposes; how to build and maintain your online network; the finer points of social media etiquette; and how social media can help or hurt your job search.
January 21, 2016
Vasudevan "Raj" Rajaram (LAW '91) | President, IIG Sustainable Cities
"How to Bounce Back After a Career Setback"

Learn about the attitude required to have a long and successful career, overcome setbacks, move to new and exciting challenges, and discover the importance of achieving a stress-free life.
January 14, 2016
JD Gershbein (M.S. PSYCH '85) | Founder, Owlish Communications
"Using LinkedIn to Accelerate Relationship Development and Drive Business Growth"

Learn the revenue-generating potential of LinkedIn and discover strategies that can be applied immediately in order to build a powerful corporate brand.

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January 12, 2016
R. Scott Hodges (B.Arch '86) | President, South Suburban Business Advisors, Inc.
"Learned Lessons from Starting a Business"

Learn the five obstacles for entrepreneurs, how these obstacles impact their decision-making, and some simple approaches on how to address them.
December 9, 2015
Harley Feldman (CHEM '69) | Co-Founder, Seeonic, Inc.
"Supply Chain Technology"

Learn to address the problems and needs of the supplier and the manufacturer to create successful and analytical processes.
November 11, 2015
Christopher Willis (M.S. ITM '03) | Director of Engineering for Enterprise Security, Sayers
"Information Security Trends and Careers"

In this presentation, Christopher Willis discusses the evolution of information security, its importance, and how Illinois Tech is educating information security candidates to step into positions that are in high demand.
October 28, 2015
Michael Sekerak (ME '99) | Lead Systems Engineer, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
"Graduate Education: Is It Right For You?"

This presentation discusses the benefits and considerations of engaging in graduate education at any point in one's career.
October 12, 2015
Steve Dalton | Fuqua Career Coach
"The 2-Hour Job Search"

In this recording, Fuqua career coach and The 2-Hour Job Search author Steve Dalton offers an exact process—rather than a series of tips—for effectively turning strangers into advocates, leading to more internal referrals and more job interviews.

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July 16, 2015
David Newman | Senior Vice President and Strategic Planning Manager of Enterprise Architecture and IT Strategy, Wells Fargo Bank
"The Advent of Machine Intelligence: Emerging Trends and Career Development Opportunities"

This presentation provides a high-level overview of machine intelligence technology and the kinds of skills and career path choices that can be made to get ahead of this emerging transformation in business and information technology.
May 21, 2015
Andy Kaufman | President, Institute for Leadership Excellence & Development
"Project Management Careers and 5 Keys to Successfully Delivering Projects"

What is project management in practical terms? What does it take to succeed in the profession? What do you need to know to deliver your projects? In this recording, watch Andy Kaufman, PMP, share practical lessons about the 5 keys to successfully delivering projects.
February 19, 2015
Greg David | President, Gregory Laka & Company
"The New Career Management Journey—You're the Pilot, Not the Passenger"

Greg David has 22 years of experience in recruiting, talent acquisition, human capital advising, and job search coaching. Watch David discuss how the old model of job searching is quickly becoming outdated and how the new model can help you find jobs you might not know existed.

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