The Stephen and Sharon Hagge Innovation Institute, a new resource for generating and fostering innovative interdisciplinary ideas, was dedicated during a ceremony held October 7, 2022.

Located on the first floor of the State Farm Hall of Business, the Hagge Innovation Institute was established through a $1 million gift by Steve ’73 and Sharon Hagge ’73. Dr. Peter Kaufman, a professor of marketing, is the institute’s inaugural director.

“We know under Dr. Kaufman’s direction, students will be able to access experiential learning opportunities,” said President Terri Goss Kinzy. “We want to promote critical thinking, collaboration, and leadership.”

Kinzy emphasized that the Hagge Innovation Institute, which includes a modern, spacious conference room equipped with technology to facilitate brainstorming, will be a resource for students from all academic disciplines.

“Innovation is not just the realm of scientists,” Kinzy said. “It’s the realm of artists. It’s the realm of businesspeople. It’s the realm of everyone who has an idea and a spark.”

Stephen Hagge said he and his wife, Sharon, are investing in Illinois State because they were deeply impacted by the University. Both first-generation college students, Stephen and Sharon met on the first day of classes as freshmen and were married on their graduation day.

“We look back, and the education that we got here—it was a great foundation for where we are today,” Stephen Hagge said. “It’s worked well for Sharon in education and for me in business. I think the commitment of the professors in this organization has been one of the things that I’ve continued to be impressed with.”

Hagge said he and his wife feel fortunate to be able to give back, and they hope the Hagge Innovation Institute will create opportunities for collaboration across colleges.

“I think you’ve got to get people to work together,” Hagge said. “You’ve got to cross some of those barriers. That happens in business, and it happens in education. If you can do that, this institute will be what we wanted it to be.”

Members of the University’s Innovation Consulting Community, an interdisciplinary professional development program, are already utilizing the Hagge Innovation Institute to help organizations with important questions, according to Kaufman.

“This is a fulfilling and meaningful collaborative activity that builds relationships between students and faculty, practitioners, coaches, and myriad organizations within the University, while also accelerating the professional development of students,” Kaufman said. “I look forward to maintaining this unique opportunity for students while developing new, innovative programming in the future.”

Kinzy said she expects the Hagge Innovation Institute will impact the entire university.

“It’s the Hagge’s gift, and quite frankly their vision, that allows us to have this newly renovated physical space for the institute and its big ideas. And we are expecting big ideas.”